Don't Bring A Knife To A Gun Fight

A young robber in Burke County, North Carolina learned quickly that you don't bring a knife to a gun fight.That is because the 63-year old clerk that he had pulled the knife on had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it.

According to the story and video from WSOC-TV, the clerk not only fought back while he had a knife to his throat but he got three shots off at the robber. There is no report on whether or not the robber was shot.

Burke County Sheriff Steve Whisenant said the clerk had every right to protect himself and the business. He did add that someone could have been hurt.

Often in these situations, the clerk who defended him or herself is fired by their employer for being armed and fighting back. Fortunately, that does not seem to be the case here.

Assistant Manager Teresa Huffman is more nervous than ever working behind the counter at the Fast Track in Hildebran but supports what her co-worker did on Sunday night.

“As long as he can protect himself, I'm all for that,” she said. “I think he did the right thing in protecting himself, being as he was alone anyway.”

UPDATE: The Burke County Sheriff's Department has arrested the suspect in this robbery. They say that the clarity of the video allowed them to identify the man and his knife.

Xiong Ta Kong Moua, 25, of Amherst Road was charged with attempted armed robbery with a dangerous weapon Monday. Police suspect Moua to have been the primary subject involved in a holdup at a Hildebran Fast Track convenience store Sunday night....

Whisenant said Tuesday that he believes video surveillance provided by the Fast Track store was tremendously helpful in the investigation, allowing authorities to match not only the blade wielded by the suspect, but the suspect’s identity as well.

“We used technology to pull through databases searching for the suspect’s physical description and found evidence that matched the suspect in video surveillance from the store,” the sheriff explained Tuesday afternoon. “We actually spoke with his family and found that his father actually crafts the kind of knife that you see in the video.”

And in what will be no surprise to regular readers of An NC Gun Blog, Xiong Ta Kong Moua is a convicted felon. He has five felony convictions for forgery.