Man shot during pizza-shop robbery attempt dies

The Akron Beacon-Journal is reporting that a man who was allegedly attempting to rob a West Akron pizza shop Tuesday night was shot by the store owner, who had a license to carry a concealed handgun.

The robber later died at the hospital, and the store owner is speaking out about being attacked and having his ilfe threatened.

From the story:

The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office this morning identified the man as Patrick Finney, 20, of Dover Avenue, on the city's west side, not far from the pizza shop.

The medical examiner's office said this morning that Finney walked into Your Pizza Shop, 1079 W. Exchange St., with a shotgun and demanded money about 7:45 p.m.

An employee shot Finney, the medical examiner's office said.
Finney then left the business and collapsed down the street on Burton Avenue, authorities said.

He was transported to Akron General Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:20 p.m.

(Interestingly, in its coverage of the attempted robbery, Fox 8 News (WJW Cleveland) describes the man who carried a shotgun into this business as the "victim".)

The truth is, robber's intended victims - the store workers - refused to be victims.

As worker told the Beacon-Journal, "the guy came in to rob the place and it didn't work out."

UPDATE: According to a follow-up story in the newspaper, the store owner is an Ohio concealed handgun license (CHL)-holder, and he is speaking out about the robbery.

John Hayes wants only to sell pizzas, not shoot robbers.

But the day after his West Akron pizza parlor was held up and he shot and killed the shotgun-armed robber, Hayes remains concerned about his business, his life and the health of his six workers.

He wants the public to know why he opened fire: He didn't want to be killed, like other robbery victims around the city. He wants only to sell pizzas.

"I'm devastated," he said inside Your Pizza Shop, the West Exchange Street parlor he purchased two months ago. "It's an unbelievable situation I've been put into because of some person's carelessness and thoughtlessness.

"I'm in fear of my life, my employees' lives and the lives of everybody I know."

Hayes, 37, was behind the counter Tuesday night when 20-year-old Patrick Finney, wearing an orange ski mask, walked in and pointed a sawed-off shotgun at his head just before 8 p.m.

The newspaper said a customer, an older woman from the neighborhood, was seated at the counter watching the Cavaliers game while waiting for a stromboli.

"He said, 'Give me the [expletive] money. This is an [expletive] robbery," Hayes said.

Hayes told the newspaper he cooperated, giving the robber a stack of $10 bills. But he said the robber wanted more and pointed the shotgun within inches of Hayes' head.

''As soon as I gave him the money, I pulled my gun out from my hip, pointed it and fired four shots,'' Hayes said.

Finney fell to the floor, then stood back up. Hayes fired three more shots from his Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Finney staggered outside and collapsed across the street. The cash he sought was dropped outside.

Hayes then called 911.

"I just got robbed at my pizza shop, 1077 West Exchange Street," Hayes says on the recording released by Akron police.

"OK, what kind...does he have a weapon?" a dispatcher asks.

"He had a weapon, a gun. I shot him. He's across the street laying down right now," Hayes says.

"You shot him?" the dispatcher replies in a startled voice.

"I shot him right in front of me while he was holding a gun on me," Hayes replies.

According to the newspaper, Finney was taken to Akron General Medical Center. He died within the hour. An autopsy on Wednesday showed he was shot multiple times in the torso.

Hayes told the newspaper his delivery drivers are concerned about retaliation, and that he said he carries a weapon, with a concealed carry permit and regular shooting practice, to avoid being a victim. He cited the recent case of the North Hill man shot in a carjacking as reason for his fear of being shot during a robbery.

"People don't care. They take $100 and don't give a [expletive]. They don't want to be identified and so they kill you," he said. "I'm not going to be killed for $100."

Click here to listen to an interview with John Hayes on the April 5 edition of Firearms Forum.

Additional Information:
Ohio CHL-holders acting in self-defense: