A no-nonsense Army veteran thwarted a would-be robber's attempt to rob his jewelry store in Omaha by brandishing his gun and sending the suspect fleeing.
Surveillance footage captured inside Sidrony Jewelers last Saturday shows a robber dressed in black breaking one of the store's glass windows to gain entry.
The criminal did not anticipate that there would be anyone inside, much less that they would be military trained.
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US Army veteran Garrett Peddicord pulled out his gun and chased away someone who had broken into a jewelry store in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 4. (Garrett Peddicord via Storyful)
Another camera captures the store owner, Garrett Peddicord, entering from a back room and pointing a gun at the other person.
“I normally carry a firearm in my waistband, even after hours,” Peddicord told KETV. “It's just one of those things: keys, wallet, firearm.”
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The would-be jewelry thief, whom Omaha police have yet to arrest, fled Sidrony Jewelers with his hands up. (Garrett Peddicord via Storyful)
Peddicord said the thief was “almost comically holding the tool over the glass” when they locked eyes.
“Hey, motherfucker!” Peddicord shouted, causing the intruder to hurry.
Seeing the gun, the masked man raises his arms, turns around, and runs back through the broken window in a panic.
The owner thwarted the thief's attempt in less than two minutes, as the video shows.
Peddicord was proud to be able to defend his business and told KETV he would have been ready to do so even without his gun.
“My use of one is the same as any other tool I have here,” he told the station, pointing to a table with drills, cutters and pliers.
“Everyone has a purpose. But this,” he said, referring to the gun, “is the one tool I hope I never have to use.”
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Peddicord appeared calm and collected throughout the encounter and attributed his quick response to his military training. (Garrett Peddicord via Storyful)
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Peddicord, who spent three years deployed to Afghanistan, said he “appreciates[ed his] lucky stars that [he] “I put a lot of attention, time and repetitive training and practice into how to carry a firearm responsibly.”
An Omaha Police Department public information officer told Fox News Digital that the suspect has not yet been identified or arrested.
