[TheForge] Very OT: deadly assault bananas foil robbery.

[Andrew Vida]

Woman Pelts Robbery Suspect With Bananas
By James Macpherson
Associated Press Writer

Published: Mar 25, 2005 8:00 AM EST

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Crystal Senger stopped at a convenience store to 
buy pop and cigarettes, and she saw the clerk being choked in a robbery 
attempt. She ran to call for help. Then she started throwing bananas.

Senger, 19, said she grew up playing organized baseball, and used those
skills to pelt the suspect in the head with every banana she threw, from
about 10 feet away.

"I was seven-for-seven," Senger said in a telephone interview Thursday.
"They were green bananas, not the ripe mushy ones, so they hurt."

Senger said the suspect, whom police said was intoxicated, was stunned
from getting hit by the flying fruit.

A 17-year-old was arrested after he bolted from the Devils Lake store 
and tripped over a piece of wood, after a short foot chase, Police Chief 
Bruce Kemmet said. The teen had no weapon and no money was taken from 
the store, Kemmet said.

Police said the suspect, who was not identified because of his age, 
stood more than 6 feet tall, and weighed about 300 pounds. He allegedly 
entered the Holiday Station Store about 1 a.m. Tuesday.

"It's pretty simple. The guy walked into the store and said something to
the effect of "Give me what I want,"' Kemmet said.

"He threw me around like I was nothing," said store clerk Ed Bingham, 
"and I weigh 220 pounds." Bingham said the suspect kicked and punched 
him for what "felt like forever." Bingham, 43, said he pushed a button 
that alerted the store's security company.

"When I walked in the store, I saw Ed in a choke hold, yelling for help
and gasping for air," Senger said. "There was blood everywhere."  She 
ran out and told her friend to call 911 on her cell phone. "She was in
shock, so I had to do it," Senger said.

Senger said she came back in the store and "screamed at the top of my
lungs at him to stop." When she was sure the suspect was unarmed, she
began bombarding him with bananas.

Senger said the basket of bananas was the closest thing she could find.
"If there would have been cans of soup on the counter, I would have 
thrown those at him," she said.

Bingham, who has worked at the store 15 years, said he had a swollen eye
and needed four stitches to close a cut on his eyebrow. He returned to
work Wednesday night.

Kemmet said the suspect faces a number of charges in juvenile court,
including robbery, assault and underage drinking.