4 charged in J'town attempted liquor store robbery, including suspect shot by clerk
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Four people were arrested after an attempted liquor store robbery in Jeffersontown in which one of the suspects was shot by a store clerk.
William Brandon Sexton, 30, walked into Kute's Liquors at 10525 Watterson Trail wearing a mask around 8 p.m. on March 27, Jeffersontown police said. He displayed an authentic-looking gun, which turned out to be fake.
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Police said Sexton ordered the clerk to go to the back of the store, but he refused to do so. Instead, the clerk went to the front counter and retrieved a gun.
The two were face-to-face and gun-to-gun. The clerk fired his gun and Sexton was shot in the chest. The entire incident captured on surveillance video lasted about 20 seconds.
The clerk called 911; a portion of the conversation is below:
Caller: "Somebody just came in and he tried to rob me. I believe I shot him."
911 Dispatcher: "You think you shot him? Is he still around?"
Caller: "No, he ran out the door."
Sexton got away in a vehicle with three other people inside, police said, adding that the accomplices dropped Sexton off at Baptist Health Urgent Care, located at 10216 Taylorsville Road. Patrons at a restaurant next door said they saw Sexton's body and called 911. Police took Sexton to University of Louisville Hospital.
"We were told that subject had been in a silver small car and had been drug out of that car by two other persons," Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders said.
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Police have identified the three other suspects as Lawrence Thomas, 35, whom they said drove the getaway vehicle; Ariana Butler and Thomas Mikels, both 25.
The trio told police that after dropping Sexton at the hospital, they went to a car wash to the blood out of their car. Police found a note in Sexton's pocket, demanding money threatening to kill if he didn't get it. Sexton is still alive.
But, Chief Sanders said the case is much bigger than an attempted robbery. He said the people involved were desperate for heroin. They admitted to police they wanted to rob a heroin dealer that night, but couldn't find one so they tried to rob Kute's instead.
"Addiction fuels desperation, desperation fuels crime," Sanders said. "We're real happy the clerk did not get hurt in the attempted robbery. We're sorry this suspect got shot but, he's the architect of his own demise."
Sexton was released from the hospital over the weekend, then he was indicted and booked in Metro Corrections on Tuesday.
Sexton is charged with first-degree robbery. His bond was set at $10,000 cash.
Thompson is charged with complicity to commit robbery and tampering with physical evidence. Butler and Mikels are charged with second-degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence.
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