Pizza Hut worker wrestles gun away from robber

[zeppelinfromled]

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/21106408/detail.html

STATESVILLE, N.C. -- A local man said he knew a masked robber would kill him when he couldn't open a Statesville restaurant's safe. And because he has a family to take care of, he said he knew he had to fight back.

Therman Martin said he found himself in a fight for his life late Tuesday night. He was working at the Pizza Hut on Signal Hill Drive when an armed robber burst in and tried to force him to open the safe.

“He kept demanding I open the safe, and I can't open the safe. I'm just the oven man,” he said.

Martin said the robber forced him into the bathroom and he knew his life was in danger.

“He took the gun and held it to my leg and squeezed the trigger -- and it didn't go off,” he said.

That's when Martin leapt into action and started fighting back.

“I kept bending his arm and he wouldn't let the gun go, so I started biting him. And I bit his finger until he let the gun go, and when I got that gun -- that's when he was scared,” Martin said.

The gun went off in the scuffle. Three shots were fired, but nobody was hit.

The robber took off running for the door but not before making a bold request.

“He said, ‘Please give me the gun back. It's not my gun and I'll leave.’ I said, ‘You shouldn't have been here trying to rob somebody who's trying to make a living,’” Martin said.

Martin described the suspect as a black man about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing dark clothes and a ski mask.

He was seriously going to torture the cook by shooting him in the leg to try to get him to open the safe. The cook should have shot him with his own gun.

I wonder why the gun didn't go off when he tried to shoot him in the leg though. Perhaps he doesn't know that his gun has to be in battery to fire. I don't think I'll tell him.

 

[Admin]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

 

[ochmude]

I really hope this guy doesn't get fired for not letting himself get killed. Pizza Hut has a piss poor track record when it comes to canning employees for defending themselves.

 

[Kid Presentable]

wow...i can't believe he tried to ask for the gun back

 

[PaulD]

Hold it! The robber was using a gun that wasn't his? Unpossible!

 

[zeppelinfromled]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

I doubt that the Pizza Hut employee had enough cash on him to satisfy a robber who wanted to get into the safe though.

 

[Neptune Cat]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

At the very least, given him back his gun... Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[RI_John]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

Yup. And begged for mercy. Most robbers are decent guys that won't harm you if you don't fight back.

 

[Blitz1]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

 

[Palladin]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

me tends to think this comment is an offshoot of another thread???

 

[Neptune Cat]

me tends to think this comment is an offshoot of another thread???

Hypothetically it could be.

 

[jenlynn724]

It would have been better if he had his own gun..

 

[MassMark]

"Here Mr. Robber, have a slice of Stuffed Crust and let's have a talk about how we can make your life better...By the way, I cleaned your gun for you"...

 

[EddieCoyle]

I would've given him his bullets back.

 

[terraformer]

I really hope this guy doesn't get fired for not letting himself get killed. Pizza Hut has a piss poor track record when it comes to canning employees for defending themselves.

I hope not. They would have to be major league DBs to do that. The man was about to be tortured to open a safe he no ability to open. He was complying every step of the way until that point as far as the story suggests.

“He kept demanding I open the safe, and I can't open the safe. I'm just the oven man,” he said.

 

[terraformer]

me tends to think this comment is an offshoot of another thread???

 

[Kid Presentable]

I would've given him his bullets back.

bang bang

EC: you can have those back

 

[center442]

me tends to think this comment is an offshoot of another thread???

Methinks you are correct! I was thinking the same thing when I read it.

 

[cekim]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

That would be the logical thing to do - after all, its just a leg wound...

 

[Speedway]

I would've given him his bullets back.

I would have given him his empty shell casings back when visiting him in the hospital (is he's lucky) or morgue.

 

[usnma]

I really hope this guy doesn't get fired for not letting himself get killed. Pizza Hut has a piss poor track record when it comes to canning employees for defending themselves.

What was it, a delivery driver that got fired or suspended without pay or something? Either way, I haven't patronized Pizza Hut since then.

 

[ochmude]

What was it, a delivery driver that got fired or suspended without pay or something? Either way, I haven't patronized Pizza Hut since then.

It's happened at least twice, once in 2004 and once in 2008, that a delivery driver has been attacked while delivering, defended himself with a concealed firearm, and was fired for his troubles. Pizza Hut does not get my money, and I've sent a letter to their corporate HQ explaining why. Eff them.

 

[WILDCATT]

new england thing

it must be a pacifist thing.we had a robbery here in my town the youg woman gave up the money ,bandit told her to go in back room and lay down she did and he shot her in back of head.he left pistol whipped another woman and fled.god was good the shot girl got up and after treatment recovered she was young and luck. had two small children.when you let the b*** get away they can come to the next one and kill them.dead they gone.here you have right to use lethal force any where you are legal to be.

 

[Palladin]

it must be a pacifist thing.we had a robbery here in my town the youg woman gave up the money ,bandit told her to go in back room and lay down she did and he shot her in back of head.he left pistol whipped another woman and fled.god was good the shot girl got up and after treatment recovered she was young and luck. had two small children.when you let the b*** get away they can come to the next one and kill them.dead they gone.here you have right to use lethal force any where you are legal to be.

+1 go post this in the hypothetical ccw thread

 

[mikem317]

He should have just complied and thrown some money down.

Yup. And begged for mercy. Most robbers are decent guys that won't harm you if you don't fight back.

I didn't know today was Backwards Day!

Wait, does that mean I know?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

They would have to be major league DBs to do that.

That has already been established in other Pizza Hut cases.

 

[B1511]

If someone had me at gun point robbing me and I wrestled the gun away...

 

[MontyTJ02]

If someone had me at gun point robbing me...i would draw my pistol and given him another breathing hole

fixed it for ya

I always carry my pistol while at work (part time at a liquor store). I dont care about the money in the register. I care about my well being, and going home at the end of the nite. If some douche is going to threaten my life...I will defend myself. If they push me around with said gun..I will draw mine...if not...I open the drawer and give them the cash. Id rather live and give a police statement than have the cops explain to my family why Im in the hospital or dead.