Altavista Journal, Altavista, VA, 05/14/03

Store clerk Nicole Tucker, 21, first noticed the man wandering around Tucker's Market around 4 p.m. when the store was very busy. He'd said he was looking for a friend. An hour later, when Tucker was alone in the store, the man returned. "I was by myself the second time," she said. "He confronted me about money," he said, 'Give me your money or I'll blow your brains out.'" The man acted as though he had a gun in his pocket. As he came around the counter toward her, his view was momentarily obstructed and Tucker used that to her advantage. She grabbed the gun kept in the store, which stopped the man in his tracks. "He must have seen me with it [the gun] because he took off and ran back out the door. I followed him ... I pointed the gun at him, but I never fired," she explained. Police were on the scene within 30 seconds, but the suspect remained at large. Tucker's coworker, Doris Clark, praised Tuckers actions. "The only reason he didn't get anything was that when he came around the corner, he was facing a gun," Clark said. "She was a very brave young lady, and I compliment her very much for her bravery."