CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- What would you do if you were to go face to face with an armed robber or home invader?
Would you know how to react?
We've seen security videos in the past where gunmen would storm into businesses and homes, demanding cash and anything else they can get their hands on. As we continue to see this time and time again, a warning is now being sent to people in the Queen City.
Police say it's a question you should be asking yourself every time you enter a convenience store. What would you do if you're confronted with an armed robber?
Do you fight back? Do you run away?
Police say a lot of folks have no idea how to handle that type of situation.
“It doesn't matter how much money or any type of product, nothing is worth your life,” said Johnathan Frisk with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.
We wanted to walk through a corner store and asked Frisk to tell us what people should do.
“So it's the middle of the day. You're in here shopping for something and somebody comes in armed with a gun. What do you do?” asks reporter Mark Boyle.
“Depends on where you're at in the store," Frisk said.
"If I'm on one end of the store and someone comes in and they pull out a gun and say this is a robbery. If there's another door and I can make that exit I immediately want to try and get out and avoid the situation,” Frisk said.
Some other things security experts say to think about:
- Look around before going into a business
- Know your surroundings
- Take your earbuds out
- Stop texting
- Keep your eyes open for anyone who looks out of place
What about a home invasion?
Whether the robbery happens in your home, a convenience store or somewhere else in public, police say having some type of plan could save your life.
Experts say when the time comes, you may not be thinking clearly.
“How likely is it for something to happen and everyone just freezes up, it that a concern?” Boyle asked.
“That's kind of the human response because stress kicks in,” Frisk said.
According to CMPD, robberies overall in the city have gone down nearly by five percent but police say that shouldn't mean you let your guard down.
Now's the time to come up with a plan, stick to it -- it may just save your life.