On Friday, January 23, a man wearing all black entered a musical instrument store in Kingsport, Tennessee, and proceeded to take a look around. After browsing the merchandise, he made a dash for the clerk at the cash register, at the same time producing a large knife that he had hidden in his possession. The problem for the would-be thief was that the clerk was armed with a very large handgun, which he was quick to pull out and fire. The clerk then came from behind the counter and nudged the seemingly deceased to make sure he was no longer a threat. Amazingly, after the clerk diverted his attention to the phone, the robber jumped to his feet and bolted out the door, making his escape.
The robbery was reported to the Times-News by the store owner the day after it happened. The news staff then called police asking for more details, who in turn interviewed the store owner asking why the crime was not reported the day it happened. It turns out, the whole thing was a hoax set up by the store owner and an employee in an effort to make a viral video. The store owner came clean after police told him that false reporting is a felony in Tennessee. Luckily for him, no charges are expected to be filed.
For more stories about funny recent Internet hoaxes, head over to The Reeves Law Group’s blog.