“I already knew that as soon as I drew the gun, I was getting fired,” Kristofer Follis told KGW

PORTLAND, Ore. — A former Plaid Pantry clerk was fired for pulling a gun on a hatchet-wielding robber last month, the company confirmed to KGW.

Kristofer Follis was working the graveyard shift at the Oak Grove Plaid Pantry on April 28 when a masked man walked in and pulled a hatchet out his pants.

“I was scared for my life, like, what could be happening?” Follis said. “As he approached the counter, within a second I drew my gun."

He also called 911 at the same time.

The mere sight of the gun brought the would-be robber to his knees, then sent him out the door.

“He never said anything besides ‘I'm sorry, I'll leave,’” said Follis.

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Follis has a concealed weapons permit. What he didn't have that night was permission to use his gun at work. Plaid Pantry has a strict no-weapons policy for its employees.

“I already knew that as soon as I drew the gun, I was getting fired,” said Follis.

In a statement to KGW, a Plaid Pantry spokesman said in part, “The company makes significant investments in security equipment and training in robbery deterrence and violence prevention ... . In the event a robbery does occur, the focus shifts entirely to non-resistance, cooperation, and violence avoidance for the safety of our employees and customers.”

Follis says he gets it.

“I completely understand, I broke company policy, but it upsets me that I lost my job,” said Follis, who still stands by his actions. “Your life's not worth a minimum wage job.”

The robber is still at large. He was described as a Hispanic man in his early 20s, about 5 foot, 5 inches tall. He was wearing a dark jacket with a hood, a dark green or olive ski mask, khaki pants and dark sneakers with white soles.