Medford, Massachusetts



From the Boston Globe of December 8, 2004

Gasoline station attendant wounds robber, police say



A gasoline station attendant shot a would-be robber several times last night after pulling his own gun on two men attempting to hold up the Mystic Avenue station, police said.



Both suspects fled after the attendant fired at them, police said. One of the men, whose identity was not released last night, collapsed fewer than 100 yards down the street.



He was arrested and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with bullet wounds to his torso. His condition was not known last night. A handgun police say was used in the attempted robbery was recovered from the wounded man.



Although it was unclear late last night whether charges would be filed against the attendant, whom police did not identify, police Lieutenant Paul Covino said the Fred's Gas attendant may have been justified in shooting at the two men.



"It looked like self-defense," he said last night. The gun was registered to the attendant, who was licensed to carry a firearm, police said.



The arrest may help bring an end to a string of robberies in the area that are believed to be linked, Covino said.



Just before 9:30 p.m., two men wearing leather jackets and masks approached the attendant, who was at the cash register, police said.



One of the men waved a firearm, and the attendant responded by pulling out his own gun and firing seven or eight shots at them.