A 58-year-old Bronx man allegedly walked into the Family Dollar at 11322 Maple Ridge Road in Medina on October 13, held a gun to a store clerk's back and head, and threw her to the floor before fleeing empty-handed when she triggered a silent holdup alarm; dispatch received the alarm activation at 8:33 a.m. Within half an hour, investigators had used an automated license plate camera to pick up his vehicle, setting off a chase that ended in a crash in Batavia.
Clerk's Quick Thinking Triggers Alarm
According to Orleans Hub, the suspect, identified as Antonio McLemoore, fled the store with nothing after the clerk activated the alarm during the struggle. The account was relayed from a release by Medina Police Chief Corey Black, who detailed the physical confrontation at the Highway 31 retail store, which sits along a commercial corridor connecting the Buffalo and Rochester metro markets, according to a Matthews Real Estate Investment Services listing memorandum for the property.
Per the same Orleans Hub account, an Orleans County Sheriff's investigator used an automated Flock license plate camera within 30 minutes of the alarm dispatch to locate a red SUV traveling south on Route 63 toward Genesee County, pulling a complete plate registered to the Bronx. That lead gave pursuing agencies a specific vehicle and direction to chase rather than a vague description, turning a fled suspect into a trackable target almost immediately.
Chase Ends in a Crash on State Street
Flock and municipal cameras then spotted the vehicle in Batavia, where Batavia Police attempted a traffic stop, according to The Batavian. A short chase followed, ending when McLemoore crashed into another car near State Street and Richmond Avenue. The outlet, citing Batavia Police Chief Christopher Camp at the scene, reported McLemoore was rendered temporarily unresponsive before EMS transported him to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
McLemoore now faces two counts of first-degree attempted robbery, one count of second-degree menacing, and one count of third-degree assault, the station's report notes. He was transferred to Orleans County Jail to await arraignment in Centralized Arraignment Part Court.
Seven Agencies, One Cross-County Chase
The response pulled in seven law enforcement entities altogether — Medina PD, the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia PD, New York State Police, Albion PD, and the Major Felony Crime Task Force, per the report relayed by Orleans Hub. That level of coordination across two rural Western New York counties underscores how quickly a single alarm trip can cascade into a multi-agency pursuit when camera information is relayed to dispatch and helps locate a vehicle.
A Tool Facing Scrutiny Elsewhere
The technology's use in this Medina case stands in contrast to pushback seen in other communities. Hoodline reported earlier this month that the Town of Rochester, Massachusetts, paused its police Flock camera program for 30 days following resident concerns about privacy, data sharing and oversight. The contrast highlights a tension between using camera networks to help solve cases and concerns about privacy, data sharing and oversight raised in other communities.
McLemoore allegedly displayed a handgun during the robbery. The current medical condition of the driver struck in the Batavia crash has not been disclosed, and McLemoore was awaiting arraignment in Orleans County CAP Court.
