Check out 14 times regular folks turned the tables on violent crooks over the last year: 'Thank God we had our guns'

Gutsy female cashier fights back against knife-wielding crook, wrestling weapon away and chasing him out of store

Video shows a male customer purchasing items from Amaya’s Mini Market in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles just after 2 p.m. Feb. 9 last year, KNBC-TV reported. Soon the guy pulled a knife on the female cashier, holding it against her waist.

But the woman didn't melt away under pressure. Instead she screamed and wrestled away the knife in a flash, and the crook fell back on his only option: running for his life as she chased him out of the store.

Gun-toting pregnant woman, her husband show felon who attacked and threatened them who's boss: 'I've never been happier to be a gun carrier'

A nine-months-pregnant woman told KTRK-TV she parked in front of Houston's All Season Food Store just before 5:30 p.m. June 27 to deliver a meal for her husband who works there.

Her husband told the station that a nearby armed SUV driver — whom police identified as 39-year-old Mario Duque — repeatedly asked him, "Do you want to die tonight?" Soon Duque pistol-whipped the husband.

With that, his pregnant wife pulled a gun from her bag and shot Duque. Her husband shot him, too, KTRK said. "Thank God we had our guns," she told the station. "I've never been happier to be a gun carrier."

Thug who threatens to shoot liquor store owner has rapid change of heart after victim pulls out his own gun

Video shows a suspect aiming a gun at the owner of Cousins Liquor Store in Fountain Valley, California, on Aug. 16. Jacko Sadek told KABC-TV he was calm because he'd been robbed at gunpoint before.

Sadek also had some firepower at the ready — and when he reached under the counter, grabbed his own gun, and pointed it at the suspect, it was game over. The crook ran out of the store.

Victim of attempted carjacking uses guts, muscle to get the upper hand on 18-year-old gun-toting suspect

The victim said the suspect — identified as 18-year-old Derrion Turner — pointed a gun at him and demanded his 2022 Dodge Charger late at night Sept. 3 at a southwest Memphis gas station, WREG-TV reported. The victim told the station he grabbed the suspect from behind, took the gun from him, and held him on the ground until police arrived.

The Fill n' Go manager noted to WREG that he wasn’t surprised to hear the suspect only is 18 years of age: “They are getting younger and younger."

Taxi driver fatally shoots crook who tried to rob him at gunpoint

A Metairie, Louisiana, taxi driver fatally shot a male who tried to rob him at gunpoint on the morning of Aug. 21, WWL-TV reported, which cited the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office spokesperson Capt. Jason Rivarde told NOLA the death of 23-year-old Gerald Pope, who was shot multiple times, was classified as a justifiable homicide — and the taxi driver will not face criminal charges. Rivarde also said Pope was suspected of robbing two other drivers from the same cab company.

Armed Texas man serves up smoking hot justice on assailant who beat elderly patron unconscious at BBQ restaurant: Police

A male allegedly harassed several customers at Woody’s Smokehouse in Centerville, Texas, on Aug. 14. The aggressor – whom police later identified as Kevin Craig Anderson of Houston – reportedly went to the restroom and beat an elderly man unconscious and even continued the physical attack while the victim was on the floor.

Another man tried to help the elderly victim but was knocked down and beaten, too. But he also had a license to carry — and had just about enough. The good guy pulled out his gun and shot Anderson twice in the arm, after which Anderson fled the BBQ restaurant. Cops found him in his vehicle on the shoulder of a highway.

Pair of hapless teen carjackers choose victim who decides to fight back — and the thugs don't have the stomach to stay

A man parked his car in the 1000 block of Race Street in Philadelphia just before 4 p.m. May 7, exited the vehicle, and began to walk away from it, police said. Soon suspects followed him, snatched his keys from his hand, and ran back to his car, police said, adding that one suspect got into the car and tried to drive off, police said.

But the victim wasn't about to give up his property without a fight. Police said he pulled the one suspect from his car, got his keys back, and with that, both suspects fled on foot.

Clerk shoots at armed crook trying to rob 7-Eleven — and the bad guy doesn't stick around

A 7-Eleven clerk shot at a man trying to rob the store after midnight July 14, San Antonio police told KSAT-TV. Police told the station the suspect, armed with a gun, demanded cash from the register. But cops added to KSAT that the clerk pulled out his own gun, after which a shoot-out commenced, and the suspect ran off.

Police told the station the clerk — who was not wounded — thought he shot the suspect, and officers couldn't find the suspect after a search.

Would-be carjackers in Chicago end up targeting a concealed carrier who pulls his own gun, returns fire, wounds one suspect

WBBM-TV reported that the incident occurred outside a clothing store on Chicago's southwest side on the evening of May 28. Police said two suspects approached the 24-year-old victim, after which one suspect pulled a handgun and fired, WLS-TV reported. But the victim — who police said is a valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card and concealed carry license holder — returned fire and shot one of the suspects in the thigh, police told WLS. The two suspects were arrested Sunday night, police added to WLS.

Male allegedly points gun at rideshare driver's head in carjacking attempt — but victim is a concealed carrier who ends up outsmarting and outgunning suspect

A 26-year-old rideshare driver picked up 20-year-old Darick Benson and a juvenile female in Chicago shortly after midnight Aug. 12, Assistant State’s Attorney John Kyle said during Benson’s bail hearing, CWB Chicago reported.

Benson allegedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver’s head from the back seat as the girl, who also was in the back seat, patted down the driver's right pants pocket, the outlet said.

Kyle said the driver — a concealed-carry license holder — slowed down his SUV, jumped out, pulled a gun from his left pants pocket, and fired three shots at his attackers, the outlet reported. Benson returned fire and tried to drive the SUV, but it failed to operate because the key fob — snug in the rideshare driver's pocket — was out of range, Kyle said. The pair ran off, but police found them, both with gunshot wounds.

Bullet-wounded maintenance worker reportedly wrestles gun away from armed robber and opens fire on attacker

A 20-year-old Waukegan, Illinois, apartment maintenance worker who was shot during an attempted robbery on Oct. 31 reportedly wrestled the gun away and shot his 17-year-old male attacker, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner reported.

Armed would-be robber apparently picks wrong victim — a guy with his own gun who blows away alleged perp

Philadelphia authorities told WTXF-TV a gunman targeted a 25-year-old man at gunpoint just before 7 p.m. April 25 — but the victim was armed himself and shot his assailant. The station added that the victim, who pulled his gun — which he's licensed to carry — fired at least 10 shots and stayed at the scene after the shooting.

The alleged robber was taken to Einstein Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later, WPVI-TV said.

"If you have a legal weapon and somebody's trying to rob you, what are you supposed to do?" West Oak Lane resident Gail Worrell asked WPVI. "You're not supposed to sit there and let somebody kill you."

Armed pizza delivery man gives gun-toting wannabe carjackers a taste of their own medicine

Two masked men with guns approached a 21-year-old delivery man as he was dropping off food in the parking lot of an apartment complex about a minute before midnight July 18, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told WCAU-TV.

"He was being carjacked and robbed," Small told the station. But it didn't last long.

The driver — who has a license to carry — confronted one of the suspects and fired two shots, Small told WCAU, hitting the suspect once. The delivery driver told police there was a shoot-out between him and the suspect who was shot, KYW-TV reported, adding that the delivery driver was not hit.

Authorities added to KYW that one of the suspects fled into Springfield Township, while the shot suspect tried to run off but was caught and taken to a hospital for surgery, KYW said.

Gun-toting Good Samaritan saves the day after robber pistol-whips Family Dollar clerk and grabs cash, police say

Fort Lauderdale police said 20-year-old Nicolas Richard Lee Deas and another man walked up to the Family Dollar store around 10 p.m. Sept. 13 as the clerk was closing up, WPLG-TV reported — and Deas pointed a stolen gun at the clerk and told him, “Give me the money, or I will kill you."

Police said the employee took the pair to the safe, and Deas’ accomplice filled a bag with about $1,200, WPLG said, adding that the police report states Deas pistol-whipped the worker in the back of the neck and in the elbow.

The station, citing the police report, said a man closing his own business in the shopping center noted that he heard what was happening and went inside the Family Dollar, saw Deas holding a gun, and then took out his own gun and ordered Deas to drop his weapon and get on the ground. WPLG reported that Deas did just that.

While the other suspect got away, the police report said the business owner who intervened kept Deas on the ground until officers arrived and arrested him, the station said.