HOUSTON – For the second time in less than 24 hours, a store clerk turned the tables during a robbery Tuesday.
A liquor store clerk shot and killed a would-be thief at about 3 p.m. in the Greenspoint area.
Liquor store owner Pawan Kumar was not present during the robbery, but when he heard about the shooting he was able to review surveillance video through a link on his cellphone.
Kumar said his uncle was manning the shop for him when he came under attack.
"I saw in the video my uncle said, 'OK, just rob me,' and the guy just wants to shoot him. Just take the money and leave. Punching and beating him for no reason," Kumar said.
Police said an armed robber came in the store, jumped the counter and demanded money. He eventually fired shots at the clerk.
"So when he started shooting the gun, (he) fell down, so my uncle got the gun. Fighting, fighting, fighting, they came all the way from the counter to outside and that's where my uncle got him in the back," Kumar said. "He's a good guy and I wanted to make sure he was all right."
Concerned customers at the store said they often worry about their safety there.
"I know when I would go in there, I would think to myself, 'My God, he's in there all by himself.' He's brave," customer Glenda Holmes said.
Kumar said burglars broke into the store a few months ago.
"We've been targeted here before," Kumar said. "Just trying to make our bread and butter. Thank God my uncle is all right. It's unfortunate what happened."
Police have not confirmed the name or age of the suspect, but the store owner believes the robber could have been a teenager.
The official identification will come from the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.