The day after shooting a man who robbed his store at gunpoint, owner and pharmacist Jeff Fenwick talks only with 5NEWS about why he felt he had no choice but to pull the trigger.
Fenwick called what happened yesterday morning life-changing. He walked 5NEWS through the surveillance video step by step, explaining what was happening along the way. Fenwick says he feared not only for his life but for the employees he cares about.
"He told us he was just here to check the store out and this is him here pulling the gun out of his pocket," Fenwick said pointing to his computer monitor. "He's going to wave it at Michelle, Trey and Judy right here and tells them to go to the back."
Police say the man in the video is 50-year-old Timothy Friedman--a parolee from Minnesota who now faces charges in LeFlore and Latimer counties in Oklahoma.
"He's telling us now that he's got a family member and he will shoot us and harm us if anything goes wrong," Fenwick continued, referencing a scene on the screen.
The suspect demands narcotics from the employees. Owner Jeff Fenwick is in the back on the phone when an employee comes back to tell him what is going on.
"He just tells me to sit down and not say a word," Fenwick recalled. "I said, 'Listen all we're going to do is make you happy. We don't want anybody getting hurt. We want everybody going home and seeing their kids tonight.'"
Fenwick says the suspect told them "someone is going to get hurt" if officers show up. At this point, Fenwick says he doesn't know if his employees have tripped the alarm or if his friend he was talking to on the phone has called police. The man heads for the door and Fenwick draws his gun.
"As soon as he slowed down and made a turnÂ…I don't know what he saw," Fenwick questioned. "I thought, 'I got to take care of myself and the people that work here at National Pharmacy'. So I shot him."
Jeff says he fired twice at the suspect.
"I was very scared."
The pharmacist says he wants his employees to feel safe.
"I don't want anybody getting hurt that works at this pharmacy," Fenwick insisted. "They're all not just people I work with. I love them." Fenwick says he didn't want anyone to get hurt, but he did what he had to do. He's spent more than $30,000 to protect his store, including installing bullet proof glass to prevent smash and grabs during the night.
Fenwick called what happened yesterday morning life-changing. He walked 5NEWS through the surveillance video step by step, explaining what was happening along the way. Fenwick says he feared not only for his life but for the employees he cares about.
"He told us he was just here to check the store out and this is him here pulling the gun out of his pocket," Fenwick said pointing to his computer monitor. "He's going to wave it at Michelle, Trey and Judy right here and tells them to go to the back."
Police say the man in the video is 50-year-old Timothy Friedman--a parolee from Minnesota who now faces charges in LeFlore and Latimer counties in Oklahoma.
"He's telling us now that he's got a family member and he will shoot us and harm us if anything goes wrong," Fenwick continued, referencing a scene on the screen.
The suspect demands narcotics from the employees. Owner Jeff Fenwick is in the back on the phone when an employee comes back to tell him what is going on.
"He just tells me to sit down and not say a word," Fenwick recalled. "I said, 'Listen all we're going to do is make you happy. We don't want anybody getting hurt. We want everybody going home and seeing their kids tonight.'"
Fenwick says the suspect told them "someone is going to get hurt" if officers show up. At this point, Fenwick says he doesn't know if his employees have tripped the alarm or if his friend he was talking to on the phone has called police. The man heads for the door and Fenwick draws his gun.
"As soon as he slowed down and made a turnÂ…I don't know what he saw," Fenwick questioned. "I thought, 'I got to take care of myself and the people that work here at National Pharmacy'. So I shot him."
Jeff says he fired twice at the suspect.
"I was very scared."
The pharmacist says he wants his employees to feel safe.
"I don't want anybody getting hurt that works at this pharmacy," Fenwick insisted. "They're all not just people I work with. I love them." Fenwick says he didn't want anyone to get hurt, but he did what he had to do. He's spent more than $30,000 to protect his store, including installing bullet proof glass to prevent smash and grabs during the night.
