Convict Suing Pharmacist Who Shot Him During Robbery
CHICAGO (STMW) - A convicted robber who was shot while trying to rob a northwest suburban Wauconda pharmacy with a butcher knife last year filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the store asking it to pay for his medical bills.
Guy Conti walked into the pharmacy in the 200 block of South Main Street Valentine's Day 2011 wearing a ski mask, carrying a butcher knife and demanding the pharmacist give him large quantities of pain killers, Wauconda police said at the time.
Before police arrived, a pharmacist and a technician grabbed Conti. A fight ensued, during which the pharmacist shot Conti, police said.
Conti, now 32, admits in Tuesday's lawsuit that he intended to rob the store, but claims he ran back out when the pharmacist confronted him with the gun and that he posed no threat at the moment the man fired, hitting him twice in the back.
He further claims in the suit that the pharmacy did not adequately train its employees on how to deal with robbery attempts, specifically "what to do once the offender leaves the establishment, when their life is no longer in danger."
Conti was convicted of aggravated robbery and is serving a 10-year sentence at Shawnee Correctional Center near downstate Vienna, Ill.
He underwent surgery for the gunshot wounds the day after the incident and had to have his left kidney, spleen and half of his pancreas removed, according to police and the lawsuit.
The pharmacist owns a firearm owner's identification card and was not charged in connection with the incident, police said.
The suit claims violations of the U.S. Civil Rights act and demands the pharmacist be charged for shooting him "unjustly." It also seeks an unspecified amount in punitive damages, plus the costs of Conti's medical bills.
An employee who answered at the pharmacy Tuesday night had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.
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