Apex Walgreen's customer stabbed while stopping robber

Apex, N.C. — A Cary man was arrested early Tuesday after police say he stabbed a customer while trying to rob a Walgreen's in Apex for prescription drugs.

Zachery Lewis Erlemann, 20, of 110 Christofle Lane, was charged with attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, first-degree kidnapping and two counts of second-degree kidnapping.

Becky Meekins, Mike Weaver and his fiancé, Marchele Jones, were about to leave the drugstore when Erlemann forced them to the pharmacy in the back of the store.

"This dude just pushed me on the shoulder and said, 'Go to the back,'" Jones said. "I am huffing like he is joking around. I did not believe it."

She said Erlemann was covering his face with a T-shirt, wearing gloves and clutching a knife.

Weaver kept a close eye on Erlemann, waiting for an opportunity to subdue him.

"I wasn't scared or mad or anything," Weaver said. "I was calm."

When Erlemann looked away for moment, Weaver said, he seized his chance.

"I came around with my right hand and hit him in the nose," Weaver said. "He hit the ground and I kept hitting him in the face."

In the struggle, Weaver suffered a stab wound to his arm. Erlemann stumbled out of the store with a broken nose, police said.

He was arrested about a block from the store.

Despite the possible danger, Weaver said his choice was easy.

"If my family is in danger, I am going to fight for it," he said.

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If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns, Lightfoot3. If Weaver had a gun, he wouldn't have to shoot it. He could threaten the guy by just pointing it at him. If one person had a concealed weapon permit at the Aurora shooting, a lot of people would be safe.

liliyorg
November 30, 2012 10:45 a.m.

“"I came around with my right hand and hit him in the nose," Weaver said.” – article

The robber is lucky the story doesn’t go “I drew my firearm and shot him in the head”.

Lightfoot3
November 29, 2012 3:23 p.m.

"Hiring a good lawyer will ensure that he gets the help that he needs... "

I wish that were the case. The addict (again, I'm making an assumption) needs to WANT to rehabilitate. Hitting "rock bottom" is what it takes for an addict to see the light (if he is ever going to see it), and some time in jail might just do the trick.

Mom and Dad helping to get the kid(man) off easy (i.e., no jail sentence) and going through the motions of rehab often ends in immediate relapse once out of the program. I have witnessed this, and the end results were death by overdose.

I believe criminal behavior resulting from drug use needs a severe consequence via a court verdict/penalty, NOT freedom to go out and do it some more. Combining a stiff penalty with rehabilitation sounds good to me, but the addict needs to want to clean up, that is, have reached a rock bottom turning point. Mom and Dad can't fix this.

Addiction is a bi***.

monami
November 28, 2012 7:44 p.m.

Hiring a good lawyer will ensure that he gets the help that he needs. I just don't understand why so many people advocate just killing someone. Everyone needs to remember that, "There but for the grace of God go I."

jscott13
November 28, 2012 5:16 p.m.

Monami, there's a substantial career hazard of being a criminal: death. When peoples' lives are threatened, there's a reasonable expectation that they will fight back. Some may claim that Mr. Erlemann is a good guy who simply made a mistake, but I would argue that this is symptomatic of a much deeper problem, and he's lucky indeed to still be alive.

This young man is deeply troubled. His actions could easily have cost him his life. What if the person he cornered was a younger woman of small stature? We have no way of knowing how that would have played out, but it could have been much worse.

Just because a person is carrying a firearm doesn't mean it will be drawn. And it's entirely possible that the mere presence of that weapon in the holster would deter a criminal from following through on their violent acts. And in the worst case scenario, it puts the victim in a far more defensible position.

If you want to live in a gun-free society, I'd recommend New York or Chicago. Good luck!