By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to a Willow Ave. convenience store last week on reports of a robbery having taken place.

Police dispatch operators provided a license plate number for the suspect’s getaway vehicle.

While en route to the store, the officers spotted the vehicle driving past them at Cedar St., heading eastbound at Broadway.

The officers activated their blue lights and made a U-turn towards the vehicle and pulled it over at the corner where Broadway Auto Sales and the Sunoco Gas Station meet.

According to reports, the driver was very hesitant. With their lights and sirens activated, the responding officers and a backup unit boxed the vehicle in a V shape manner, denying the vehicle an escape route.

The responding officers exited their cruiser and took out their service weapons as it had been broadcast that the suspect was in possession of a knife.

Police ordered the driver to open his car door, at which point one officer took the suspect out of the vehicle and put him in the prone position on the ground while placing him in handcuffs.

The suspect, later identified as a Brian Barry, of Medford, was pat frisked, at which time police reportedly found a silver knife inside of his hoodie. The knife was immediately seized for evidence.

The officers then went through Barry’s vehicle to look for instruments used during the alleged armed robbery. Police reportedly found a pair of white gloves, a white facemask and Boston baseball hat that placed Barry at the scene of the crime. These items were verified as being described by numerous witnesses and were in plain view in the vehicle.

The officers received a text containing pictures of Barry wearing the same clothing that he had on at the time and possessing the same items (white face mask, white gloves, Boston red sox B logo hat and the silver knife) while he was attempting to rob the store clerk with a knife.

The store clerk reportedly told police that Barry entered the and said, “Give me money. Give me all the money from the lottery.” The clerk said he replied, “Come over here and get the money.”

As the suspect made his way behind the counter, the clerk said he pulled out a bat to defend himself. The clerk reportedly told police that Barry then swung the knife at him and ran out of the store towards Morrison Ave., to a waiting vehicle.

Two witnesses positively identified Barry as the suspect on the scene, and he was subsequently placed under arrest on a charge of armed assault to rob.