By Robert A. Waters
Inside his business, Norco Market and Liquor, 80-year-old Craig Cope watched a live feed as surveillance cameras recorded events taking place outside his store. A black SUV backed into a parking spot on the side of the building. That’s unusual, Cope thought. Most customers park straight-on in the nearest space. He watched as the vehicle’s doors flew open and three men exited, all wearing masks and hoodies. On camera, he clearly saw that each carried a gun.
Cope readied himself for the inevitable. Using the counter for cover, he aimed a shotgun, loaded and ready to fire, at the door’s entrance.
The first robber entered the store and pointed an AR-15 style rifle directly at the storeowner. “Hands in the air!” he shouted. “Hands in the air! Hands in the air!” But before he could make another step inside, Cope blasted off a round. The explosion shook the room as buckshot rattled along a counter, sweeping papers and foodstuffs off the shelf.
Cope knew that most robbers are cowards—as long as they have the upper hand, they can be brutal. But turn the tables and they’re quivering little suckups. This robber was no different. He wheeled and raced out of the store, screaming, “He shot my arm off! He shot my arm off! He shot my arm off!” The other men panicked and dashed straight toward the BMW. The driver, so flustered that he almost left a robber behind, squealed out of the parking lot.
Within seconds, the area sat empty.
The following day, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department released a report: “On Sunday, July 31, 2022, about 2:47 a.m., deputies from the Norco Sheriff’s Station responded to reports of an attempted armed robbery at a business located in the 800 block of 6th Street. The investigation was corroborated by surveillance video and revealed four armed suspects arrived at the business in a dark-colored vehicle. These suspects approached the business entrance armed with long guns wearing facial coverings and hoods. Immediately upon entering the business with the rifles pointed at the ready, an employee inside the business fired a single shot from a shotgun, causing the suspects to flee the business.
“With the assistance of another law enforcement agency, the suspects were located at a hospital in the Southern California region, one of whom was suffering from a gunshot wound consistent with a shotgun blast. Three additional suspects were also located at the hospital in the suspect vehicle, which had been previously reported as stolen. The vehicle, a dark-colored BMW SUV, was also found to contain numerous stolen firearms.”
After recuperating and returning to work, Craig Cope gave an interview to a local reporter. His observations seem important enough that I’m publishing it in full.
Gina Silva, Fox 11 News: The community is just absolutely in such support of this gentleman here, Craig Cope. Thank you for joining us here. Now we’ll start right away because we don’t have a lot of time. But when this happened to you on Sunday, when you saw them coming in that door with what appeared to be an AR-15, what were your thoughts?
Cope: There wasn’t much time to think about it. The guy pointed a gun directly at me and it was just him or me.
Silva: You acted right away. Frankly, if it had been me, I’d probably be dead. I wouldn’t know what to do and freeze. But you knew?
Cope: Yeah, I’m not going to give him the chance. I mean, I recognized the weapon as a semi-automatic gun [which shoots] as fast as you can pull the trigger. Maybe someone converted [it] to an automatic [which] is equivalent to a machine gun. I’m not going to let him get the first shot off point blank.
Silva: Not just here in Norco but in Southern California, the reaction has been incredible with business owners who say, “We’re so glad you defended your business. We are so tired of this crime wave.”
Cope: Yeah, well, I don’t know that I did something someone else wouldn’t have done. But two things, we need more people to stand up. But more than that, I’ll probably get on the wrong side of some people here, but the politicians. There are people out there who are not the best of people. There are people who choose to be burglars, there are people who choose to be armed robbers. I had a guy one time who told me he was a burglar. He was in handcuffs and going to jail. Specifically, he was a burglar. I mean, I had him in handcuffs and he said that’s what I do. I wait till it gets dark and I go burglarize places. I mean he’s going to jail, and he told me he’s a burglar.
These people who continually get locked up. These people, the majority, are gonna go right back to what they used to do. The crime rate is escalating and they’re going to continue to escalate until they start putting these people away, the people that are doing bad things.
As far as my place, it wouldn’t have done any good to call the local sheriffs. They can’t get here that quick. I mean this whole thing, from the time I saw him coming around the side of the building to coming in that door, [it was] a half or three-quarters of second. And what happened in ten seconds, the actual thing, when he pointed a gun at me and you’re that close to me, I’m not waiting.
Silva: When you saw them in the parking lot, and the first tipoff was when they put their masks over their faces…
Cope: They didn’t park the way a normal person would park so that was a red flag. Then they parked on the side of the building where they’re basically out of sight. That was the second red flag. Then they got out of the vehicle, and I looked and saw they got gloves and weapons. That just solidifies the deal for me. I knew what was coming.
Silva: Right after the shooting, you had a heart attack. How are you doing?
Cope: As far as I know, I’m doing better. I’m doing a lot better than I was that night.
Silva: Was it traumatic?
Cope: I don’t know what caused it. Maybe I’m just old.
Silva: We’re all in shock and just amazed at how you reacted in such an intense moment with a man walking in with that weapon. I mean, what’s your advice to business owners who are just so fed up with this crime?
Cope: Okay, you can do what I did but what you really need to do is put some pressure on the politicians because they got no clue about what’s going on out in the real world. I can start naming names, but there’s a whole lot of [politicians] that are creating major problems for business owners. For the local law enforcement, they’re creating problems for them. I’m sure [cops] go out and risk their lives taking people into custody [only] to see them getting out with no bail. A lot of these people are career criminals. I’m not talking about the guy who goofed up one time and made one mistake. I’m talking about the career criminals. They need to be locked up.
Silva: So, if this was to happen again, you would not hesitate?
Cope: No.
Silva: So, your message to the bad guys?
Cope: This isn’t a good place to pick.
Silva: [Laughing] Yeah, that’s right. This isn’t a good place to pick. So, anybody thinking about it. Not a good idea.
A few months later, Craig Cope suffered a stroke and died.
To view the shooting, please click into the following link: Caught on camera: Convenience store owner shoots attempted robbery suspect - YouTube
Note: The suspects have yet to be tried for their alleged crimes. In our country, all suspects are legally innocent until proven guilty.
In California they will probably get probation; In a red state they'd be doing 5 nickels.
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