By Karen Keefe<br><a href="mailto:karen.keefe@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Karen</a>
Police officers at press time were interviewing witnesses and pursuing leads after an armed robbery around 9 p.m. at the Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant at 494 West Ave., according to Lockport Police Chief Lawrence Eggert.
He said several people were detained for questioning in the crime.
According to witnesses in the North End, police cars swarmed the city in pursuit of the suspects, who apparently shot a window at the restaurant. Eggert said they made off with an undetermined amount of cash.
“Three people walked into the KFC, displayed guns and committed an armed robbery,” Eggert said.
Police spotted a suspicious car down the street, and Lockport Police Lt. Brian Wentland was rammed by the vehicle and was pinned between his car and the car door, Eggert said. Wentland was treated and released for upper body injuries at Eastern Niagara Hospital-Lockport, the police chief said.
Police chased the suspect vehicle, then the car was abandoned during the chase, as the suspects began fleeing on foot, Eggert said.
The robbers apparently climbed a fence at a house on Prentice Street, and dumped some cash in the backyard, according to scanner information and witnesses in the neighborhood who called the US&J; newsroom.
A helicopter was called in, and K-9 units were employed to track the suspects, who were believed to have three guns. One, a black pellet gun, was recovered before 11 p.m., according to police radio reports.
Police had set up a perimeter in the area of Washington, Hawley, Prentice and North Transit streets.
Eggert was pleased with the police work that followed the robbery, “It’s been a pretty good investigation so far,” he said. “Right now, we’re just trying to follow up on the leads we have.”
