Crime & Safety

Florissant Man Pulls Gun While Attempting to Steal Frozen Pizzas, Police Say

Florissant Police said Matthew Witherspoon threatened to shoot Schnucks employees who tried to stop him from shoplifting.

A man is accused of using a gun to steal frozen pizzas from the Schnucks store on Shackelford Road in Florissant.

Matthew Witherspoon, 18, of the 12900 block of Eadstone Lane in Florissant, was charged June 26 with first-degree robbery.

Florissant Police said Witherspoon went into the grocery store and concealed several frozen pizzas in a large Gucci shoulder bag. He was confronted by the store manager as he was leaving the store, and the manager told him to remove the pizza from his bag, police said.

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Witherspoon removed some pizza from his bag, but then pushed a store employee out of the way as he walked out, police reported. The manager began following him, but Witherspoon pulled out a handgun and said, “If you don’t quit following me, I’ll (expletive) shoot you,” according to a court document.

Witherspoon walked away, but later was arrested and identified by one of the victims.

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Witherspoon is being held in St. Louis County jail. Bail was set at $50,000.


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