Clerk surprises burly robber armed with big stick

TACOMA, Wash. – A burly would-be robber wearing a neatly buttoned shirt, shorts and tennis shoes, and armed with a large stick spiked with nails, got a surprise when he swung the stick at a Tacoma gas station clerk and demanded money.

Police said the clerk was hit in the hand but responded by punching the robber in the face. At which point, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said the robber dropped his stick and fled with a bloody nose.

Detectives have released surveillance images of the man sought in the incident early Tuesday.