A police officer was injured while chasing a suspect after customers flagged him down about an armed robbery in progress at Cumberland Farms in Shelton early Wednesday morning.
Customers alerted the officer while he was doing a routine check at the 819 River Road gas station to alert him that a man wielding a gun was inside robbing the convenience store.
Valentine Rodriguez, 32, of Bridgeport, is facing multiple charges including robbery and gun violations.
Then the police officer saw a man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt leave the store carrying something. Rodriguez ignored police commands and ran from the scene, leading the officer on a foot pursuit into a wooded area.
The officer heard a gunshot and other patrols arrived on scene, surrounding the perimeters and searching for the suspected robber. They found him hiding in the woods and located a gun.
Rodriguez continued to be combative, but officers successfully handcuffed Rodriguez and took him into custody. Police learned that the gun Rodriguez was carrying had been reported stolen.
The police officer was treated for injuries sustained in the foot chase. He was not shot in the incident, police said.
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The Cumberland Farms store clerk working at the time of the robbery was not injured.
Police charged Rodriguez with first-degree robbery, theft of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, interfering with an officer and sixth-degree larceny.
Shelton police are holding Rodriguez in custody on a $250,000 bond and he is scheduled to appear in Derby Superior Court on Wednesday.
Rodriguez is also facing a second-degree failure to appear charge off an outstanding warrant from Bridgeport. He is being held on additional charges from an active warrant out of Fairfield.
State, West Haven and Stratford police also responded to the scene and assisted in the investigation.
