The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
www.enterprisenews.com
By Kyle Alspach
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HOLBROOK When a thief with a gun came into Holbrook Liquors on Friday night, employee Andrew Yuen was ready to give up the money.
But then, the 21-year-old says, instinct kicked in. And he punched the robber in the face.
I just started punching him in the face real hard. I just kept on punching him and punching him, Yuen said. I just kept going at him until he was on the ground.
The gun, police said, turned out to be a fake. But Yuen said he didnt know that at the time.
I just pushed it away and started punching him, he recalled Saturday afternoon at his Braintree home.
Another employee, Tom Nguyen, was working in the back of the store and heard Yuen screaming his name.
Nguyen came out, punched the thief twice, Yuen said.
He called me over to help him wrestle this guy down, then I called the police, said Nguyen, 21, of Milton.
Holbrook police arrived on the scene within minutes and found the suspect subdued, Officer Eric Gunderway said.
Police arrested Richard J. Hall, 41, of Holbrook, and charged him with armed robbery and other offenses, Gunderway said.
The incident was reported at 8:41 p.m. at the 4 South Franklin St. store.
Yuen said he was behind the register when a man wearing a ski mask entered the store and pointed what appeared to be a black gun at him. Two female customers fled out the door.
Hes like, Give me all your lottery money. Im like, Alright you can have all of it, Yuen said.
Yuen said he put his hands up, stepped around to the front of the register and told the suspect to take the money out of the register.
He got real close, and I was like, I have a chance to get him right here, so I just went for it, Yuen said.
Yuen said he punched the suspect in the face and ribs, kneed him in the stomach and kicked the suspect while he was on the floor.
He was like a shrimp. He didnt move at all, Yuen said.
Yuen, who is thin and stands just under 6 feet tall, said he doesnt have any background in boxing or martial arts and doesnt work out.
But he said his parents, Betty Lu and King Yuen, own the store, which probably played a part in his response.
If I was working for another employer, it mightve been a different story, Yuen said, shortly before leaving his house to work another shift at the store Saturday.
The suspect, Yuen said, is a regular customer at the store who buys mostly lottery tickets.
Hall is facing charges of armed robbery while masked, assault by means of a dangerous weapon (gun), possession of a firearm used in a felony and assault to rob while armed, Gunderway said.
Hall was held on $5,000 bail and will be arraigned Monday in Quincy District Court, Gunderway said.
A student at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston, Yuen said he likes to work with his hands and hopes to have a career in electrical or auto mechanic work after he graduates in May.
After Fridays incident, Yuen said his parents told him they hope he doesnt put up a fight if confronted by an armed robber in the future.
They said, Just give him the money next time, Yuen said. It was just instinct.
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Robber Gets Knocked Outby dmmoffett812,233,875 views
good job brother....these scum bag thiefs need to learn not to steal from anyone. have you ever wonder why you never hear of any robberies in samoa?...lolz...cause only a fool will try to rob one...lolz. and it's only gonna take ONE PUNCH to knock that fool out..lolz..but great job bro..
conqueror247 1 year ago
good job, bud!
exussupremebeing 1 year ago
my last name is holbrook, give me some money
punished1134 2 years ago
bb guns still hurt especialy when u get hit in the eye
plentiner 2 years ago
bad ass man good for you>>>..
plentiner 2 years ago
i wouldnt want to die for 200 dollars. maybe if it was a couple grand
plentiner 2 years ago
Asian scum bag
cylinder4ify 2 years ago
yeah he punched him and punch him and punch him a lot of times...
bigdaddyquey 2 years ago 2
so you punched him
hollywoodjokerpicalo 2 years ago