Police: Longview Robbers Fight with Store Employees

LONGVIEW — Two Longview men have been taken into custody after they allegedly tried to steal items from a local store and then reportedly fought with store employees. The Longview Police Department says officers were dispatched to the 400 block of East Loop 281 at 1:17 Monday afternoon on reports of a robbery. By the time authorities arrived, both suspects had left the location.

Workers told police a man later identified as Gary Lee Nelson, 47, of Longview, shoplifted a large amount of goods from the store. When Nelson tried to leave the business, a loss prevention employee confronted Nelson, and the worker was hit with a tube of caulking, according to reports. When a fight broke out between the two, a man later identified as Bobby Ervin Nickoles, 43, of Longview, got out of the getaway car and struck one of the store employees, according to witnesses.

Reports indicate that after hitting the worker, Nickoles ran back to his car and was about to leave — but witnesses report Nelson was still fighting with employees. Nickoles got back out of his vehicle and threatened employees with a steel pipe, leading them to release Nelson, according to reports. At this time, both suspects reportedly jumped into the car and left the scene. Police spotted the car a short time later near the 1900 Block of Sunshine Square. Authorities say both men abandoned their vehicle and were arrested following a short foot chase. The store’s items were recovered. Nelson and Nickoles were taken to the Gregg County Jail without further incident and charged with robbery.