VIDEO: Online kudos flows for Chilliwack convenience store clerk who stands up to cowardly would-be thief with a gun
CCTV footage shows little man waving a gun fleeing in seconds after woman behind counter at Padmore’s stands up to him
A cowardly little man hoping to rob a convenience store on Menzies Street in Chilliwack Monday night (May 4, 2026) was in for a surprise when the woman behind the counter stood up to him so forcefully that he tucked tail and ran after a few seconds.
Two clips of security video with no sound were shared across social media on Tuesday showing the failed robbery in detail. The clerk’s response to the would-be thief garnered considerable kudos by commenters on social media.
“Oh my god! She’s a baddie,” said one.
“She called him out on his fake gun and he knew he was cooked, lol,” said another.
“Holy crap! Handled that like a boss! Glad she’s safe, she’s a lovely lady.”
Of course, standing up to someone waving a gun in a circumstance such as this is not recommended by police agencies and robbery-prevention experts. No amount of cash or merchandise is worth risking safety when a person with a firearm that may or may not be real in an uncertain mental state is demanding it be handed over.
Resistance often is what escalates an offender’s stress and fear and leads to extremely unpredictable outcomes.
Unfortunately for one cowardly little thief in Chilliwack, the clerk at Padmore’s Quick Shop on Monday night didn't take that advice. She won a game of chicken that sent the attempted robber running just seconds after pulling the fake gun out.
The security video from outside the shop shows a man wearing with a hoodie covering his head walking south along the plaza walkway towards the store. His face is clear as he opens the door and walks inside.
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The inside camera aimed at the counter shows the man now with a mask of some kind covering his face. After a brief exchange with the clerk, she gestures to him, likely to tell him to take his mask off, as she turns around to get cigarettes.
When she turns around and is about to put the cigarettes on the counter he pulls out a black handgun, likely a replica or a toy but realistic looking enough. The woman instinctively jumps back but instantly then walks right up to the counter forcefully saying something to the would-be thief. She is seen to look down right at the gun pointed at her on the counter, smirking as she speaks.
As the little man gets frustrated he waves the gun above his head and hits or almost hits the counter, but the clerk doesn’t back down. As she then reaches below the counter, the cowardly failed thief turns and runs out of the store.
The entire exchange from the moment the gun is pulled out to running away took nine seconds.
If anyone knows the identity of the failed robber in the video, call Chilliwack RCMP non-emergency line at 604-792-4611 and cite file number 2026-18291.
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Paul J. Henderson
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