Crook puts gun on counter while turning his head and stuffing cash in bag — then brave hotel clerk seizes the moment

A man who partially covered his face with a knit cap and shirt entered the Country Inn and Suites in Paducah, Kentucky, on Monday night, threatened the clerk with a gun, and demanded money, WPSD-TV reported.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

The fella might have figured out he wasn't dealing with a shrinking violet as the clerk pushed him off the counter when he tried to make his way over it.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

But soon his demand was granted, and money was on the counter for him.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Perhaps he should have requested a few more brain cells.

See, before our hero started stuffing money in a bag, he put his gun on the counter. And it wasn't for just a moment, either — he actually left it there while bending down to pick up cash from the floor and even turned his head from the gun and the clerk.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

And that's when the clerk seized the moment.

She grabbed the gun, and pointed it the crook — and he immediately took off.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

For some reason he re-entered the lobby with the bag, apparently in an attempt to retrieve his gun. The crook even tried climbing over the counter again.

But when the clerk pointed his gun at him again, the thief once more got scared and headed for the hills.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Police said he fled in a dark-colored car, and investigators found the shirt and hat near the hotel, WPSD said.

Here's the surveillance clip:

Heroic Kentucky hotel clerk turns the tables on armed robber, grabs his gunyoutu.be

A break in the case

Paducah police said a McCracken County Sheriff's deputy stopped a car Tuesday afternoon because the driver wasn't wearing a seat belt, the station said.

The deputy said the driver seemed nervous, so he began questioning him — and the deputy found an Apple computer that was reported stolen in a different incident, along with a white shirt matching the brand and style of the shirt used to cover the thief's face in the hotel robbery, WPSD said.

The department said the handgun used in the hotel robbery was reported stolen Sept. 20 from a home where the Apple computer was taken, the station said.

Then a Paducah police detective made the connection between the computer and the gun, as well as the matching white shirts, WPSD reported.

With that Paducah police arrested Cory T. Phillips, 26, of West Paducah on charges of first-degree robbery and receiving a stolen firearm, the station said.

Image source: McCracken County Jail

Phillips was interviewed at the police department, WPSD said, and he was taken to McCracken County Jail.