Crime & Safety

Ferndale Pharmacy Employees Tied Up, Threatened During Armed Robbery

Victim recounts how the incident unfolded Monday evening and praises Ferndale police. 'These guys did good.'

Less than 24 hours after of the at 825 W. Nine Mile Rd., it was back open for business Tuesday.

"I told them it was up to you. If you guys want to come in, come in," said a pharmacist at the store who requested his name be withheld. The pharmacist was one of the five victims of the robbery and has worked at Ferndale Pharmacy since it opened 3 1/2 years ago. "We'll take it one day at a time."

According to the pharmacist, one of the suspects came into the store about 6:30 p.m. asking for directions. "They asked my employee about some address on Nine Mile, they were messing around," he said. "Then another guy walks in with a gun behind him."

At that time, the suspects began yelling and screaming, he said. "They were screaming, like, loud. Saying get down, counting to three or we'll shoot you," the pharmacist said.

It was also at that time that a female working in the back of the store dialed 911 and left the phone line open. It was this action that led Ferndale Police to the robbery in progress, according to Lt. Detective William Wilson.

"One of the victims had the foresight to dial 911 and leave an open line before she was grabbed by the criminals," Wilson said early Tuesday morning. "Police were able to listen to the crime unfold over the telephone. Officers responded and were outside of the building when the culprits attempted to escape."

Wilson said the two gunmen inside and the getaway driver were apprehended shortly after the robbery took place.

Sporting a fresh bruise on the top of his forehead, the pharmacist said he received it when he was pushed to the ground. "I was trying to lay down; we are not commandos, we are slow. So they pushed us and I hit my head on the floor."

Five employees were in the store at the time of the robbery, the pharmacist said.

"They went after the register. They asked the girl to open it. She was so nervous, she couldn't," the pharmacist said.

A male employee then was forced to open the register. "They told him to put the money in the bag then threw the cash register on the floor," the pharmacist said.

The pharmacist said the gunmen then began emptying the shelves of drugs into a bag. They also forced the employees to open a safe, he said.

The incident lasted about 30 minutes, the pharmacist said, during which time he doesn't recall a shot being fired inside the building. "At the end, they threw us all into the bathroom, with our hands tied," he said. "They were about to leave and that's when I heard the gun shots."

Eyewitnesses from the neighborhood around Ferndale Pharmacy said they saw Ferndale Police pull up before it appeared the robbery had been completed.

"The police were stealth and got around the building and I don't think the getaway driver initially saw them," said Rob Rose, a Beaufield resident.

The getaway driver, according to Rose, was parked in the Ferndale Pharmacy parking lot, just east of the building. One resident described the getaway vehicle as a Honda Odyssey minivan, police said.

As Ferndale officers approached the lot, Rose said he started hearing shots fired. Ferndale Police report that one shot was fired while residents reported hearing multiple shots.

The getaway driver fled the scene before the gunmen left Ferndale Pharmacy, witnesses said.

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"(The vehicle) was pursued at high speeds into Detroit. He crashed near Livernois and Stoepel and fled on foot," Wilson said. "Officers caught him in the yard of a house in the area."

The two gunmen were also apprehended, Wilson said. "One of the robbers was caught near the store, the other fled into backyards and was tracked down and arrested by officers."

One of the three suspects is on parole and carries a prior conviction of second-degree murder, Wilson said, however details on the conviction have not been released as of Tuesday afternoon.

"I think about the whole thing and (Ferndale Police) didn't push themselves or kick in any doors. That could have resulted in hostages," the pharmacist said. "They kept it outside of the building. They know this situation better than you and me … these guys did good."

Find out what's happening in Ferndalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Officers from Ferndale, Hazel Park, Royal Oak and the Oak Park Public Safety Department assisted in the incident.

The pharmacist said there has been no discussion about closing the business and doesn't anticipate such an action. He said the employees involved are shaken up but dealing with it.

As for the pharmacist, he didn't get much sleep last night.

"I got home about 12 (midnight), then woke up at like 4 o'clock (in the morning)," he said. "Not much sleep last night."


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