Hotel clerk manages to grab weapon from armed robber, sends him running at gunpoint

PADUCAH, Ky. - Police in Paducah, Kentucky, are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who robbed a local Country Inn and Suites Monday before being scared out of the hotel by a front desk clerk who managed to flip the script on the robber.

The Paducah Police Department shared video footage of the incident that was captured by surveillance cameras in the hotel’s lobby to its Facebook page Tuesday.

An employee of the Country Inn and Suites told police that the man entered the hotel brandishing a handgun and demanding money at around 10 p.m. on Monday night.

After a brief exchange, the clerk eventually threw money on the counter. The robber placed his gun down on the counter and began collecting the money and putting it into a plastic bag.

The clerk then grabbed the gun off the counter and turned it toward the robber, who proceeded to flee the building.

After a brief moment outside the building, the robber came back inside the lobby and attempted to jump over the counter toward the hotel clerk. The clerk then pointed the gun at the robber a second time, causing him to flee again.

The suspect escaped in a dark-colored car.

The suspect — described as a white male with a thin build and blond, curly hair — covered his face with a white shirt and a University of Alabama sock hat during the robbery.