An Ohio gas station says his employer dismissed him from his long-time job after he fired his handgun at a group of masked men who rammed a minivan into the store during an attempted robbery.
Kendrick Watson, 41, told authorities he shot the intruders to protect himself and his coworker.
Watson was sitting behind the register at a Circle K Stow, Ohio around 3:30 a.m. on November 2 when criminals repeatedly drove a stolen minivan into the storefront, smashing the glass entrance and dislodging its ATM, according to police per Cleveland’s WKYC.
The brazen robbery attempt was also caught on surveillance video.
A second minivan followed, braking outside the convenience store in the Akron suburb as four masked men jumped out of the vehicle and rushed toward the store. That’s when Watson grabbed his sidearm and fired seven shots, which sent the robbery crew fleeing.
Police told news outlets he will not be charged, with authorities apparently honoring Ohio’s “stand your ground” law.
However, Watson said his armed defense cost him his job, where he had worked 40 hours a week for six years.
The worker said he had to think and act quickly.
“You just never know what can happen,” Watson told the Cleveland outlet. “I was more shocked than terrified. Once they rushed the store, I thought my life and my coworker’s life at the time was in danger, so I opened fire to protect myself and my coworker.”
According to police, Watson’s gunshots struck one of the minivans, a gas pump, and a support post. One suspect was arrested, but at least three others escaped and are at large, police said, adding they did not know if any of the other suspects were shot.
Watson said his manager called him later in the day of the shooting and told him not to bother to show up for work.
“It was just disappointment, really,” he said. “I knew I was going to get fired because they have [a] no gun, no weapons policy, so I knew that was coming, but my only issue with that was, obviously, this was an extreme situation.”
Police told news outlets that both vehicles used in the attempted robbery had been stolen from Cleveland.
Watson’s firearm apparently was legally obtained; police took the weapon during their investigation but later returned it.
Ohio has liberal concealed carry laws, allowing a citizen to arm himself even without a concealed-carry license though residents are urged to obtain one.
“As affirmed by the U.S. Constitution and the Ohio Constitution, the right to keep and bear arms is a
fundamental element of individual liberty,” former Attorney General David Yost stated in an advisory on Ohio’s 2022 gun law.
Watson has since launched a GoFundMe effort to help cover his expenses while looking for another job. As of Wednesday it had raised nearly $11,000.
Right now, I’m asking for help as I try to recover from this dramatic event and figure out my next steps,” he wrote on the site. “The support from this fundraiser will help me cover my monthly bills while I get back on my feet and look for work.”
“It was a traumatic experience,” Watson said.
Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more
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