Police in a Philadelphia suburb are commending a 68-year-old man for being prepared and taking matters in his own hands after two masked, armed men attempted to rob him Wednesday afternoon.
According to several reports, the Upper Darby man was out for a walk in a wooded park when the two masked men approached him — one carrying a stick and the other what turned out to be either a pellet gun or a toy gun.
Police say that things could have ended poorly for the elderly man in that secluded area but luckily, he had the means and the will to defend himself.
“We are talking about a very isolated area where you would never go unless you were looking to take a walk or try to rob somebody,” Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood told the Delaware County Daily Times.
“The victim was carrying a concealed .38-caliber revolver and he shoots one of the robbers in the head,” Chitwood explained to the paper during a phone interview from the scene of the incident.
“That’s what these guys were doing and they lost,” Chitwood continued. “If this man didn’t do what he did, they could have beaten him to death and left him there.”
“I don’t know where he was concealing the weapon but we have confirmed the permit,” Chitwood said, adding, “this guy did a great job.”
The man was taken to the hospital after the incident complaining of chest pains. The second suspect fled the scene of the crime and has not been apprehended.