Clerk smack-talks armed robber

STATELINE — Liberty Stop N Go clerk Cody Groth figured a co-worker was pulling a demented prank.

A man brandishing a gun and donning a ski mask walked into the West Seltice Way store at 12:53 a.m. Saturday and tossed a rolled-up bag to Groth over the counter, demanding it be filled with cash.

Groth wasn't sold on the heist.

"That can't be a real gun," Groth told the man. "That's too small and looks fake."

The masked man proceeded to open up what Groth said was a small shotgun, and showed him the shells in the barrel.

"Give me the money or I'll blow your head off!" Groth recalled the man screaming.

That was enough to convince the 25-year-old he was on the wrong end of an armed robbery.

Groth immediately hit the security button beneath the counter, opened the till and slowly filled the bag with small bills, "trying to stall" the man until police arrived.

Once the armed man knew authorities were en route, he stuck the gun back in the clerk's face, telling him, "I ought to smoke you!" Groth said.

In that moment, Groth did one of the most brazen things in his life.

"The gun was about 6 inches from my face," Groth said. "I said, 'Get that weak-ass sh-- out of my face,’ as I knocked the barrel away."

That's when Groth said the man — described in the report as a white male, 5-foot-8 to 5-11 with a stocky build who "moves slowly” — made a run for it.

According to a Kootenai County Sheriff's Office report, KCSO deputies along with Idaho State Police, Post Falls Police, Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies, and Liberty Lake Police set up a perimeter. The KCSO used a K-9 unit to track the suspect northwest of the scene toward Washington. During the tracking, the suspect's clothes, including his face mask, were found.

As of Monday afternoon, no additional information had been released, including the status of the armed robber.

Since the incident, Groth said he has been dubbed both brave and stupid by friends, family and co-workers for his actions.

"I do think I emerged for the best possible outcome," Groth told The Press. “I believe I did the right thing. It was pretty scary, but it was the best possible outcome that could have happened."