An armed man strode into a Christchurch pharmacy before making off with drugs, cash, and the owner’s car.

A pharmacy owner has recounted the moment a man strode into his Christchurch store and threatened him with a gun, before making off with about $1500 worth of prescription drugs, $500, and his car.
A man is on the run after the Friday daylight robbery, which was quickly descended on by police after a quick-thinking elderly woman slunk out of the pharmacy to raise the alarm while the offender threatened pharmacy workers with a gun.
Police were called to the Burwood Pharmacy on Parnwell St just after 3.30pm on Friday.
The pharmacys co-owner Peter, who requested his last name not be published, said he was in the pharmacy with his daughter, and another customer, when the offender walked in wearing a brown and white hoodie.
His face was covered by a scarf and sunglasses.
He was also carrying a pistol.
READ MORE:* Police arrest wrong men at gunpoint after west Auckland firearms incident* Botched armed robbery in Auckland’s Herne Bay leads to quick arrest* Police praise public in catching pharmacy robbery suspect in Timaru* Manager recounts ‘distressing’ robbery at Christchurch pharmacy
The customer, an elderly lady, managed to sneak out of the pharmacy and ring the police while the armed man demanded drugs from Peter’s daughter. The offender filled up a bag hed brought with him and part of a box with pharmaceuticals, Peter said.
As he left, the man demanded Peters car keys.
And I wasn’t going to give it to him, but he held the gun against me, and so I gave him the car keys … I thought, hold on here, it’s better to pass it over then get hurt.
The car remains missing.
Peter was quite affronted” .
Police minister Stuart Nash talks to Manurewa dairy worker Gurpreet Singh about fog cannons that can be installed in shops and dairies to prevent robberies. (Video first published in February 2018)
I was just annoyed about the whole thing, you know that he could cause so much trouble, because it’s so much extra work, too.
[I was] mad about him just being there, rather than frightened at the time, that he could just come in and do that sort of thing.
He has co-owned the pharmacy with his wife since 1998 and this was only the second robbery they have had. The first was in 1999.
The community had been very supportive and the pharmacy opened on Saturday, despite normally being closed, to clean up a bit.
“A lot of people came in and offered their support, it was really good.
The police were on the scene quickly and arrived only a minute or two after the offender made his getaway.
Peter wondered whether the robbery was worth it. He was nearly caught.
A police spokeswoman confirmed cash and a vehicle was taken and no one had been arrested as of Saturday afternoon.
Police attended and are making enquiries to determine the circumstances,” she said.