A man has been arrested after allegedly holding up the United Chemists Pharmacy in Tennant Creek with a gun, NT Police have said, claiming the incident was a “one-off” event, but multiple sources have told the NT Independent the pharmacy has been held up on at least one other occasion in the last two weeks.
Territory Duty Superintendent Peter Dash said in a statement no one was harmed in the hold-up, which happened about 12.30pm, and involved a man allegedly threatening staff with a gun. However a photo on the Facebook page of MLA for Barkly Steve Edgington showed a man being wheeled out on an ambulance stretcher.
NT Police media manager Rob Cross did not respond to a follow up question about who was on the ambulance stretcher, but a source told the NT Independent the man had mental health issues.
“As police arrived on scene a staff member had managed to remove the firearm from the man,” Supt Dash said in the statement.
A man being stretcher out of the pharmacy. Picture: Steve Edgington Facebook
He said a 47-year-old man was arrested and is yet to be charged. He did not explain how the staff member got the gun off the alleged offender.
“The experience itself would have been fairly traumatic to those involved, however we’re thankful no one was physically harmed during this incident,” Supt Dash said.
“This was a one-off event and we do not expect any repercussions or similar incidents.”
However three others sources have told the NT Independent that within the last two weeks the pharmacy was held up with a screw driver and the pharmacy called police, who responded.
One of the sources said in the first hold up the pharmacist gave the man the drugs but he returned the next day demanding drugs again, and again the police were called.
“Does the government not care about violence against women and armed robbery…” they asked.
“How can somebody who has committed armed robbery be allowed out and return to the scene of the crime the next day and terrorise staff again?”
The United Chemists did not answer their phone today.
Mr Cross did not respond to questions about the previous armed hold-up at the pharmacy, and if police had intentionally set out to deceive the public.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article said it was allegedly the same man responsible for both hold ups, and there were reports the man was tasered by police. The NT Independent now believers that information was incorrect and we apologise for the error.
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