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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rebecca Speare-Cole

CCTV shows customer lighting a cigarette and refusing to move during armed robbery at bar

A man sits at the bar during a raid (Picture: Behrmann's Tavern / YouTube)

A regular customer at a US bar was seen casually lighting a cigarette as an armed robber stormed the premises.

Tony Tovar was drinking a pint at the Behrmann's Tavern in St Louis, Missouri, when a gunman burst in, demanding everyone hand over their belongings and get on the ground, according to reports.

CCTV footage from Wednesday shows people fleeing the scene, hiding or flattening themselves on the floor.

But Mr Tovar remained seated at the bar as the suspected robber pressed his gun against his arm.

The gunman can then be seen trying to grab Mr Tovar's phone from his hand but soon gives up after the stubborn customer refuses to let go.

Mr Tovar then calmly places his phone on the bar in front of him, and casually lights a cigarette, while the man is pointing a gun.

"I said not another punk trying to pull a punk move," Mr Tovar said to KSDK, adding that he "wasn't really concerned".

"I'm so tired of people in South City thinking they can control people because they wanna muscle their way in with firearms or attitudes or some sort of aggression."

The suspect has still not been identified, according to St Louis Police.

Their indecent report said he took people's property and removed money from the till before fleeing, KSDK reported.

The report listed five male victims and one female victim, but said no one was injured.

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