Local Optician Survives Attempted Robbery, Vows to Reopen with Community Support

On Monday morning, a business owner in Richmond was left to deal with the aftermath of an attempted robbery. According to the Richmond Police Department, three suspects tried to break into a store located off North 8th Street just before 1 a.m. They used a stolen Honda Accord to smash through the front of the business in their attempt to enter.

The store that was damaged in the incident was Tom Kirkland Opticians. Owner Thomas Kirkland has been working tirelessly to clean up and secure his store since the incident occurred. Despite not getting much sleep or eating much due to his focus on reopening, Kirkland remains optimistic about the future of his business.

Kirkland has been selling eyeglasses at his store since the 1980’s and is grateful for the support he has received from both the city and the community. He is currently working to reopen his store in the next couple of weeks and is encouraging anyone who stops by to leave a positive message on a message wall in his store for the City of Richmond.

Anyone with information on the incident or the suspects is asked to contact the Richmond Police Department.