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Clerk fights back during armed robbery

A 25-year-old store clerk fought back during an armed robbery at a Volusia County store. Claire Metz reports.
A 25-year-old store clerk fought back during an armed robbery at a Volusia County store. Claire Metz reports.
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Clerk fights back during armed robbery
A 7-Eleven employee in Daytona Beach faced an armed man in her store on Mason Avenue overnight.Police said the suspect went into the store wearing a mask and pointing a gun at the clerk, Ashley Griest, 25. Surveillance video shows the suspect shoving Griest to the cash register and hitting her in the head several times with the gun when she didn't quickly comply. But police said that's when Griest realized the gun wasn't real."She realized it wasn't real by, I guess, the weight of the weapon. And then she, that's when she decided to fight back," Griest's husband, Clyde Bumgarner, told WESH 2 News as his wife rested at home.The surveillance video shows that as the suspect was jumping over the counter to leave, Griest pushed him and grabbed the gun, actually firing it. The gun was a BB gun with no BBs in it, but the suspect jumped back to get it and Griest tackled him, getting him into a headlock."She's a fighter big time, all the way, yes," Griest's husband told WESH 2 News. "She definitely won't take it from nobody, not even from me," he said.A customer approached the business and saw the fight, telling a 911 operator, "I saw a man in the store wrestling, wrestling with the woman behind the register."But police said it was Griest wrestling with the suspect and he eventually ran, tumbling over the counter and nearly staggering out of the store.Griest suffered a burn to her arm when she was shoved against a hot dog presser. She's recovering at home, but her husband said she'll be back in the store."She ain't going to let someone just scare her away like a child or anything like that, by no means. She's not that type of person," he said.

A 7-Eleven employee in Daytona Beach faced an armed man in her store on Mason Avenue overnight.

Police said the suspect went into the store wearing a mask and pointing a gun at the clerk, Ashley Griest, 25. Surveillance video shows the suspect shoving Griest to the cash register and hitting her in the head several times with the gun when she didn't quickly comply. But police said that's when Griest realized the gun wasn't real.

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"She realized it wasn't real by, I guess, the weight of the weapon. And then she, that's when she decided to fight back," Griest's husband, Clyde Bumgarner, told WESH 2 News as his wife rested at home.

The surveillance video shows that as the suspect was jumping over the counter to leave, Griest pushed him and grabbed the gun, actually firing it. The gun was a BB gun with no BBs in it, but the suspect jumped back to get it and Griest tackled him, getting him into a headlock.

"She's a fighter big time, all the way, yes," Griest's husband told WESH 2 News. "She definitely won't take it from nobody, not even from me," he said.

A customer approached the business and saw the fight, telling a 911 operator, "I saw a man in the store wrestling, wrestling with the woman behind the register."

But police said it was Griest wrestling with the suspect and he eventually ran, tumbling over the counter and nearly staggering out of the store.

Griest suffered a burn to her arm when she was shoved against a hot dog presser. She's recovering at home, but her husband said she'll be back in the store.

"She ain't going to let someone just scare her away like a child or anything like that, by no means. She's not that type of person," he said.