Waffle House Armed Robber Gets the Surprise of a Lifetime When Customer Decides to Fight Back With a Gun

An Atlanta crook picked the wrong Waffle House to target early Monday morning. That's because when the bandana and hoodie-wearing bandit walked into the restaurant and pointed a gun at patrons, one of them reached for his gun and fired back.

Police say the suspect entered the Waffle House in south Fulton County just before 2 am, brandishing a pistol and demanding money.

“Nobody move and open the cash register,” the suspect, 20-year-old Ashton Macafee, allegedly said according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC).

What he didn't know was that seated together at a booth were off-duty Atlanta police officer Jonathan Sutton and his friend, off-duty security guard Evans Chad Pollard.

Officer Sutton (L) and Pollard, friends who thwarted a Waffle House armed robbery by opening fire on the suspect.

According to the AJC, Sutton was not able to reach for his weapon. Pollard, however, was -- he fired off two shots, hitting Macafee.

“I felt that not only my life, but everyone’s life was in danger, so I had to do what I had to do,” Pollard told the paper.

"Everybody was scared and when I eliminated the threat, everyone felt calm,” he added. “He came in and I did what I could.”

He also offered extended comments to WSB-TV, telling the station about the moment he decided to pull the trigger.

"As soon as he pointed [the gun] at us I'm like, I thought I was going to die right there," he said, telling the station he opened fire from about 5 feet away:

Sutton and Pollard -- who told WSB he used to be a firefighter -- held Macafee at bay until officers arrived. Macafee was then transported to a local hospital where his condition is unknown.

So far, there are no reports Pollard will face any charges for defending against the attack.