It didn’t take long for North Precinct officers to apprehend armed robber William McGilmer, who held up the Family Dollar store at 2734 Whites Creek Pike at 8:20 a.m. today.
McGilmer, 36, wearing a white mask made out of the sleeve of a t-shirt, entered the store, pulled a gun and demanded money from the cash register and safe. As McGilmer was robbing the business, an employee he had not seen ran to the rear of the building and called 911. Officer Zachary Goodall arrived on the scene quickly and saw McGilmer fleeing through the woodline behind the store toward Revels Drive. Officer Goodall gave chase and caught McGilmer in the 500 block of Revels Drive. He was brought back to the store, where staff positively identified him as the robber. The t-shirt sleeve mask was still around his neck. A black BB pistol resembling a real firearm was found along McGilmer’s flight path.
McGilmer refused to answer detectives’ questions. He is charged with aggravated robbery, evading arrest and gun possession by a convicted felon. He is jailed in lieu of $82,500 bond and remains under investigation in regard to other crimes.
