MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - A gas station clerk who was attacked by a suspected attempted robber described the moment he turned the tables on his assailant, a heart-stopping confrontation that was captured on surveillance video.
Miramar store clerk Attallah Abudayyah spoke with 7News on Wednesday about Tuesday night’s tense encounter at the Sunoco gas station along Island Road and Pembroke Road.
“He came with a mask and a hoodie,” he said. “He didn’t say nothing. He just grabbed me and my neck, and he beat me up.”
Abudayyah said he felt like he was dying as the attack unfolded.
“’I’m dying, I’m dying,’” he said.
Seen on security footage, the clerk was ambushed, punched, thrown to the floor, stomped and choked.
Despite the vicious onslaught, Abudayyah, a father of six and grandfather of nine, refused to surrender.
“I’m a man. I gotta fight back,” said Abudayyah.
That’s when he pulled out his gun.
“That’s my gun in the back. That’s my baby, 9 millimeter,” he said.
Abudayyah said he aimed and fired at his attacker.
“Because somebody come to you, beats you up, tries to kill you, so what are you gonna do?” said Abudayyah.
7News was the first to arrive, following this tables-turning, mini-mart shooting of an accused robber.
According to police, the wounded accused crook ran from the store to an area of nearby homes.
Residents called police, but it was paramedics who first transported the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Jeffrey Philippe, who’s expected to survive his injuries.
As for Abudayyah, he said he is dealing with a busted lip and other abrasions, but he remains on the job and on guard.
He has a message for anyone who wants to try it again.
“It’s going to be the last minute for him to live,” he said.
Despite the incident, he has no plans on leaving his job.
“No, why? These are my people over here,” said Abudayyah. “God protects everybody.”
Philippe remains in custody and recovering from his injuries at Memorial Regional Hospital. He will be charged with burglary and battery when he is released.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.