MONTREAL – Zhaoyong He is without a doubt, one of the bravest store owners you’ll ever hear about. However, that may not be considered a good thing.
Late Monday night, a man armed with an air pistol entered Zhaoyong He’s Brossard convenience store, placed a bag on the counter and demanded cash. Instead of complying, the 46-year-old pulled a metal bar from behind the counter and began swinging it towards the robber, chasing him around the store while trying to avoid getting shot by pellets.
The confrontation lasted approximately 20 seconds. The store-owner was shot 10 times, one of the pellets even hit dangerously close to his left eye. As for the suspect, he ran out the door and remains on the loose.
In an interview with Global’s Domenic Fazioli, Zhaoyong He says he’s fed up with being the target of thieves. “If I give it to him one time, next time he will come again”, he said. The father of 4 added, “we work very hard”. Zhaoyong was the victim of a another hold-up last month.
Longueuil Police spokesperson Marc David calls the store-owner brave, but he adds the story could have ended very differently. “If it was a real gun, we would have a dead store owner today,” Constable David is reminding merchants not to follow in Zhayong He’s footsteps. “Always comply with what the person says, we don’t want people to confront the suspect.”
To the surprise of many of his costumers, Zhaoyong He was back at work today. He said Monday’s altercation won’t stop him from working his regular shift and he’s ready to do the same thing again, if he has to.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.