(HOWARD TOWNSHIP) – Cass County authorities are investigating a robbery at a Howard Township store.

Sheriff Richard Behnke says his department was called to the Sunrise Liquor Store in the 100 block of Huntly Road at 9:29 Tuesday night. Deputies arrived and spoke to an employee who was working at the time of the incident.

The employee says three individuals entered the store, began physically assaulting him and forced him to open the cash drawer. Even though their faces were covered, the subjects were identified by the employee as a medium sized black man and two medium sized black women. They left the store in an unknown direction.

The employee was injured and treated at the scene by the Howard Township First Responders before being taken to Niles Lakeland Hospital for treatment.

The Cass County K-9 Unit was brought in to help track the suspects, but they were not located. Also assisting were the Michigan State Police, the Niles Police Department and the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team.

If anyone has information on this incident, they are asked to call the Cass County Tip Line at 1-800-462-9328.