It seems to be a case of "one bad decision leads to another."
Edmond police are looking for a suspect in the robbery of a Walgreens who stole roughly $120 worth of emergency contraceptives.
According to store employees, a man wearing a motorcycle helmet and gloves entered the Edmond store at approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday night. As an employee approached him to ask him to take off his helmet in accordance with store policy, she reportedly saw him place three packages of Take Action (Levonorgestrel 1.5mg), an off-brand of Plan B, into a drawstring bag and place the bag into a black Nike backpack.
A manager then approached the man and asked him to remove the items from his backpack. Video surveillance shows the suspect place his bag on the ground and then stand back up. The manager then raises both hands and backs away from the suspect. It appears as if the suspect is holding a gun.
Witnesses say the man took his bag and left the store on a motorbike, possibly red.
The suspect is described as a white male between 6'4" and 6'5" and weighing approximately 165 to 175 pounds. The drawstring bag he used in the robbery said "UCO" on it.
Take Action, an emergency contraceptive, costs about $39.99 at Walgreens, and is about ten dollars cheaper than the more well-known brand, Plan B. Often, those who need it can get it for cheaper or even free at a local Planned Parenthood clinic. The Walgreens in the robbery is located at 33rd and Boulevard in Edmond. There is a Planned Parenthood less than a quarter mile away on Boulevard, making this robbery seem even more unnecessary.
But instead of going to a free clinic for emergency contraceptive, this young man decided to rob a store to get it. And to make matters worse, this was no simple act of shoplifting. Instead, by pulling a gun on the manager, he elevated the charge to robbery with a dangerous weapon.
According to Oklahoma law in 21 O.S. § 801, armed robbery is a violent felony punishable by a minimum of 5 years in prison:
Any person or persons who, with the use of any firearms or any other dangerous weapons, whether the firearm is loaded or not, or who uses a blank or imitation firearm capable of raising in the mind of the one threatened with such device a fear that it is a real firearm, attempts to rob or robs any person or persons, or who robs or attempts to rob any place of business, residence or banking institution or any other place inhabited or attended by any person or persons at any time, either day or night, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction therefor, shall suffer punishment by imprisonment for life in the State Penitentiary, or for a period of time not less than five (5) years, at the discretion of the court, or the jury trying the same.
Unprotected sex is a bad decision. Stealing emergency contraception that one could get for free only a block away is a bad decision. Pulling a gun to complete the theft is an even worse decision. Now, for the theft of three boxes of pills valued at roughly $40 each, a man could find himself facing 5 years or more in prison.
