Store owner uses shoe to fend off armed robber

“I ran and caught him and we were like wrestling”.

The CCTV footage shows Amrik Singh standing behind the counter of the petrol station store when a man enters, apparently brandishing a shotgun.

After coming out as a victor of a first of its kind slipper-shotgun face off, Singh, who immigrated to the United States from Doburji in Punjab’s Moga district 35 years ago and has owned the Citgo petrol station and store for 19 years, said he did not have a strategy or a conscious plan to confront the gunman.

The moment Amrik Singh’s shoe hits the armed robber.

However, as the suspect reaches into the till, the shopkeeper tries to grab him, causing the alleged raider to step back. Singh then rushes the gunman, forcing him out of the store. But an off-duty officer who had been driving past the store heard the shot fired and turned around, Singh said.

He then fled the scene in a vehicle empty-handed. Singh has owned Route 9 Mini Mart in Staatsburg for 17 years, and has been robbed once before.

“I go for him, and he runs out the door, and I follow him outside the door. He (has) got a shotgun” and was wearing a camouflage mask. I got 10s and 20s, I put them in the bag.

“I put up both hands, I say, ‘OK, OK!'” the married father of two said. “I don’t know what happened, but nothing scared for me”, said Singh.

“I pull out the tray full of change and I showed him, nothing’s there”, Singh said. “He tried to remove the coin tray and search under it”.

“He did not expect an old man to fight him. The gun was obviously loaded because a round was discharged”, said Lt. Scott Hurley of the New York State Police.

Police said the suspect headed northbound on Route 9 in a dark-colored vehicle with orange NY license plates.

“I figured I’m not scared”.