Dollar Store Price Dispute Leads To Armed Employee Using Gun Against Armed & Angry Customer

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — In a Central City retail store, Roderick Bennett found himself on the business end of a bargain he didn’t anticipate, according to court documents filed by New Orleans police. Not only was he shot by the armed clerk he attempted to threaten, but in his bid to drive to a hospital, he crashed his car. To add insult to injury, police slapped cuffs on him for instigating the ordeal.

This 49-year-old got a two-for-one deal at the police station, booked for aggravated assault with a gun and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

Here’s how it went down, as per the police: On April 11th, Bennett tangled words over an item’s price with a Dollar General employee on South Claiborne Avenue. A witness recounted Bennett pulling a gun on the worker, who responded by shooting Bennett in the chest.

Bennett managed to drag himself to his car, only to crash while trying to get to a hospital. An unknown Samaritan picked him up and got him the rest of the way, where he underwent surgery in critical condition, according to the court documents.

When detectives chatted with Bennett six days later, he claimed amnesia about the whole episode, including the heated argument.

Fast forward to April 26th, when the police spoke with the store clerk. He reported that it was Bennett who lit the fuse, challenging him to a fight outside. Surveillance footage corroborated this, capturing Bennett exiting the store, gun in hand, and confronting the employee. The employee responded in kind, pulling out his own gun and firing a shot that hit Bennett.

Bennett’s bail was set at $95,000 by Magistrate Commissioner Jay Daniels.