Video: unarmed clerk vs. would-be thief in Florida 7-Eleven robbery | The News Tribune

A man attempted to rob a Florida 7-Eleven armed with the often-intimidating elements of surprise and bravado. But he left quickly after running into a clerk with wrestling skills.

The surveillance video from Thursday released by Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows a man in a white T-shirt, beige pants and a green bandana strutting into the Lehigh Acres 7-Eleven, hopping the counter and proceeding to buffalo his way to the register.

But in brushing aside the clerk, the would-be thief put the clerk behind him. The clerk took advantage of this positioning by grabbing the robber’s arms, then his torso, then getting him in a choke hold, bouncing him around the area behind the counter in the process. After about nine seconds of choke hold, the clerk’s pants were putting up a better fight to stay up than the robber.

Upon release, the suspect scampered out the door while the clerk hitched up his pants.

The clerk suffered minor injuries, Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. No word on any injuries, physical or psychological, suffered by the 5-foot-8 robber.

Anyone with information on the attempted robbery can call Crime Stoppers 800-780-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers website. Callers will stay anonymous and might be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.