Blaze News original: Store workers use their guts, fists, and wits to battle crooks tooth and nail — Part 1

Male store owner punches gun-wielding female shoplifter in face, then kicks, tackles, subdues her until cops arrive. Gunfire rings out as customers run for cover.

Surveillance video showed a Dallas store owner confronting an armed shoplifter on Sept. 4, 2023, and holding her down until police arrived. Sunjung Kim — owner of the Hair Plus Beauty Supply store — told WFAA-TV he "noticed she stole something. I told her to return the item or pay ... us, but she was trying to run away." Video shows the female punching at Kim, so he punched her back and kicked her. At that point, it appeared she tried to pull a gun, so Kim tackled her.

What sounds like a gunshot can be heard on the video as well, and other cameras show customers ducking for cover: “I didn't have much time to think," Kim told the station. "But I just saw her gun right away. I just dashed her to not shoot."

He was able to hand the gun to a co-worker and then hold the alleged shoplifter on the floor for 11 minutes until police arrived.

Kim told WFAA he probably won't react again like he did because his merchandise isn't worth risking his life: "I was lucky. Thank God." He added to the station that the assailant ripped off eyelashes and eyelash glue worth about $20. WFAA said she was charged with first-degree armed robbery and was being held on a $75,000 bond. (You can view a video report about the incident here.)

'Then shoot me': Gutsy clerk stands up to gun-toting thug who threatens to open fire if she doesn't hand over store's cash. (Her weapon? Oh, it's a hot one.)

Marie Paradis — manager of a gas station convenience store connected to Stone's Auto Repair in St. Albans, Vermont — had been on edge after a number of robberies in the area in a short period of time.

Paradis shared with WPTZ-TV that her instincts told her to prepare for trouble on the morning of Nov. 29, 2023: “I went and heated some coffee, and I double-heated it to almost boiling. Because I just had this feeling that if they tried something, I’m going to throw the coffee.”

Sure enough, Paradis saw a man dressed in all black and wearing a face mask approach the store, WPTZ noted. "I knew something was wrong, and I was ready for him," she added to the station.

Paradis told WPTZ she pressed the panic button when the man walked to the front counter — and surveillance video showed he was carrying a gun. "He said, 'Open up the till,' and I said no," she recalled to the station. Paradis repeated the crook's persistence to WPTZ, redacting his profanity: "I said open up the effin' till and give me all the money."

She replied to the armed robber that the till's contents were staying put, the station said: "You're not getting any money from me." With that, the crook threatened to open fire. "I am going to shoot you if you do not give me that money," the man warned, according to her recollection to WPTZ.

Paraidis added to the station that she replied, "Then shoot me, because you're not getting the money." Video shows Paradis chucking her coffee toward the armed man's head, after which she pepper-sprayed him, forcing him to cover up and retreat. He ended up taking off with some cigarettes and e-cigarettes — and no cash, the station said.

"I was thinking, 'I'm here to serve the people, and I'm here to protect this store," Paradis told WPTZ. "And that's what I'm gonna do, and I would do it again."

WPTZ said despite some businesses having been hit twice by the rash of recent, very public robberies, police have yet to nab the culprits. You can view a video report about the incident here.

Masked crook points pistol at Chicago store owner. But when perp has trouble with his piece, victim seizes moment to fight back.

James Suh — owner of Car Care Auto Spa in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood — was on a conference call for his daughter’s school around closing time one night in October 2022 when a masked man walked into his store, pointed a gun at him, and demanded money from the register, WMAQ-TV reported.

“It was just so sudden and alarming, no preparations,” Suh told the station. “I didn’t even see him walking in; all of a sudden he’s just there in front of me.” He added to WMAQ that "my mind was in complete shock."

Suh told the robber he couldn’t open the register, the station said. The crook is seen on surveillance video — which you can view as part of a larger report here — having issues with his gun, and WMAQ said that was the moment the married father of two saw his chance to fight back. Suh went for the perp's pistol.

“Your mind is just firing on all cylinders in such a short time, and I think I was mostly acting out of emotion and frustration, which is not a good place to make important decisions from,” he admitted to the station.

Suh successfully disarmed the suspect, who ran out of the store with no cash and no weapon, WMAQ said. Suh is seen on video walking back behind the register with the crook's gun in hand: “This guy, he was clearly not a professional, he didn’t know what he was doing."

Despite his victory over crime, Suh told WMAQ he'd handle it differently if he had to do it over again: "I think I would probably just comply and give him the money because it’s not worth it.”

The suspect fled northbound on Cicero Avenue and hadn't been located when the station's story ran, WMAQ said. Suh noted to the station that Chicago police told him the gun wasn't loaded. WMAQ added that detectives are investigating the incident.

Thugs armed with guns allegedly try to rob vape shop, but employee isn't having it — and actually chases crooks outside and fights them

Two males armed with guns entered a vape shop in San Antonio, Texas, on the night of April 6 and tried to steal merchandise — but an employee was in no mood to play and actually chased them out of the store and fought with them outside.

Police told KENS-TV they responded to Vape City around 10:35 p.m. for reports of an aggravated robbery and possible shooting. When officers arrived, they were told two males armed with guns tried to take items from the store, but one of the employees chased them outside, the station said. After a struggle, KENS said one of the suspects pulled a gun and fired it. Police told the station they believe the suspects fled on foot after the shooting. Officers were trying to determine if the suspect shot toward the employee or into the air, KENS said, adding that no one was wounded, and the building was not hit by gunfire, either. Police will continue their investigation, the station said.

Pair of 7-Eleven workers — 1 who grabs a stick — beat the snot out of would-be thief who tried to wheel away trash can full of cigarettes, smoking items

After a male last summer pulled scads of cigarettes, cigars, vapes, and other tobacco products off the shelves of a 7-Eleven in Stockton, California, and then put them into a 20-gallon trash can — all while he was behind the store's counter — employees were dumbfounded.

"Hey, why you stealing everything?" one of the clerks asks, according to viral video of the July 29, 2023, incident. The thief reportedly responded, "Shut your a** ... before I put my strap on your b**** a**. B**** a** n*****."

One of the clerks blocked the thief and grabbed the trash can while the second clerk grabbed what appeared to be a wooden broomstick at least four feet long. The New York Post reported that while one clerk held the crook down, the second worker whacked the culprit 23 times. "I'm done!" the thief yelled. "I'm going to go."

After confirming the crook didn't have a gun, the employees agreed to let him leave the store empty-handed before police arrived. Stockton police later said they would turn over their findings — which included suspected assault of the would-be robber, a repeat offender to boot — to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office for review. But the DA soon said no charges would be brought against the employees. (You can view a video report about the viral beatdown here.)

Female Subway employee fights off armed robbery suspect, grabs thug's own gun, hits him on head with it

A Rockford, Illinois, Subway employee was caught on surveillance video fighting off an armed would-be robber on Sept. 12, 2021 — and even grabbing the thug's own gun and hitting him on the head with it.

Araceli Sotelo was working alone when the unidentified suspect barged into the fast-food restaurant, WTVO-TV reported: "He kind of just showed me his gun, and I was freaking out like, 'Woah, you can't do that, please leave,'" she recalled. "[He said], 'Give me all the money,' and I said, 'I do not have any money, like, I do not have any money.' That is all I had, and he was just like, 'Give me everything before I hurt you.'"

Sotelo said she feared for her life and immediately went into fight mode: "He was smaller than me, so I have that advantage. I'm bigger than him, so I could at least put my weight on him, push him, or something."

Sotelo said the suspect fell to the floor during the fight: "He dropped [the gun] trying to hold onto my purse, and I ended up pulling his sweatshirt off him, and I was like, 'Show your face, show your face, you are on camera.' And he was like, 'Here, you can have your purse back, just give me my stuff.' He wanted me to give him back his gun and his clothes. I just hit him on the head with it; that is what he was doing to me."

The suspect wasn't able to get away with any of the store's money but did reportedly break Sotelo's phone and steal her purse. Sotelo added that her employer soon was on the phone with her.

“I get a call yesterday it was like, 'If every one of these videos are not taken offline, you will be suspended,' and then I texted, [asking] ... like 'How long am I suspended for?' They said till everything is removed online," she said. "I have no ability to do that."

Sotelo added that she believes the owner was trying to avoid notifying Subway's corporate office. According to the New York Post and TMZ, she soon shared the video on her TikTok page. A Subway spokesperson said the corporation is aware of the incident and is deeply concerned but did not confirm or deny that Sotelo had been suspended.

“The restaurant owner and management are fully cooperating with the police investigation, and we request patience until that process is complete," the company said in its statement, noting that it is "in contact with the franchisee to better understand the situation and assist as needed."

Crook hops over counter to steal cash from clerk — but co-workers are in no mood to play as they repeatedly pummel perp until he escapes to safety

A would-be robber got quite a bit more than he could handle when he entered a convenience store in the Bronx and demanded money, according to Crime Stoppers. Surveillance video of the Oct. 23, 2021, incident caught the moment when the suspect climbed atop the counter, casually walked to the edge, and jumped down to the other side to get what he reportedly came for. But two of the clerk's co-workers weren't about to let him get away with his caper — and made him pay in the process. Surveillance video shows one co-worker dressed in white appearing to land at least seven punches upon the would-be robber. A second co-worker dressed in green landed a blow as well — to suspect's head — and wrestled him to the floor. Police said the suspect fled the store, and authorities asked for help in identifying him — for as much as a $3,500 reward.

Crook with hammer picks wrong jewelry store to rob; family members in charge of business punch, kick would-be thief — even whack him with stick before literally ripping shirt off his back as he whimpers off empty-handed

Video caught the moment a would-be thief got walloped when he tried to rob a family-owned jewelry store in El Monte, California, around 2:20 p.m. Sept. 2, 2023. The suspect allegedly pepper-sprayed workers in Meza's Jewelry on Main Street and shattered display cases with a hammer. But family members who run the store were ready to fight back.

"Me, my uncle, and my dad were tugging him out," one employee told KABC-TV. "I was trying to defend my family because as you could see he was hitting my dad and my uncle."

Two employees punched and kicked the would-be robber while a third employee used a large stick to pummel the culprit. During the tussle with employees, the would-be thief lost his shirt to the store clerks, and he was seen on video fleeing the store as employees pursued him. The suspect departed crime scene in a gray Dodge Charger, and police described the suspect as a 35- to 45-year-old black man standing about 6'1", weighing as much as 300 pounds, and sporting some facial hair.

The owner told KNBC the suspect stated upon his departure that "he was gonna kill all of us." Employees were treated for minor injuries. Police said they were investigating. You can watch a video report about the incident here.

'Mama Bear just sprung into action': Instincts kick in for mother, daughter who get into scary scrape with intruder in their store

A mother and daughter battled back against an intruder who entered their southern California store on the evening of Aug. 7, 2022, and tried to steal catered food they prepared, KABC-TV reported.

Carol Garnier — a chef and owner of Prepped with Love in Westminster — told the station the man, possibly a transient, got inside the store around 7:45 p.m. after her last customer departed. However, the door didn't lock after the last customer left, KABC said, and surveillance video shows the intruder entering the store and heading straight for the prepared food inside the glass-door refrigerator. (You can view a video report about the incident here.)

Mary Dao — Garnier's daughter — reacted quickly, later telling the station that "my instincts just kick[ed] in. I don't even know how I knew how to grab that table and push it against him, but it's just all of the adrenaline. I just did what I had to do." At that point, Garnier ran over to help: "Mama bear just sprung into action to protect my property, my daughter, and anything further [from damage]," she told KABC.

Garnier and Dao repeatedly pushed the table against the intruder, and it appeared that prevented him from getting any closer. Video does show him throwing a beer can at Dao's face, the station said, adding that she wasn't injured. "I didn't want him to enter and get behind the counter — that's where our knives are," Garnier told the station, "or go deeper into the fridge and get all of the meals."

It would have been a lot simpler, she told KABC, if the man had just requested some food: "If you just ask, I am more than happy to make you something to eat. But the fact he didn't say anything ... he just came in and just aggressively tried to steal our food is what got me."

Dao is of the same mindset, telling the station, "I was ready to get down and use my hands if I needed to. We've been working hard, making food all day, and that belonged to somebody. They paid for that, and you just can't come in here and take what's not yours."

Garnier told KABC they filed a report with Westminster police, who added to the station that they recognize the intruder in the video and were actively looking for him.

It's 2 against 1, but lone worker still manages to chase down, defeat pair crooks making off with $2,700 in Pokemon cards from his store

Two males walked into the Anime store at the MainPlace mall in Santa Ana, California, on June 26, 2023, and grabbed several boxes of popular Pokémon cards. But after the pair tried to hoof it with their loot, an employee chased them down and fought them — an encounter that outside surveillance video captured.

“We don’t believe the confrontation happened inside the store," Sgt. Maria Lopez told KTLA-TV. "The confrontation happened outside once the employee saw them run from the store."

Turns out the pair dropped the precious Pokémon cards during the struggle but still ran off before police arrived. A security guard can be seen on video running to help but arriving just a few moments too late.

One male was described as Hispanic, about five feet, six inches tall with a thin build, brown eyes, shaved black hair, and a mustache. He was wearing a green, button-up, long-sleeve shirt; black shorts; long white socks; and red/black Jordan sneakers. The other male was described as white, 6 feet tall with a thin build, black hair, and brown eyes. He was wearing black shorts with a gray sweater and long, knee-high socks. You can view a video report about the incident here.