Moment Alabama robber wishes jewelry store workers ‘happy holidays’ as she unloads a can of bear spray on them just before owner shoots her in the shoulder
A robber wished employees of an Alabama jewelry store “happy holidays” before pulling out a can of bear spray and then being shot by the store owner.
Heather Denise Wright, 32, was allegedly caught on surveillance footage entering the Jeff Dennis Jewelers store in Gardendale, Alabama, on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Wright, originally from Kansas, allegedly entered the store wearing a mask and coat and immediately blocked the door to prevent it from closing.
She has since been charged with three counts of first-degree robbery and three counts of criminal use of a protective spray.
Store owner Jeff Dennis said he immediately knew what was happening, so he pulled out his weapon.
Heather Denise Wright, 32, wished employees at an Alabama jewelry store “happy holidays” before pulling out a can of bear spray and attempting to rob the store.
Store owner Jeff Dennis said he immediately knew what was happening, so he pulled out his weapon.
Wright allegedly then said, “Happy holidays. I don’t want to hurt you, but I do.”
She then began spraying employees with a can of bear spray, prompting Dennis to use his weapon in self-defense, according to police.
Dennis shot at the robber, hitting her in the shoulder, Alabama police said.
“I stepped around the corner, fired and hit her pretty hard. I hit her in the shoulder. It was a serious injury,” Dennis said. AL.com.
“I had no choice when she started spraying bear spray because I didn’t know what was going to happen next.
“I was in fight or flight mode and trying to secure the store because I didn’t know if there were other people with her.”
She allegedly shouted: “Stop, stop. I don’t want to die. Please stop,” then dropped her purse and ran from the store on Fieldstown Road.
Wright allegedly had another weapon in her purse, which Dennis believed she planned to use during the robbery.
A smart store owner pressed the panic button and put his store under security.
A search for the suspect was quickly launched by multiple agencies, including Gardendale Police, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Birmingham Police, Kimberly Police and Fultondale Police.
Wright was found hours later at an apartment complex in Birmingham and taken to UAB Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound she suffered during the robbery.
Her bond, once booked in the Jefferson County Jail, is set at $900,000.
A Kansas woman walked into a store wearing a coat and a face covering and immediately blocked the door to keep it from closing.
According to Dennis, this is the first robbery the jewelry store has experienced – he says he has lost sleep at night worrying about the incident.
“If you’ve ever been around bear spray, it’s so toxic,” Dennis said. “Within a few seconds we were burning, we could see almost nothing, we were coughing. It’s still here and I had a professional cleaning crew come out to see me last night.
“We still have it in our throats and we have to wash everything with soap and water and throw away a lot of things,” he said. “It’s pretty brutal.”
According to Dennis, this is the first robbery the jewelry store has experienced, and he says he has lost sleep at night worrying about the incident.
“Someone’s bad choices forced me to do something I hoped I would never have to do,” he said.
“I hate it,” Dennis said. “I didn’t sleep well last night and was shaking for hours.”
“It was an emotional thing,” he said. “I’m glad she didn’t die. I hope she can change her life.”
“I hope I never encounter this again,” he said, “but I have no doubt that I would do the same thing again if I encountered it a hundred times.”
Wright has an extensive criminal history, with convictions over the years for opiate possession, burglary, forgery and theft.