Supermarket robber dies after ‘confrontation’ with staff

The 20-year-old man injured in a confrontation with staff as he tried to rob a supermarket in Moerkapelle on Tuesday has died of his injuries in hospital.

Police have not said what happened during the robbery or what injuries the robber received. The robber was hurt during a ‘confrontation’ between the man and a number of shop workers, police said.
However, according to the Telegraaf, the Spar supermarket’s 62-year-old owner Dick Pak pushed the robber away after escaping from the office where he had been locked in. The robber then fell down the stairs and broke his neck, the paper says.
Police declined to give further details ‘in the interest of the investigation’ but did say two shots were fired during the robbery.
Life-threatening
One supermarket worker is considered a suspect in the death but was allowed home after questioning, in line with new government policy, police said.
The public prosecution department said the incident appears to have been a ‘life-threatening situation’. The new government guidelines say that people who defend themselves against a burglar or armed robber should no longer be arrested.
Earlier this month, two workers at a motorbike shop in Ijmuiden were arrested after beating up a would-be robber. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.