Employees at Ellis Home & Garden in Texarkana did the state of Texas proud Sunday night when their store was targeted by an armed criminal. It was a little after 8:00 p.m. and the employees were closing up when 25-year-old Brandon Staggs slipped in through an unlocked door holding a shotgun.
Two employees, both in the store’s back office, saw Staggs on the store’s surveillance camera. Armed with a shotgun, Staggs approached the employees and attempted to rob them.
The two employees fought back and wrestled the shotgun away from Staggs. One of the employees had a concealed handgun license and fired two shots during the struggle. Although neither of the rounds hit anyone, the employees succeeded in subduing Staggs and restraining him long enough to call 9-1-1 and hand him over to police.
Upon arrival, officers also found 34-year-old Toni Works waiting for Staggs in a getaway car in the parking lot. Both were charged with aggravated robbery and taken to the Bi-State Jail. The bail was set at $100,000.
For our part, we congratulate the employees on a job well done and celebrate Ellis’ sensible gun policies for their employees, which may have saved two lives.