One Gwinnett County, Georgia, Chick-fil-A employee’s martial arts training came in handy when a man pointed a gun at him on July 1.
Kevin Blair, the employee, was captured on video fighting off the masked gunman. The video was released to the public by law enforcement authorities on Wednesday.
After the two men fought for three minutes, the armed aggressor fled.
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The gunman was a 53-year-old man, according to local Atlanta outlet WSB-TV, and was arrested on Wednesday.
Blair serves as the inventory director for his local Chick-fil-A.
Blair was working in the back at 4:30 in the morning when the gunman smashed the Chick-fil-A’s drive-through window with a rock to break in.
The suspect then ran into the back of the restaurant and demanded Blair open the safe.
“He told me if I couldn’t open up the safe, then I was going to die,” Blair said.
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The suspect even went so far as to put the gun to the back of Blair’s head.
When Blair told the would-be robber he didn’t know the safe’s combination, the armed man pointed the gun at Blair’s face.
That’s when the inventory director’s martial arts training kicked in.
According to WSB-TV, Blair has received two and a half years of karate training, every bit of which he used to fight for his life.
“It’s not worth taking that risk that he’s willing to pull the trigger,” Blair said.
“I was fortunate, he was standing close enough that I could get my hands on his wrist and keep control of the gun and keep it pointed away from me.”
Blair certainly made an impression on social media.
One video of the fight had garnered an impressive 269,100 views on X as of Friday morning. Many users reacted to Blair’s bravery in the comments.
A Chick-Fil-A employee fought off an armed burglar in Stone Mountain. 😳 pic.twitter.com/7sF12DY5lI
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) August 1, 2024
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“That’s some serious courage from a Chick-Fil-A employee! It’s amazing how ordinary people can become extraordinary in tough situations,” one wrote.
“Give dat guy a raise and a reward immediately,” another wrote.
“That man deserves to be Owner/Operator of his own restaurant,” another posted.
