Robbery Suspect Attacked By 'Caveman'

ACWORTH, GA -- Police don't ever recommend challenging a suspect during an armed robbery, but you can't help but admire what a customer did during a convenience store robbery in Acworth.

The suspect walked into the store at about 4:30PM Monday. On the surveillance tape he is seen shoplifting cigars and cigarettes.

Moments later, he dashes around the counter and comes up from behind the clerk, Nick Dunton. The suspect wrapped his arms around Dunton and held a knife against his throat.

"Give me all the money you got", the suspect yelled. "Give it to me, open it up, come on" he screamed as Dunton opened the cash register. After taking the cash, the suspect tried to run out of the store but was confronted by a customer.

The customer, who Dunton knows as "Don", identified himself as "Caveman". While the robbery was in progress, "Caveman" picked up a step stool and approached the robber. When he got the robbers attention, he slammed the step stool on top of his head.

On the video you can hear a loud "boom" when the stool slams the suspect in the head. The hit forced the suspect to drop some of the cash he stole from the store. He ran from the store.

Acworth Police Major Wayne Dennard said "I feel like the gentleman (Caveman) took ownership in the store, obviously a regular there, and felt like he needed to take action."

"With that said, we would like to remind people not to involve yourselves in these types of situations certainly have regard for you own safety," Maj. Dennard added.

Clerk Nick Dunton did exactly what police recommend. He remained calm and complied with every command of the crazed suspect.

Dunton says all he could think about was his kids and staying calm. "I mean someone doing that's really desperate already, so if you do something that they thinks wrong, that knifes on your throat, he's just gonna pull it back," he said.

Dunton said of "Caveman": "He's just a guy who hangs out here, talks to us, reads the newspaper, eats the daily food, a regular customer. But "Caveman's" actions were anything but regular.

He was at the store Tuesday evening but said he didn't want the notoriety that an interview on television would give him.

"I just did what I had to do", he said.