Cell Phone Stops Bullet During FL Robbery: Clerk 'Lucky,' Say Police
A cell phone stopped a bullet during a robbery in Winter Garden, Fla. early Monday morning. A thief attempted to gain access to a safe, but when the Hess gas station clerk couldn't open it, he shot him. The clerk's life was saved by the smartphone in his shirt pocket.
The cell phone that stopped a bullet appears to be an HTC Evo. It came in handy when the suspect, a 6-foot-tall black man wearing dark hooded sweatshirt, dark colored pants and a bright yellow traffic vest entered the store, asking the clerk to get him a drink at 4:45 a.m. Monday. Then the robber pulled out his revolver and told him to open the safe.
The clerk attempted to comply, but failed. A second clerk also could not get the safe open, and so the thief fled, shooting one of the clerks before he left. When emergency services arrived, the unnamed clerk began complaining of chest pain.
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"So they started looking at the clerk. That's when they realized that the guy actually shot at him, hit him, struck his cell phone, and the cell phone had stopped his bullet," Winter Garden Police Lt. Scott Allen told WESH News.
The HTC smartphone was struck near the edge and the screen was almost completely shattered. The back of the phone reveals just how close the call was- the bullet nearly went through the phone, bulging out the back considerably.
"I've seen individuals get shot with low-caliber handguns and I've seen it be life-ending," Allen explained. "So, for this gentleman to be as lucky as he is, it's a good day for us."
The suspect is still on the loose, according to reports.
