John Champion Allegedly Robs Store At Knifepoint, Gets Wheelchair Stuck During Getaway

Police in Florida arrested a disabled man whose alleged convenience store robbery ended when his wheelchair got stuck in the sand.

John Christopher Champion, 22, has been charged with armed robbery and aggravated battery.

According to Chiefland police, Champion went into the Chevron gas station on South Main Street in Chiefland Wednesday night, brandished a pocketknife and demanded cash from the register.

Champion taunted the 54-year-old clerk, the police report states, telling her to "push the panic button because the police would not arrest a handicapped person."

The clerk got into a struggle with Champion and allegedly stabbed him three times in the legs, police said, then a wounded Champion grabbed a 12-pack of beer and a roll of electrical tape, and fled the store.

When Chiefland police officer Justin Douglas arrived on the scene he found Champion behind the store. The suspect's wheelchair was stuck in the sand and he was drinking a Bud Light Lime, The Gainesville Sun reported.

According to the police report, Champion was "very intoxicated."

Police said Champion admitted to taking the items from the store, but denied robbing it. He also told police he threw the pocketknife into the woods, but officers were unable to locate the weapon.

After receiving medical treatment for his injuries, Champion was booked into the Levy County jail. Court documents do not list an attorney for Champion.

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Comments

[UnknownSolider]

10:31 PM on 02/26/2012

If you ever catch me drinking a Bud Light Lime, call the police immediately I'm trying to signal you that I've been kidnapped. #budlightlime

[ItsGettingWeird]

12:41 PM on 02/26/2012

Legally, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

[Getchatissuesready]

11:34 AM on 02/26/2012

Yes what he did was wrong, but the fact this lady would stab him in the legs 3 times is disgusting. I hope she gets charged with assault for stabbing a man in his legs who has no use for them. This was obviously a chance for her to try and get away with stabbing someone when that self defense is useless. Push the man out of his chair, dont kick him when hes down.

[go to the center]

09:33 AM on 02/26/2012

Do you think he felt getting stabbed in the leg?

[garylinn]

07:04 AM on 02/26/2012

I am disabled and this disgusts me.

[Brian Childers]

03:43 AM on 02/26/2012

He needs to upgrade to an off-road chair. That would have been a great police chase, though.

[Pete Geller]

06:22 PM on 02/25/2012

Wonder if they're going to charge him with DUI...He probably doesn't have a powered wheelchair though so I would think he could beat that! Hopefully if he chooses to continue a life of crime he works on his planning skills a little...

[henrybjennings]

06:16 PM on 02/25/2012

Now man that has to be one heavy dude. He is not speedy gonzales.

[Kay Nicks]

05:56 PM on 02/25/2012

LMFAO! Seriously.....?? Least he got a BL Lime for all of his trouble....der

[natal plum]

05:15 PM on 02/25/2012

And thus is spawned the first ADA case involving a disabled robber, who was deprived of his right to an unfettered unimpeded escape.

[henrybjennings]

06:14 PM on 02/25/2012

Yes he is right. He is disabled; so he has perks.One perk is that his egrees should not be hindered regardless of the circumstance.

[Jabs Holt]

04:43 PM on 02/25/2012

LOL ....I guess the clerk had to bend over the counter to give him the money !....LOL

[madcityy]

12:14 PM on 02/25/2012

fair ACCESS???????????????????????

[onebluebrick]

12:01 PM on 02/25/2012

I worked in prisons for 22 years. Professor Moriarty is not in there.

[Jay Goldammer]

05:55 PM on 02/25/2012

Are you sure? I always thought he would make a great Warden....plenty of minions immediately available.

[bms2buy4]

11:35 AM on 02/25/2012

maybe being in a wheelchair - he just wanted his 10 minutes of fame!

[setanta54]

11:34 AM on 02/25/2012

LOL !!!!!! usually you have a good length of pipe.or a long ax handle or the entire ax itself when working in convenience stores etc and this employee could have shoved him and his wheels right out into traffic.,,but being this is FL,wonder why he wasn't armed ?

[Brian Childers]

03:44 AM on 02/26/2012

I would have been laughing too hard to do anything but fall down.