Surveillance shows robber shoot gas station clerk; Cellphone saves man's life

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Surveillance video obtained by Channel 9 shows a robber open fire at an employee at a Hess gas station in Orange County. The twist is that the employee's cellphone actually stopped the bullet, saving the clerk's life.

Channel 9 reported the story Monday, showing the damage that was done the employee's cellphone. Now, surveillance video shows the robbery unfold and the robber open fire right in front of the camera.

The robbery went down at the Hess gas station on Colonial Drive in Winter Garden.

Police are now hoping the newly released surveillance video will help them identify the robber and make an arrest.

Video shows the robber in a hooded sweatshirt and bright yellow reflective vest walk into the gas station as if he's just another customer.  The man wanders around the store and then returns to the counter but he goes around to where the clerk is standing and pulls out a gun.

Another clerk that was outside comes into the store, so the robber grabbed cash from the register and headed for the door. But right before he left, he turned around and shot and a male clerk.

"This gentleman did nothing wrong. He didn't try to fight the suspect.  He didn't try to go after the guy. He was just standing there and the suspect walked away and fired a round directly at the clerk," said Scott Allen of the Winter Garden Police Department.

The clerk realized he was lucky to be alive after looking under his shirt and realizing the bullet actually struck his cellphone, which was sitting in his pocket near his abdomen.

The phone, authorities said, saved the man's life.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact authorities.

WFTV