Pharmacist Fends Off Armed Robbers In Kópavogur

An attempted armed robbery at Austurbæjar Apótek in Kópavogur ended in failure after the store’s owner, Bergljót Þorsteinsdóttir, confronted the robbers and triggered the panic alarm, reports Vísir.

On Friday morning, a man and a woman, both wearing motorcycle helmets, entered the pharmacy and demanded ADHD medication. The woman, armed with a gun and pepper spray, threatened staff while her accomplice searched the back room.

“I just walked forward, and the girl tried to stop me. I pushed through and initially intended to go to the panic alarm at the back. But because I was struggling with her, I figured I’d be quicker getting to the till,” says Bergljót Þorsteinsdóttir, owner of Austurbæjar Apótek.

Rather than complying, Bergljót pushed past the armed woman and managed to press the panic alarm at the till, repeatedly shouting that the police were on their way. The robbers fled empty-handed after just over a minute and a half inside the store.

Bergljót’s colleagues were visibly shaken by the incident. “I was shaking like a leaf,” said pharmacy employee Adela Halldórsdóttir. Pharmacist Brynja Jóhannsdóttir described feeling unsafe in the aftermath.

The case is now under police investigation. You can watch the video of the robbery attempt via Vísir.