The robber was in and out within 40 seconds, clutching a handful of cash -- but before he got away, the clerk behind the counter at the Braddock Road Convenience store put up a fight.
Surveillance video shows a man casually walking into the gas station store and walking to the side of the counter. He then shoves the clerk towards the register. In one hand, the robber held a knife and grabbed the cash. In the other, he gripped tight to the cashier's collar.
As the robber lowers his knife, the clerk turned to try to fight him off. The two wrestled, knocking over displays, and tripping over each other out the door.The robber than ran off.
According to a search warrant filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court, this was the fourth in a string of gas station robberies Fairfax County detectives have been investigating since July 6. They all happened within 10 minutes of each other, in Annandale and Alexandria section of the county.
The search warrant said police moved forward with a surveillance operation the following day, and noticed a vehicle driving near several of the gas stations. An officer ran the plates and learned there was a warrant out for unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Police arrested the driver, 51-year-old Michael Emmanuel Joyner. They've since charged him with two of the four recent robberies, including the one at the Braddock Road Convenience store.
A colleague of the clerk assaulted in the video said the victim wasn't seriously injured.
