Hoover theater manager tackles masked armed robbery suspect, detains him with bystander help

A man with a mask and a gun robbed the Carmike Lee Branch movie theater in Hoover Monday morning, but he didn't get far.

The theater assistant manager who was robbed followed the man and tackled him as he left the theater, disarming him, Hoover police said. A bystander helped detain the robber as they waited for police to arrive.

The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Hoover resident Britton Clayton Traylor, reportedly entered the theater wearing a life-like mask and holding a handgun about 11:50 a.m. Monday. Traylor reportedly demanded cash and walked the victim, an assistant manager, to the office and ordered him to open the safe. He look a large sum of money, put it in a backpack and left the theater, police said.

The victim followed Traylor and tackled him, also disarming him while they were on the ground, police said. After disarming the suspect, the victim realized the gun was a BB gun, and he tossed it aside and removed the suspect's mask, police said.

Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said when the assistant manager tackled the suspect, he didn't know the gun was a BB gun.

“We certainly don’t want anyone to put themselves in harm's way, and we would never recommend that anyone confront someone that’s armed,” Rector said.

Another man, as he was leaving a nearby gym, saw the victim and suspect and came over to assist the victim in holding the suspect until officers arrived. Rector said the victim put himself in harm's way by going after the suspect, and it is fortunate he was able to get the “physical best” of the man.

“This could have had a horrible ending, but as it turned out, it had a good ending,” Rector said. “The bad guy gets caught … and now he’s being held accountable.”

An arrest warrant for Traylor was obtained this morning. He has been charged with first-degree robbery, and bond is set at $60,000. Traylor is to be transferred to the Shelby County Jail later today.