Man robs grocery store at gunpoint

The Columbia Falls Smith's Foods grocery store was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night, and the suspect is still at large.

Columbia Falls Police Chief Dave Perry said a man entered the store on Nucleus Avenue about 10 minutes before closing time.

"He walked up to check stand number four and asked the clerk to fill his backpack full of money," Perry said. "He was carrying a 9 millimeter pistol. He had it at his side pointed down."

The clerk put the entire cash register drawer into the pack and the suspect left through the north entrance.

Only the clerk and two other people were in the store at the time and no one was hurt.

Perry said officers responded "pretty quick" after a 911 call was made at about 11:50 p.m., but the suspect already had left the area and could not be located.

The suspect is described as a man with blue eyes and blond hair, about 5 foot 7 inches tall. He was wearing a blue bandanna across his face and was carrying a black-and-red backpack.

Perry urges anyone with information about the robbery to call Crimestoppers at 752-TIPS.