Police in Frederick moved quickly in chasing down and apprehending a suspect in an armed robbery in Frederick last night.

At 10:36 p.m. yesterday evening at a BP station in Frederick, a man held a gun to the clerk's head and forced him to open the cash register, taking a small quantity of cash and fleeing the scene on foot.

Frederick police and Frederick County sheriff's deputies combed the area, the 500 block of W. 7th Street, for a suspect later identified as Elliot Gatlin. Cpl. D. DeWees, a sheriff's deputy, discovered Gatlin behind the College Park Plaza shopping center and gave chase on foot. DeWees managed to corner the suspect behind a residence in the 1200 block of Motter Avenue and take him into custody.

The stolen cash and firearm were recovered; as it turns out, the weapon was actually a BB gun. No significant injuries were sustained by either the clerk, the suspect, or the police. Witnesses positively identified Gatlin, who was taken to police headquarters. The stolen cash was returned to the service station.

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