Surveillance footage captured the moment a Las Vegas smoke shop owner stabbed a masked juvenile suspect allegedly attempting to rob his store.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at 3:25 p.m. at Smokestrom Smoke Shop on West Sahara Avenue near Decatur Boulevard, KLAS reported.
Two juveniles can be seen walking into the store wearing black ski masks and backpacks, with one suspect wearing his backpack facing forward.
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A robber in black bloc was stabbed & subdued by an Asian-American shop keeper wearing flip flops in Las Vegas this week. The robber’s accomplice leaves his friend behind. Police are investigating the robbery & stabbing. pic.twitter.com/EJrF6syO1d
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 5, 2022
Store owner Johnny Nguyen is then heard asking the suspects to leave, but the two juveniles did not comply, as one suspect can be seen grabbing what appears to be a tip jar from the counter.
“I was scared for my life,” Nguyen told the New York Post. “When they came in, one of them had a bag in front of him like he had a firearm or something.”
As the suspect is leaving, Nguyen tells him he can take the item but asks him to “leave the coins.” The juvenile did not comply and proceeded to grab more items before running out of the store.
At the same time, the other suspect, wearing the front-facing backpack, is seen hopping over the glass counter. Immediately, Nguyen grabs a knife from near the register and stabs the suspect multiple times.
“I was in a flight or fight mode,” the store owner told Fox 5. “A lot of adrenaline going through my body.”
The juvenile can be heard saying, “I’m dead, I’m dead,” before Nguyen drags the suspect to the front door and calls 911. The injured suspect then begged Nguyen, “Don’t let me die,” KLAS noted.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested the two suspects, with the one injured suspect being taken to a hospital with his condition unknown, Fox 5 reported. There was also a third suspect involved who has not yet been apprehended, police noted.
“I don’t think he planned on getting stabbed that day, obviously, but if you try robbing a store you are taking a risk,” Nguyen told KLAS. “This is a small business, obviously.”
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
