Military vet pulls gun on thief attempting to rob convenience store

An attempted burglar chose the wrong liquor store to hold up last weekend when he pulled a gun on the 30-year military veteran standing at the cash register.

A man walked into the store Beer 30 in Marionville, Mo., on Sunday and the employee on duty told him to stop smoking, according to the Springfield News-Leader. That's when the man pulled a gun.

But the News-Leader reported the man didn't take any money away that day, because employee Jon Lewis Alexander, who has done four tours in Iraq, quickly put the barrel of his own gun inches from the man's face.

[ Related: Toronto lawn sign thanks burglar for not stealing anything ]

Security footage shows 54-year-old Alexander shoving the man's gun hand down and reaching for his own weapon with speedy reflexes.

What the silent video doesn't show is the man swearing and demanding all the money, and Alexander threatening to "blow his (bleeping) head off" in response, according to the News-Leader.

No one was hurt in the altercation and the store's owners told the newspaper they were happy with Alexander's actions.

In July, Associated Press reported a store clerk in Pennsylvania stopped a man trying to commit robbery with a BB gun — by taking out his real gun.

There was little contest in that cowboy duel.