San Francisco Barista Hailed as 'Hero' After Taking Down Would-Be Robber Who Bear-Maced Him

A San Francisco barista is being hailed as a "hero" after he took down a man trying to rob a customer, even after the suspect bear-maced him.

The incident happened Friday morning at Carlin's Cafe after a man in a mask came into the shop and attempted to steal a customer's backpack. Nick Grant, an employee working behind the counter at the time, jumped into action, as reported by KTVU.

In surveillance camera footage obtained by the station, Grant can be seen slamming a cart into the thief's back. As Grant fought with the man, the suspect began spraying mace at him.

Grant was able to pull the would-be robber down to the ground. He held the suspect in a headlock, while another person rushed in from outside to help, as reported by KRON.

"I was blind from bear mace at that point, and then I didn't really realize that there was another person there. But thankfully he was able to get the bear mace out of his hands," Grant told KTVU.

The suspect, identified by police as 42-year-old Amir Moner, was held by Grant until officers arrived. Moner has since been charged with attempted robbery, and is being held for other active warrants as well.

But even with small cuts to his head and hand, Grant was back working at the cafe the next day. "I'm a little sore this morning. I'm still coughing out bear mace. But I'm good," he told KTVU Saturday. "I'm not going to let anybody like that stop me from doing what I love."

While community members celebrated Grant's efforts, other stores have rules in place that tell employees not to intervene during robberies.

In January, a former employee said they were fired by Starbucks for preventing a would-be robber. Starbucks said that their armed robbery training tells employees to comply with demands for safety purposes, as reported by KSDK.

Two employees were also fired by Lululemon in April 2023 after they reportedly tried to stop a theft at a Georgia store. The company's CEO also cited safety reasons at the time, telling CNBC, "It's only merchandise."