SYRACUSE -- Syracuse Police are releasing shocking new surveillance video of an armed robbery that happened Wednesday night.
Police say two men walked into Maloney's Superette at 405 Stolp Avenue near the Strathmore neighborhood around 8:15 p.m. In the video you see two young men wearing ski masks walk up to the counter and threaten the clerk with a shotgun.
The clerk then grabs the barrel of the gun with one hand and hits the suspects with a stick using his other hand. The robbers then try to steal the cash register but couldn't because another store employee then attacked one of the suspects and threw kitchen knives at them. "I was in the back cooking and I saw two guys with the masks come here, with the shotgun. And I see the gun in his face," said store worker Lufti Alnamruti. "I was a little scared but it makes me stronger."
One of the suspects hit Alnamruti with his shotgun, causing a cut on a his arm. The fight spilled out into the parking lot where both suspects ran off.
"We took care of them, they learned their lesson and they'll never do it again," said store owner Fahd Alsohiby.
Police say the robbers only made off with some cash that a customer left on the counter. Sgt. Tom Connellan says while the store workers were brave, it was a very dangerous situation.
"We are extremely lucky that no one got seriously injured in this robbery," Sgt. Connellan said. "We'd like to say that this is very important that we do not advise people to do what the store clerks did."
There was only one customer in the store at the time, he was buying something at the cash register when the robbery was happening. When he got the chance, he bolted to the back of the store. Alnamruti says he was so frightened he ran into the deli case and smashed the glass.
Syracuse police believe the suspects live in the area and encourage teachers and people who live nearby to look at the video to see if anyone recognizes them.
To watch raw video of the armed robbery, click here. Also, police want to speak with the man who was seen driving a gold or silver sedan outside the store. He's not a suspect, but investigators say he was in the store moments before the robbery.
Anyone with more information is should call Syracuse Police at 442-5222.
