Man robs Kroger at gunpoint, escapes with pain medicine

An armed man robbed the pharmacy at the Kroger on College Mall Road Monday night, escaping with a large quantity of pain medication drugs.\nBloomington Police Department Captain Joseph Qualters said he is hopeful the drugs will be recovered.\n"The concern is that out on the street, these drugs are sold and abused by addicts and can possibly contribute to deaths by overdose," Qualters said. "There are far too many in this community as it is."\nThough they aren't related to the Kroger robbery, Qualters said BPD responded to two drug overdose deaths in the past three days. \nAccording to the police report, a white male approached the counter at the pharmacy at the Kroger, located at 1175 College Mall Rd., displayed a semi-automatic handgun and told the pharmacist to get off of the phone. The man then demanded some specific types of pain medication drugs, including oxycontin, oxycodone, percocet and percodan. \nPolice did not release the exact amount of drugs taken, but Qualters said it was a "large quantity" that would have a very high street value. \nThe man placed the medications in a shopping basket and fled the store on foot, running northbound down the sidewalk. The suspect is described as a man in his late 20s with dark hair and a small goatee. During the robbery, he wore a red bandana on his face and a sweatshirt with the hood up. \nQualters said police will review surveillance video and also confer with other law enforcement agencies to find out if similar crimes occurred elsewhere.\n"It's somewhat atypical for someone to go into a busy grocery store, point a gun and commit that type of crime," Qualters said.