doncha just love it when that happens?
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Robbery attempt goes awry
After spate of deadly holdups in area,
one clerk turns the tables
By S.K. BARDWELL <[email protected]>-Chronicle Email Address
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 24, 2000, 10:21PM

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/page1/466901

Hours after convenience store operators rallied in
remembrance of five slain comrades, a Vietnamese-American
clerk at a store in southeast Houston fought back against
two armed robbers and won.

After trying frantically to talk the robbers into leaving
with the store’s money Wednesday night, Khoa Dang Nguyen,
28, opened fire, fearing they would kill him and four
others trapped in the small store.

Instead, police said, the only ones hurt were the two
robbery suspects, 19-year-old twins Albert and Abbert
Gaston, each charged with aggravated robbery and held
on $40,000 bail.

Five clerks were killed in three holdups in five days here
this month. In remembrance, many convenience stores in the
Pakistani, Indian, Lebanese and other Asian-American
communities were closed and about 1,000 people rallied
in Tranquillity Park Wednesday afternoon.

Nguyen said he and his family, who own the Texaco gas
station and store in the 12900 block of MLK, did not
attend the rally, but had discussed it and the dangers
of running a convenience store.

About 10:30 p.m., two men entered the store and lingered
long enough, he said, for him and his sister, Huong Thi-Kim
Nguyen, to become suspicious — and fearful. Knowing her
brother had a gun, she whispered to him.

“My sister told me, `Don’t shoot them,’ ” Khoa Nguyen said.
” `Just let them take the money and go away.’ ”

Another family member, a janitor and a customer were in the
store. Khoa Nguyen had moved toward the rear and his sister
was behind the counter when one robber jumped over it,
pistol-whipped her and took $50, police said.

Khoa Nguyen said he shouted at the two to stop hurting his
sister. “You got the money, now go,” he yelled as he pointed
the gun at one robber.

Instead, police said, the two turned on him.

“They closed the security doors,” Nguyen said. “They trapped
everybody in the store.

“We were face to face. He pointed his gun at me. I pointed my
gun at him. I told him, `Just run away. I don’t want to shoot
you.’ ”

When the armed man kept coming at him, Nguyen fired, hitting
him several times.

“I threw them the keys to the security doors,” Nguyen said.
“I told them, `Please leave. I don’t want to shoot you anymore.’ ”

As soon as the pair left, Nguyen called police, who arrived in
minutes. The wounded man was arrested, but the other had run
into a field in the 5600 block of Orem.

Pursued by police, dogs and a helicopter, the second man was
eventually captured by Officer Jeffrey Van Wegenen. Police
said the man resisted vigorously, trying to get the officer’s
gun.

“Kill me, kill me,” police said he told Van Wegenen.

The fight became so intense, a police helicopter landed in the
field and its officer-observer got out to help Van Wegenen.
Two more officers were eventually needed to handcuff the man.

While being walked back, police said, he repeatedly said he
wanted to be killed.

Instead, he was taken to Ben Taub Hospital with dog bites and
a leg injury. His brother was already there, being treated for
several non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Nguyen said he had never been robbed before but was prepared
for it: “In my mind, I knew that sooner or later I would be.”

Like many such stores, Nguyen’s is a family operation, and
everybody works there at times, including his pregnant wife.

“I did not want to shoot,” he said Thursday. “But when they
closed the security doors, I thought maybe they will kill my
whole family, and I knew I had to stop them.”

Nguyen said the five recent slayings showed him that robbers
“do not just want the money anymore, but to take lives as well.

“I would be surprised if you could find a store without a gun.
If there is, they will be going to get one soon, I think.”

[special thanks to Jerry Allbright of Texas for sending this in]