By Anthony Rifilato
Police said Bruce Silverman, 42, of Freeport, walked into National Wholesale Liquidators on Grand Avenue and picked up a 24 inch television set that was on display inside the store. But instead of paying for it like everyone else, police said Silverman walked past the purchase counter, into the parking lot and placed the television in the trunk of his 1985 Buick.
"He just took the television set," a police spokesperson said. "This was a display and he just decided that he was going to leave with it."
Police said that store employees observed Silverman leave with the television and called police. A store manager confronted Silverman outside the store as he attempted to leave the parking lot and asked him for a receipt. Silverman refused, and police said that he accelerated his Buick toward the store manager, who leaped out of the way to avoid being struck.
Store management would not comment on the incident, but police said that Silverman was not behaving erratically or belligerent at the store.
But Silverman didn't get very far, after quick- thinking detectives who were on Merrick Road saw Silverman come up behind them at a high rate of speed as he traveled eastbound.
First Squad detectives Paul Errico and Donald Messe were heading towards Freeport for an unrelated investigation and were nearly struck as Silverman traveled at a fast clip, police said. The duo began to pursue Silverman, and ultimately stopped him on Merrick Road and Brookside Avenue. As other officers arrived to the scene, Silverman was arrested after a brief investigation.
Police said that Silverman did not resist arrest. He was charged with third degree robbery and for violating the speed limit. He was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Monday.
