KALAMAZOO, VAN BUREN COUNTIES, Mich. — The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office says a suspected armed robber was flown to the hospital and another is in custody, after they robbed a store, then later crashed during a pursuit.
The original robbery happened at approximately 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday. Police say two suspects armed with handguns walked into TJ’s Party Store on W KL Avenue, stole money and merchandise, and took the employees’ cell phones so they couldn’t call for help.
At about 1:30 a.m., deputies from Van Buren County spotted a suspicious vehicle on Red Arrow Highway near 70th Street in Hartford Township. After receiving word of the armed robbery, they pulled the vehicle over. While they were detaining a passenger, the driver sped off, leading police on a short pursuit. The driver crashed, and suffered injuries that required assistance from a medical helicopter.
Police recovered a stolen handgun and evidence of the robbery in the vehicle. Charges against both suspects are pending in both Van Buren and Kalamazoo Counties.