LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — In a dramatic surveillance video, the owner of a local smoke shop appears to defend himself with a sharp object from three would-be thieves – identified only as juveniles – after one of them jumped the counter.
This happened at the Smokestrom Smoke Shop on West Sahara near Decatur on Wednesday, Aug. 3.
In the video, two juveniles are seen entering the smoke shop wearing masks. The owner is heard asking “Why are you guys wearing masks like that?” When the juveniles don’t reply, Nguyen is heard asking them “to just leave.”
“At first I thought they were normal customers and then I realized they had like ski masks on,” said Nguyen. “I had to assume they had a firearm so I just wanted to make sure I could protect myself.”
When 8 News Now asked Nguyen if he saw the firearm he replied, “no but I couldn’t take that chance.”
One of the juveniles is seen grabbing what appears to be a mug off the counter by the cash register and walking toward the door. Nguyen is heard telling the juvenile that he could take it but to please “leave the coins.”
The juvenile is seen reaching over the case and grabbing something else, turning, and running out the door.
The other juvenile is seen jumping over the glass case, at which point Nguyen, who can be seen in the video grabbing a sharp object from next to the register, runs at him and apparently stabs him at least seven times.
“It was kind of adrenaline rush and fight or flight even thinking about it now my heart rate is a little bit elevated,” Nguyen said.
The masked juvenile who was stabbed can be heard screaming “I’m dead, I’m dead” before collapsing to the floor.
“I don’t think he planned on getting stabbed that day obviously, but if you try robbing a store you are taking a risk. This is a small business obviously,” Nguyen added.
Nguyen is then seen dropping the masked juvenile near the front door and calling 911. The juvenile who was stabbed can be heard asking the owner “don’t let me die.”
Police have arrested the juveniles who are seen apparently trying to rob the store and the person who was stabbed was taken to the hospital.