61-year-old liquor store clerk Johnny Adams may not be the fighting type, but when two armed robbers entered the store in Lexington, TN, it was a fight he was armed to win.

Adams says it was a typical Tuesday night until two men came into the store, masked and holding an object which looked like a gun, in an apparent armed robbery.

WBBJ reports:

“He said ‘I’m going to rob you, I’m going to rob you,’” Adams said. “I was sitting on the chair and I was thinking, ‘yeah, right.’”

Adams said he did not put up a fight until one of the suspects punched him square in the nose.

“I can hurt you if you do crazy stuff to me,” Adams said. “I can’t deal with you hitting my mouth.”

That’s when Adams said he reached for the pistol hidden under the register. He fired one shot, narrowly missing the suspect.

“I’m 61, and this is the first time that I’ve ever shot a gun,” Adams said. “No wonder I shot the wall, but I really meant to hit him!”

Adams then chased the men out of the store, firing one more shot and once again missing.

“If they’re in fear of death or bodily injury, they have the right to defend themselves,” Capt. Jeff Middleton with the Lexington Police Department said.

The suspects are described as light-skinned black men driving an older-model Camaro. Though the description is vague, Adams said he will never forget them.

“He didn’t have tattoos, dreads or piercings,” Adams said. “He was clean cut, but he hit me like I was a piece of crap.”

Adams said he only suffered minor injuries during the robbery. Investigators said the entire incident was caught on surveillance cameras but that they are not yet ready to release it.

Captain Jeff Middleton of the Lexington Police Department said Adams was justified in shooting at the suspects, “If they’re in fear of death or serious bodily injury they have a right to defend themselves, and so if someone finds themselves in those circumstances, then obviously they have every legal right to do that.”

You can watch Adams’ very charming and colorful interview with reporters [HERE]

Lexington police are asking anyone with information on the incident to call 731-968-2211.