WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Suspect in Verizon store robbery found dead

Suspect in Verizon store robbery found dead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A man police believe responsible for Monday afternoon's armed robbery at a west Nashville cellular store was found dead inside his Sylvan Park home Tuesday morning.

Earlier in the morning, Metro police said Stephen Tidwell, 39, emailed his mother and girlfriend, telling them he was under investigation and intended to end his life.

They notified police and a short time later, Tidwell was found dead inside his home on Westlawn Court with a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

Metro police spokesperson Kristin Mumford said Tidwell was interviewed Monday night in connection to Monday's armed robbery at the Verizon Wireless store on White Bridge Road.

She said around 3:30 p.m. a man "fully masked" entered the Verizon store, robbed five associates and two customers. 

As he left, he robbed another man in the parking lot.

Mumford said that man, who has a legal handgun carry permit, fired shots at the suspect's getaway car as he fled the parking lot.

Detectives developed Tidwell as a suspect after he claimed he was the victim of a robbery during which his SUV was struck by gunfire.

His SUV matched the description of the getaway car used in the Verizon robbery and Tuesday morning it was parked outside his home with three bullet holes in the driver's side panel.

The TBI will conduct ballistic tests to determine if the shots were fired from the citizen's weapon.

"Those bullets will be examined to see if they match the gun that fired those bullets at the fleeing robbery suspect," said Mumford.

Verizon customer Viki Stout was inside the store Monday afternoon and was one of Tidwell's customers.

She told News 2 she thought at first it was a practical joke until the masked man opened his mouth, "and said give me your money."

Stout said Tidwell went from customer to employee until he finally got to her and said, "Give me your money m'aam."

She said the polite robber was unexpected but still scary, especially after she noticed she was short on cash.

Instead of shooting her for only having a merely $12, Stout said the suspect left the store, telling everyone to "have a good rest of the day."

Despite the ordeal, Stout said learning of Tidwell's suicide "breaks her heart."

"I just wonder if he was unemployed or what would cause someone to come into a Verizon store at 3:30 in the afternoon," she told News 2.  "I am so sad.  I'm sad for him.  I am broken hearted for his mother."

Police said Tidwell had no criminal history.

Stout said brief time she spent with him leads her to believe desperation could have led to the incident.

No one was hurt in Monday's robbery.

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• April 20, 2009: Robbery victim fires several shots to defend himself