A man tried to rob a store with a pellet gun Friday, but the store clerk had a real gun and shot at the robber several times, scaring him off.
It happened at the Ice House convenience store off International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach, just before 1 p.m. Friday.
The owners of the convenience store, who fear becoming a target of more crime, said the clerk was in fear for his life, which is why he grabbed his gun and fired several shots.
Surveillance video shows the robbery suspect lingering outside the store before making his move inside where investigators said he pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded cash.
Investigators identified the suspected robber as 35-year-old Eric Scott Riddle, from Palm Coast.
At one point in the video, you can see Riddle aggressively pointing the gun at the clerk. Police said the clerk told them Riddle actually pulled the trigger, but the gun, which turned out to be a pellet gun, didn’t fire.
Another store worker said the clerk didn’t know the gun was actually a pellet gun.
The clerk can be seen in the surveillance video grabbing for his own gun behind the counter.
Investigators said the clerk shot at the suspect three times.
Without getting any money, investigators said Riddle drove away.
Police chased him through several streets before he ended up crashing his car into a tree and flipping it.
The car caught fire with Riddle trapped inside, but he was eventually pulled out and taken to the hospital.
Police said Riddle’s injuries are not life-threatening, and he will be charged with armed robbery and fleeing police.
A worker at the store said the longtime family business has never had anything happen like this, but he feels they’ve become part of a growing trend of more and more robberies in the area.