Bishops Arts Aggravated Robbery Victim Shares His Story
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Michael Gowman and his passenger pulled into the parking lot on West 7th Street and Madison Avenue on Saturday night, hoping to unwind at a nearby restaurant in Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District.
But just as they were about to get out of their car, everything changed.
"I just was like running through possibilities and most of them were not good," said Gowman. "I was like 'we may not make it out of this.' "
A man had approached their window and asked the time. Seconds later, he pulled out a gun as another man approached from the other side of the vehicle.
"At that point, we're just like 'take whatever, take whatever you have to do. Please just take it and go,' " said Gowman.
The thieves took their wallets, car keys, cell phones and even a jean jacket.
The men then jumped into a getaway vehicle, according the Gowman, leaving him and his passenger astounded.
"I don't want to just leave this place. I don't want to feel like I'm not welcome here," said Gowman.
What shocks Gowman the most is that it happened in a heavily used, high-traffic area near several restaurants, bars and homes.
"I know me personally, I'm a little shaken up," said Pierre Mora, who is a bartender at Oak Cliff Social Club.
Mora was there the night Gowman ran inside with his passenger shortly after the armed robbery. He worries about the perception of the growing area and his own safety leaving so late at night.
"I can't have people not want to be around here," said Mora.
While the robbery makes Gowman more cautious, he said it will not deter him from enjoying his neighborhood.
"It's bigger than me, so that's why it's important," said Gowman. "I don't feel sorry for myself my any means. I want people to know."
In the wake of several violent crimes in Deep Ellum, Dallas Police previously had pledged to add patrols to the entertainment districts of Dallas. DPD has not responded whether those areas include the Bishop Arts District.
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