Clerk Fights Off Robber
Clerk Fights Off Robber
12 stitches on the forehead of a Yakima store clerk serve as a reminder of her refusal to give in. Last night the clerk faced an armed robber, but didn't allow him to rob her store, instead literally fighting him off..
At around 8 o clock, the suspect entered the 8th street deli showing off what looked like a handgun and demanded money, but the clerk didn't like him waving the gun in the air and got angry.
"I wasn't scared, I just get mad and when I get mad I can get a lot crazier than him," says the clerk.
Not believing the gun was real, the clerk, who didn't want us to use her name, began wrestling the suspect to the ground.
Police say evidence supports the clerks opinion
"The clerk seemed to think that it was a toy gun or an airsoft gun or something like that, we didn't find any obvious bullet holes in the floor or any shell casings laying about so we think she is probably correct in that assessment," says Captain Greg Copeland.
The clerk survived with a few stitches and police say she had the right to defend herself.
"If they feel that they can successfully defend themselves they have every right to do so and in a lot of cases probably should do so," says Greg Copeland.
The suspect struck the clerk in the head and ran out of the store empty handed, leaving the bag of money behind.
The store owner says he wants to keep his employees protected and wants this man behind bars.
"Ya know be a safe place for everybody and I hope they can catch that bad guy," says store owner Amardit Niddar.
The clerk says she is tired of seeing so much crime in Yakima and stitches or not she is glad she stood up for herself.
"Somebody had to do something different, nobody talks nobody does nothing so they can do anything they want, not to me"