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A heroic convenience store owner was filmed fighting off a knife-wielding robber with a bat to protect his wife and 10-year-old son who was playing inside.
The suspect was caught on surveillance cameras entering Wessam Variety store in New Bedford, Massachusetts on Thursday night demanding money.
The man, dressed in a ski mask and long coat, waved his knife around before leaning over the counter to try and take the cash register.
Store owner Wessam Mohamed quickly reached for his bat and was filmed beating the robber several times.
The robber slipped and stumbled back as he tried to dodge Mohamed's blows.
Mohamed and his wife Safaa were closing up when the incident unfolded at 9pm.
Their 10-year-old son was playing inside at the time but ran out the back door to alert a neighbor when the intruder stormed in.
'He said a lot of bad words to scare us. He gave me a black bag and he was telling me to put all the money in it,' Mohamed told the Boston Herald.
'I said, 'I won't be giving you anything,' and he started getting nervous and angry. I know he wanted to leave the store quickly. I just wanted a chance to get my bat.
'After he fell down he wanted to attack me again, but he saw I was ready to jump over the counter to hit him again.'
Mohamed said he chased the man out of the store and down the street before the suspect was able to jump into a waiting vehicle.
Police are now investigating but no arrests have been made.