Ohio Circle K Worker Kendrick Watson Fired After Shooting at Masked Robbers Who Rammed Minivan Into Gas Station
11th November 2026
Kendrick Watson, 41, was sitting behind the register at a Circle K in Stow, Ohio, around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, when four would-be robbers repeatedly drove a stolen minivan into the storefront, shattering the glass entrance and dislodging an ATM, police said, according to 3News.
A second minivan then pulled up outside the convenience store as four masked men jumped out of the vehicle and rushed toward the store.
Watson grabbed his gun and fired seven shots, sending the brazen crew fleeing as he defended the store and his co-worker.
“You just never know what can happen,” Watson told the outlet Friday. “I was more shocked than terrified. Once they rushed the store, I thought my life and my co-worker’s life at the time was in danger, so I opened fire to protect myself and my co-worker.”
Watson’s gunshots struck one of the getaway minivans, a gas pump and a support post beneath the station’s canopy. Police said they did not know whether any of the men had been injured, but confirmed Watson would not face criminal charges.
Watson, who had worked at the Circle K for six years, said his manager called later that day and told him not to return.
“It was just disappointment, really. I knew I was going to get fired because they have [a] no gun, no weapons policy, so I knew that was coming, but my only issue with that was, obviously, this was an extreme situation,” he said.