Whiteville police ask for help to ID robbery suspects

WHITEVILLE, Tenn. — A “Smile, you’re on Camera” sign is the first thing customers see as they walk through the doors of Whiteville Food Mart.

But shocking surveillance video captured on those cameras show it didn’t stop three masked men, armed with handguns, from robbing the store Saturday night.

“We see a progression, so they are progressively getting more violent and more dangerous,” Whiteville Police Chief Steven Stanley said.

Stanley said the suspects are believed to be connected to a recent string of robberies in surrounding areas around Hardeman County.

While the suspects took off with some tobacco products and an undetermined amount of cash, Stanley says it is important to get them off the streets before they strike again.

“The longer they are left out, able to do this, the more confidence they’re going to gain with each robbery,” Stanley said.

Chief Steven Stanley

As police search for suspects, Chief Stanley wants to remind store employees that giving up the money in a robbery is better than getting hurt.

“It’s always better for us to catch them later than someone to get hurt during the process,” he said.

Stanley says the suspects are African American males, all of small build, around five feet 10 inches to six feet tall and 150 to 180 pounds.

Chief Stanley says the Whiteville Police Department is offering a $500 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest in the robberies. Anyone with information is urged to call the department at 731-254-9450.