Man fends off robber with gun, loses job

RUTLAND, Vt. — A Vermont convenience store worker who used his gun to fend off a would-be robber has lost his job.

Don Pitaniello was working at Mac’s Convenience Store in Rutland on Sunday night when a man armed with a knife entered. He tells WCAX-TV the man told him to empty the register and started waving the knife in his face.

Pitaniello says he showed his gun, told him to get out, and the man ran away.

Pitaniello reported the incident to police. He then said his employer suspended him for violating the company’s gun-free zone policy. On Wednesday, he agreed to resign. Mac’s parent company said reacting aggressively to apprehend an intruder goes against policy.

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Information from: WCAX-TV, http://www.wcax.com