Shell station clerk holds suspect at gunpoint after attempted robbery

A suspect in an attempted robbery at a Shell Station was held at gunpoint by the clerk early Thursday morning, according to Lexington police.

Kenneth Hopkins, 19, is accused of entering the store near Newtown Pike just before 2 a.m., insinuating that he had a weapon and demanding cash from the register, Lexington police Lt. David Biroschik said. Rather than comply, the clerk pulled a gun he kept behind the counter and held the suspect until officers arrived.

Hopkins is in the Fayette County jail and has been charged with first-degree robbery.

Gas station robberies rarely end this way, and police don’t recommend this method of dealing with a robbery, Biroschik said.

This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Shell station clerk holds suspect at gunpoint after attempted robbery."