Brave Employee Fights Off Robber at KFC
On a typical Monday morning, as the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Florissant, Missouri, was just beginning to open, 21-year-old cook Markelle Hitchings felt a growing unease. He noticed a man clad in black loitering nearby, which perhaps made him a bit anxious.
At first, Hitchings thought the man was simply another patron heading to the bathroom, but soon he sensed something was off. “It occurred to me that he was trying to do something,” he later told KSDK.
His instincts proved correct when the man approached the counter. The situation escalated quickly—he demanded money from Hitchings’ manager, who fell to the floor in fear. “I told her to give him the money because I didn’t want her to get hurt,” Hitchings recalled. The robber fled briefly after obtaining cash, but Hitchings wasn’t finished yet.
When the suspect requested Hitchings’ cell phone, he refused, leading to a heated argument. Hitchings recounted their struggle, which lasted several minutes, with the robber losing his gun in the process. “I was screaming for help because I was running out of adrenaline,” he shared.
Interestingly, Hitchings maintained a surprising amount of strength. “Once I put him in a chokehold, I rolled onto my back,” he said. The robber, becoming increasingly desperate, even attempted to use a rock as a weapon, but it backfired.
Meanwhile, an employee from a nearby store called 911 while Hitchings managed to keep the suspect subdued until the police arrived.
Authorities found the stolen gun and cash afterward. It turns out this was not the first offense for the accused, Tamon Sleet; just days earlier, he had allegedly tried to strangle a rideshare driver in another area. Hitchings expressed gratitude that everyone involved, including himself and his manager, emerged unscathed.
Reflecting on the ordeal, he said, “It all happened so fast… I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone. I honestly thank God that everything unfolded the way it did.” Sleet is now facing multiple charges linked to both incidents, including assault and armed criminal action, and he remained in jail on a significant cash bail, according to KSDK.
