Roll of paper helps foil armed robbery

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - A convenience store owner used a most unusual tool to thwart an attempted armed robbery at his business - a roll of receipt paper.

Two teenagers entered the Sunrise Market on Smith Street Sunday night, pulled a gun on the owner, fired a shot then demanded money.

"He shot at me once and it hit the wall back there and I was thinking it might be kids joking," said Muhammad Farooq. "But then he started screaming at me and yelling at me 'this is not a joke. You give me all the money in the register."

Farooq said he thought the gun wasn't real, so when he spotted a roll of receipt paper he decided to lob it at the teens.

"I already realized both kids were confused, so I throw the rolls on them and they might think it's a hand grenade and they just got scared and they just ran away," Farooq said. "I think I really work hard for my money, so it's not that easy to get the money from me."

However, when police told Farooq the gun was real, he said he realized his actions might not have been the smartest.

"It worked for me. But when I thought about it later, that was a pretty stupid thing I did."

Surveillance cameras caught the entire incident. Police are reviewing the footage in hopes it will help them crack the case.