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'He made that situation what it was': Attempted robbery at Avondale gas station stopped by armed attendant

An attempted robbery at an Avondale gas station was stopped in its tracks when the suspect was shot by the employee behind the counter.

AVONDALE, Ariz. — An attempted robbery at an Avondale gas station was stopped in its tracks when an employee behind the counter shot the suspect after the man brandished a gun at him.

The man reportedly came into the Chevron store near 107th Avenue and Indian School Road around 5:45 a.m. He then pulled out a handgun and demanded money, a spokeswoman with the Avondale Police Department said.

"He pointed his gun at me, said it was a robbery, then he pointed his gun at the other customer I had in the store," Ryan, the attendant, said as he described the frightening moment.

Police said the suspect was then distracted by another customer in the store, and turned his back on the clerk. That was when the employee reportedly shot the suspect.

"I had the opening to pull my gun and shoot," Ryan said. "That's pretty much the whole thing."

"I'm not happy I had to shoot him, but I'm not stressing. The moment he pulled the gun on me he set the situation and I just followed it. He made the situation what it was."

The suspect is in the hospital in critical condition at this time, and Ryan is not facing any charges as of now, police said.

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Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities. 

The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media. 

Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous. 

Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case. 

Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000. 

Have a tip? Submit it on the Silent Witness tip form here. 

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