Cookeville Police are currently investigating an armed robbery that occurred less than a mile from Tech.
The robbery happened the night of Jan. 20, at the Dollar General Store located on West Broad Street.
“The suspect was described as a male of stocky build, between 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet in height, and wearing some type of hooded garment that was blue,” Lt. Carl Sells, Criminal Investigation Division, said. “Unfortunately, he did a good job of keeping his identity hidden with a face mask.”
According to Sells, the armed robber arrived and left on foot and forced entry into the store as employees were preparing to close for the evening. The police report was not available to the public, as the investigation is still pending.
Due to the close proximity of the crime and the suspect’s unknown direction of travel, TTU Alert sent out the first warning message of the semester to students’ e-mail accounts and mobile phones.
“It’s free to sign up and get the messages but you have to have unlimited text in order to receive the updates,” Gay Shepherd, Tech police chief, said. “That way if you’re off campus, it will keep you off of campus if need be.”
For safety tips regarding suspicious individuals on campus, or more information about Tech Police, visit www.tntech.edu/police.
