VIDEO: Gas station owner fights back against armed robber in North Philly

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - A gas station owner fought back against an armed robber and the whole thing was caught on camera.

It happened just after 5:30 a.m. Friday morning. A man toting a shotgun was seen walking into the CITGO gas station on Fox Street in North Philadelphia.

As the man announced a robbery to the clerk behind the counter, Harpreet Singh jumped in, fought back and tussled with the man on the floor as an employee grabbed the shotgun during a struggle.

"Immediately, he pulled the gun on my employee, grabbed from his back and he's beating me in the back," Harpreet Singh said.

Singh described how the armed robber jumped the counter trying to get away, but not so fast.

"This is the bat I used all the time," he explained.

As two employees were outside blocking the only exit, Singh used a baseball bat to keep the man from running away while he called police.

"He kept apologizing. No, please let me go. Please let me go. I'm not going to do next time," Singh explained.

The man was held in the store by employees for 15 solid minutes before you see police arrive. Singh says it's the same guy who robbed his store two months ago.

It turns out that shot gun was loaded. Singh says he's fed up with store owners being victimized.

"I like to give this message to the community that we are not weak," Singh said.

Police arrested 24-year-old William Nowell for armed robbery. Although police appreciated the assist they also say confronting an armed suspect could have turned out much differently.

"This is something he needed to do at the time. Fortunately. he did it and nobody was hurt. But I don't recommend that course of action," Philadelphia Police Captain Malachi Jones.