Caught On Camera!

A would-be grocery store robber in Arizona has learned the hard way not to mess with an Army Special Forces veteran.

The violent encounter was captured on surveillance video at Maen Mdanat's convenience store in Tucson in late April. 

A camera trained on the entrance to Axis Food Mart captured the business owner toppling his much younger opponent to the ground with a couple of swift kicks and punches after the suspect attacked him inside the store.

What the unwelcome guest could not have known when he entered Mdanat’s store at around 1.30am on April 26 with the intent to make a quick buck is that the middle-aged business owner had been trained in a U.S. Army Special Forces unit. 

‘He was comfortable walking in, showing his muscle, like, “I can do whatever I want,’ Mdanat later told KVOA-TV. ‘That’s basically the message he gave me when he walked in but I changed his idea when he walked out.’

The store owner explained that he was sitting in his office when he overheard the thug asking his clerk for money.

The store owner came to the aid of his employee and showed the suspect the door, but on his way out the man punched Mdanat in the face. 

That is when his military training kicked in, and after only a few seconds Mdanat emerged victorious from the fight. 

But after the former Special Forces soldier vanquished his opponent, he made sure he was not badly hurt.

‘I'm still human, I have kids and a wife,' he noted.

Ever since buying Axis Food Mart about five years ago, Mdanat has become known as a neighborhood hero. 

Peter Norback, who runs the One Can A Week food donation program in Tucson, told KVOA-TV that Mdanat has been active in the community, helping the poor and becoming involved in crime prevention.