Description of Medford pharmacy robber released - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Description of Medford pharmacy robber released Wednesday Jan 27, 2010 at 12:01 AM Jan 27, 2010 at 2:03 PM Medford police have released a composite sketch of the man who robbed a West Medford pharmacy at knifepoint Friday evening. By chris conrad Medford police have released a composite sketch of the man who robbed a West Medford pharmacy at knifepoint Friday evening. The man entered West Main Pharmacy on Friday armed with an 8-inch knife and demanded the narcotic painkiller oxycodone. The man fled the store and disappeared before police arrived. The same suspect likely attempted to rob the Walgreens Pharmacy on Barnett Road shortly before the West Main Pharmacy heist. "The suspect seemed to be desperate to attain the drugs in these cases," Medford police Lt. Bob Hansen said. "He is showing dangerous behavior that has us concerned." During the Walgreens attempt, a man demanded oxycodone from a clerk. He put his hand in his pocket as if to suggest he was armed, Medford police said. The man is described as white male, in his 30s or 40s. He is about 6 feet tall, with a thin build. During the incidents he wore a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt under a blue North Face jacket. He was clad in light-colored pants and tan boots. Police suspect the same man broke into the West Main Pharmacy Saturday night and stole more drugs, probably seeking the same pain medication. The burglar entered the store and snatched prescription drugs that were awaiting pickup. The prescriptions were filed in alphabetical order by last name. The burglar took medicine filed under the letter "O" and police say he may have believed he was getting oxycodone. Police are concerned the man might resort to violence in the future, Hansen said. "Whenever you introduce a weapon such as a knife, it raises the bar," Hansen said. "We do not want this individual harming someone over his need for drugs." Hansen advised anyone who sees someone matching the suspect's description to immediately call police and not try to apprehend him yourself. "Our goal is to get this type of crime stopped," Hansen said. "We need to get this suspect some help with his problems, because he is exhibiting potentially dangerous behavior." Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 541-776-4471; or e-mail [email protected].