Youngstown-area store clerk with CHL stops threat [UPDATE: Robbery video]

WKBN (CBS Youngstown) reported recently that a Struthers store clerk with a concealed handgun license (CHL) was able to defend himself when attacked by two armed robbers.

From the article:

Struthers police said a pair of teenage robbery suspects got more than they bargained for during a robbery attempt early Wednesday morning.

Video Struthers police obtained from Sami Quick Stop appears to show that one of the teens who entered and attempted to rob the store pulled out a gun, shot at the clerk and missed, prompting the clerk to shoot back and hit the suspect.

Normally, only the drive-through of the Sami Quick Stop at East Midlothian Boulevard and Youngstown-Poland Road is open at midnight. But because of construction, the entire store was open for customers when a pair of 17-year-old boys walked in about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Police said there were two employees working at the time. The manager was in a store room and a clerk was behind the counter. The 911 call explains what happened next:

Caller: “I’m up at Sami’s. I am the manager here and we just got a guy come in here and try to rob us.”

Ja’Braelyn Bunn, 17, of Youngstown, and Kimani Hodges walked in the store together, but it was Bunn that produced a rifle and demanded money from the clerk behind the counter, according to police. The clerk, believed to be in his 20s, had a gun of his own and opened fire, hitting Bunn in the side and forcing him to drop his gun.

“He demanded the clerk to give him some money. The clerk felt threatened and had a lawful CCW permit, and shot at the suspect,” said Struthers Police Chief Tim Roddy.

Both teens ran from the store, but were caught a short time later.

According to the article, the injured attacker was treated for his injuries, and both of the robbers are facing charges.

As for the clerk, police are calling the shooting justified.

“In the right situation, someone who is responsible and very knowledgeable with a weapon, they have the right to protect themselves,” said [Struthers Police Chief Tim] Roddy.

Chief Roddy may not have meant his comment to sound like it did, but just to be clear, EVERYONE has the right to protect themselves, regardless of their level of training.

A complete list of known incidents involving Ohio CHL-holders defending themselves is available here.

Video report:

Robbery video:

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.