Seungae Kim, owner of A&J Convenience in Cooksville, Ontario is being praised for her bravery after she fought off an attempted robbery with a bundle of bananas.
The 69-year-old was eating a banana and working at the till with her husband when a man entered the shop with his face covered, demanding that she open the register. To this, she replied, “you’re not getting money,” as she reached for the closest object that could be used to protect herself — her bananas.
The shop owner told the Mississauga News that she “kept swinging and swinging” as the robber attempted to reach over the counter and eventually threw the bananas at the suspect as he retreated empty-handed.
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Kim told reporters that her main priority during this confrontation was to protect her husband rather than simply stopping the robber from stealing the money in the register.
Police believe the suspect was unarmed in the attempted robbery and the banana-wielding shop owner was able to successfully fight off the man in just seconds. Thankfully, no one was injured from the incident.
According to the Mississauga News, the running joke between local police and customers of the shop is that, “the would-be robber was hit with bananas and then split.”
While regular customers at A&J Convenience are praising Kim for her quick-thinking bravery, authorities are warning other shop employees to think twice before engaging in physical confrontations in these situations.
The attempted-robbery suspect has yet to be found and anyone with information regarding the case is being urged to contact the police at 905-453-3311.
