Shot fired in Bellmore pharmacy robbery

An employee of a Bellmore pharmacy fired a shot from his licensed handgun when a Freeport man tried to steal prescription drugs last week, according to authorities.

Nassau County Police Department officials said that Marc Gumpert, 43, entered Precision Pharmacy, at 2711 Merrick Road, at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 14, and allegedly demanded narcotics and other medications from the counter. After the man got the drugs, he pulled a knife from his waistband when a 34-year-old pharmacist followed him to the parking lot.

Police said the pharmacist fired a shot from his revolver, and the bullet ricocheted off the ground, hitting the rear tire of Gumpert’s 2011 Nissan Altima. Gumpert drove north on Bedford Avenue to Sunrise Highway and headed west through Bellmore and Merrick, before a Nassau County ambulance driver spotted his car in Freeport. First Precinct officers then located Gumpert and arrested him.

Chris Munzing, a Nassau County District Attorney’s Office spokesman, said Gumpert was charged with first-degree robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was arraigned on June 15 in First District Court in Hempstead, with his bail set at $250,000, cash or bond.

Police recovered the drugs when Gumpert was arrested. There were no injuries reported.

Gumpert was due in court on Tuesday, after press time, Munzing said. He is represented by an attorney from the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which does not comment on cases.

As the situation progressed, the executive board of the South Bellmore Civic Association sent email updates to its members and other residents. President Alison Frankel reminded community members that her organization is still looking for Neighborhood Watch volunteers.

“Every other surrounding community has this program functioning,” she said. “We need [Neighborhood Watch] signs installed on our streets immediately to potentially scare away criminals.”