Sheriff’s office searching for suspect in West Point robbery

Cullman County sheriff’s investigators were conducting a search Monday for a male suspect who robbed the West Point Pharmacy of prescription narcotics at gunpoint.

Lt. Tim Creel, westside district chief, reported Monday afternoon a “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) was sent to area law enforcement agencies after a white male, medium build, and wearing a mask, robbed the pharmacy located on Alabama Highway 157.

“We received the call at 12:12 p.m. All we know is that a white male, wearing a mask, and carrying a shotgun, entered the pharmacy and ordered the female pharmacist on duty to give him the narcotics out of the pharmacy’s safe,” Creel said. “That indicates to us that he knew exactly what he was looking for and where to find it.”

Creel said the pharmacist, who was not identified, complied with the robber’s demands and took a quantity of narcotics — mostly prescription pain medication — out of the safe. The thief then placed the drugs in a duffle-type bag he had with him.

Before exiting the store, Creel said the man ordered the pharmacist to lie down on the floor behind the counter and face away from him as he left.

“It was a dangerous situation that fortunately had a good outcome in that the pharmacist was not injured,” Creel said. “In situations like that we always encourage folks to comply with the robber’s demands, whether a weapon is visible or not. Any kind of material property can be replaced, but you can’t replace a life, so it is always best to comply.”

The fact the robber used a shotgun as his weapon of choice may indicate that this was a crime of “opportunity.”

Also, the fact that the robber didn’t ask for any cash from the register, indicates he had a single purpose in mind when he entered the pharmacy.

“There was no vehicle seen by the pharmacist at any time, which could mean he left on foot,” Creel said. “The investigation is ongoing. We have some leads that we’re in the process of following up on.”

Assisting the sheriff’s office at the scene were members of the Morgan and Winston County sheriffs’ offices, Arley Police Department, and state troopers.

“The Alabama Department of Public Safety also loaned us the use of their helicopter to conduct an aerial search of the immediate area,” Creel said.

Creel said a value has not yet been placed on the narcotics taken.

“He left with several hundred pills, the majority of which were pain medications,” Creel said. “That’s as specific as we need to be right now as far as the types of pills taken.”