5 months ago
Macon police have released surveillance video that shows the fatal shooting of a Macon store clerk during a robbery.
Video from Sunday evening shows two men entering the Chevron on Riverside Drive in Macon.
One man points a rifle at the two clerks and rocks back and forth for more than a minute, while the other runs behind the counter to grab money and cigarettes.
As the two men escape, one looks back and fires a shot at 29-year-old Dipak Patel, killing him.
Macon police are hoping that someone can help identify the robbers.
They say they're trying to identify a logo on a jacket worn by the shooter, who's wearing a black jacket with yellow stripes and logo.
They ask anyone with information on the case to call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
"We're dealing with a cold-hearted person," said Macon Police Chief Mike Burns. "We need to get him off the street as soon as we can. He doesn't need to live in a neighborhood. We want to get him behind bars where he belongs."
Patel, was shot to death in front of three witnesses, including another clerk, according to a Macon police report.
The two robbers took cash and ran off from the Chevron station at 1257 Riverside Drive.
Police Capt. Robert Grabowski says Patel was behind the counter when the robbers jumped the counter and took cash and cigarettes.
Metal burglar bars cover the windows but there is no barrier at the counter.
Grabowski says one robber shot Patel on the way out.
"It was a case of senselessness, and cold-blooded to shoot him for no apparent reason, after they had already got the money," said Grabowski.
Gas station owners visiting Macon for a trade show this week said the killing is proof that they're in a risky business.
"It's an irrational act to start with," said Tamour Sardar, a gas station owner from Flovilla, Georgia. "So you can expect anything. All you can do is just hope and pray that he doesn't pull the trigger."
The video from Sunday evening's robbery of the Chevron is a reminder some said to be prepared for anything.
"It reminded us just to go over our own security issues," said Sardar. "Because you can never tell. It can happen anywhere."
"People will do stupid stuff for a smaller amount of money these days," said Sanjay Patel, a gas station owner from Cairo, Georgia.
Patel said he knows from experience, the dangers of the job are only getting worse.
"Pick-up truck backs up into the front door," said Patel. "Ties our ATM machine with a chain, and yanks the ATM machine out of our store."
Other say Patel reacted exactly the way clerks are trained to.
"He didn't resist. He'd given them the money," said William Caldwell. "They were leaving, and I guess one of them had a second thought and turned around and shot him. For no reason."
Grabowski says they have received tips from the community but so far, have no suspects.
Poonam Patel, a member of Macon's Indian-American community who was not related to Dipak Patel, says Dipak was an only child and is survived by a mother in India.
Poonam says a few close friends in Macon are planning funeral arrangements for Dipak.
Poonam says they raised $6,000 to send home to Dipak's mother in India, but they stopped raising money at the mother's request.
"Dipak's mother told us it's not going to bring him back, so just stop collecting funds," said Poonam Patel.
Poonam says some of the money raised will go towards Dipak's funeral which is to be held Thursday.
The Chevron station on Riverside Drive reopened for business on Tuesday.
