Calgary store clerk shares story of being robbed at knife point, stomped unconscious

A Calgary convenience store worker said he's angry, scared and asking himself "Why me?" after he was the victim of a violent robbery. 

Police released surveillance camera video on Thursday of a man robbing the Mac's Convenience Store at 4100 Marlborough Dr. N.E. on Jan. 7 at about 10:50 p.m.

Wishavdeep, 25, said the surveillance video has helped fill in the gaps in his memory of what happened that night after he was knocked out by the culprit.

"I started my shift at 10 p.m. that night ... it was 10:45 p.m. when he entered the store," Wishavdeep said. "He was very fast. He jumped over the counter and pointed a knife at me, demanded cash."

The clerk followed the man's instructions. He opened the cash drawer and then laid down on the floor. He followed store policy and didn't try and stop him.

"In my mind, I thought he would take his money and leave," he said.

Instead, after grabbing the money from the till — less than $200, Wishavdeep said — the man jumped on the back of the clerk's head, leaving him bloody and unconscious.

After that, the video shows Wishavdeep standing up and moving around the store, disoriented. A customer came in, saw the clerk's condition, and used his phone to call police.

"I don't know what I said to him. I woke up in the ambulance," he said.

Since then, he's had CT scans of his head and neck. Doctors treated two open injuries near his eye. He's also seen a psychologist to deal with the trauma of the incident. 

Police believe the same man is responsible for four other robberies in which he stomped on the heads or necks of store clerks.

"This is a vicious attack that was completely uncalled for. The clerk had complied with the culprit's demands and did nothing to provoke the assault," said Insp. Joe Brar in a release.

The other robberies took place last year:

• Mac's at 2905 14th St. S.W. on July 24 at about 4:25 a.m.
• 7-Eleven at 146-920 36th St. N.E. on Nov. 7 at about 3:30 a.m.
• Mac's at 2905 14th St. S.W. on Dec. 6 at about 3:35 a.m.
• Mac's at 3735 Rundlehorn Dr. N.E. on May 20 at about 1:45 a.m.

Police said the culprit is often wearing a black hoodie, mask or scarf and gloves. 

The suspect is described as a male, 20 to 35 years old, approximately five foot 10 to six feet tall with a slim build.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers. 

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