Man robs store, beats clerk with gun

CANTONMENT, Fla (WALA) - Escambia County Sheriff's deputies say a black man, wearing all black and wielding a handgun entered the CMP convenience store on Highway 29 in Cantonment Saturday night.

"He actually jumped over the register and began hitting the clerk. He tried to get into the register but couldn't and then forced the clerk to open the register," said Deputy Matthew Baxter with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect grabbed all the money out of the drawer and took off, leaving the clerk bruised by the firearm.

"[He was beaten] to the head and actually all over his body. He was beaten all over with the gun," Baxter said.

In the chaos, the clerk managed to hit an alarm, which alerted deputies.

"Deputies circulated the area but were not able to locate him at this time," said Baxter.

The manager of the store refused to comment but the clerk was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The attack was caught on tape and Escambia County Sheriff's deputies plan to release the video.

If you have any information on the crime, please contact the Escambia County Sheriff's Office at (850) 436-9630.