Lee Co. Sheriff's Deputies talk down alleged robber

SMITHS STATION, AL (WTVM) - A Smiths Station Marathon Gas Station avoided a very close call with an armed robber Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Fortunately for the clerk inside, police were only moments away and caught the thief in the act.

The Marathon Gas Station at the intersection of Highway 280 and Lee Road 248 was occupied by a lone clerk Wednesday night when 17-year-old Blake Ashton Carter entered the store in a mask with a handgun. 

The clerk had time to trigger a silent alarm before complying with the robbery. Lee County Sheriff's Deputies were in the area when they were notified and arrived on the scene within only a matter of minutes.

When they arrived they saw Carter inside and quickly secured the perimeter. Carter took the clerk to the back of the store, but with no exit, Carter was trapped inside with no way to escape.

Police negotiated with him for a bit before he peacefully surrendered.  

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said that the deputies handled this delicate situation in outstanding fashion.

"Any time you can defuse a highly volatile and a very high risk situation and bring it down to a level where there is compliance, which is exactly what happened here, it results in no injuries," said Sheriff Jones.  

Carter is being held at the Lee County Detention facility on $110,500 bond.

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