http://www.newsobserver.com/141/story/513495.html

By Mandy Locke, Staff Writer
An off-duty immigration agent who stopped to eat at Smithfield Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q on Tuesday evening found himself in the thick of an armed robbery, Smithfield Police Capt. Joey Cuddington said.
During the dinner-time rush, a masked man barged into the Smithfield store, brandished a weapon and demanded that a manager clean out the cash register, Cuddington said. The manager turned over the money.

As the robber raced out to the parking lot to his getaway car, the immigration officer -- who had stopped to eat with his family while traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday -- chased after him. The officer, whose name was not available Wednesday morning, ordered him to drop his weapon and freeze, Cuddington said.

The robber ignored his warnings and jumped in the car. As he pulled out of the lot, the immigration officer shot at the car's tires, flattening some.

The robber wrecked the car a few blocks down the road, but managed to flee on foot.

Cuddington said police have several suspects and hope to make a swift arrest.