A calm Air Force veteran thwarted an attempted robbery at an Omaha jewelry store by brandishing a handgun and running away.
Surveillance camera footage taken inside the Sidrony Jewelers store last Saturday showed the robber, dressed in black, break one of the store’s windows with a rock and gain entry.
The perpetrators did not expect anyone to be inside, much less someone with military training.
Another camera captured the store’s owner, Garrett Peddicord, entering from a back room and pointing a pistol at the suspect.
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On May 4th, Garrett Peddicord, a U.S. Air Force veteran, pulled out a weapon and chased away an intruder at a jewelry store in Omaha, Nebraska. (Garrett Peddicord, via Storyful)
“I usually keep the firearm on my hip, no matter how many hours have passed,” Peddicord said. told KETV. “It’s one of those keys, one wallet, one firearm.”
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Mr Peddicord said the attacker was “holding the tool over the glass in an almost comical way” when they made eye contact.
“Hey, Mom*****!” Peddicord yelled, panicking the intruder.
The would-be jewelry thief, who Omaha police have not yet arrested, fled from Sidronie Jewelers with his hands up. (Garrett Peddicord, via Storyful)
The masked man saw the gun, raised his arm, turned tail and fled back through the broken window in a panic.
The owner thwarted the robbery attempt within two minutes, according to the video.
Pedicold told KETV he was proud of being able to protect his business and would have been prepared to do so even without the gun.
“I use it just like any other tool here,” he said, gesturing toward a table lined with drills, cutters, and pliers.
“They all have a purpose, but this is the one tool I hope I never have to use,” he said, referring to the pistol.
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Pedicold appeared calm and collected throughout the battle, and attributed his quick reactions to military training. (Garrett Peddicord, via Storyful)
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“I’m grateful,” said Pedicord, who spent three years on deployment, including a year in Afghanistan.[ed his] lucky stars [he] I’ve put a lot of thought and time into learning how to carry a firearm responsibly, and I’ve done repeated training and practice. ”
An Omaha Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the suspect has not yet been identified or arrested.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to say that Mr. Peddicord served in the Air Force, not the Army, and was deployed for three years, including one year in Afghanistan.
