Barbershop Owner Believes Gold Chain Prompted Violent Robbery

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn barbershop owner managed to fight off two armed criminals last week.

On Monday, the man explained to CBS2's Emily Smith why he believes his shop became a target.

Surveillance video shows the two armed thieves beating the brave man as he fought back.

Police said a man in a black hooded sweatshirt, and a man in a green hooded jacket went in looking for valuables.

For security reasons, the barber didn't want to show his identity, but told CBS2 the encounter may have had something to do with a thick gold chain that was around his neck.

He said the man in the black sweatshirt had a silver handgun pointed at him, while the man in the green tried to yank the chain off of his neck.

It happened around 8 p.m. Friday at Nostrand Legends Barbershop on Nostrand Ave in Flatbush.

"The firearm could have gone off. Everyone could have been hit. I praise god everyone was unharmed," he said.

Police said while the one perp tried to fight off the barber, the other told customers to go to the back of the store, and they did.

Ultimately, the barber fought back. He said he punched the perpetrator in green right in the face, finally a customer escaped and the melee ended.

"They ran out of the barbershop," the man said.

The owner of the shop said he thinks the perpetrators were amateurs looking to make some quick cash. He said he'll never wear his gold chain again, in hopes of avoiding another brazen confrontation.

Police have asked for help in identifying the suspects. They are believed to be between the ages of 20 and 25.