Robbers get more than they bargained for when karate club comes to victim’s aid

Robbers chasing a man down a street got more than they bargained for when a karate class came to his defence.

CCTV video, posted on X, captures Alejandro Poli as he runs across the road in the city of Bernal, near Buenos Aires, Argentina, while being pursued by the robbers.

He darts into the foyer of a building, where further footage shows a woman standing nearby.

One of the suspects can be seen stopping at the door, before moving away.

At this point someone working in the building goes to speak to a karate class, happening on the ground floor.

One by one the karate club students file out of the room and go out on the street to look for the robbers, who appear to have fled.

Alejandro said he had been at a unionmeeting in the building he later sheltered in and was walking to his vehicle at 9pm when the attempted robbery happened.

Speaking to Radio FMQ, Alejandro said: ‘I was leaving the club and crossing the street to get to my truck. There were two or three cars parked and inside one of those there were some lights on and I thought it was someone from the club.

‘When I (got to) the truck, the doors of the car opened and (the people inside) shouted ‘stop police’ and start running towards me.

‘I thought that was strange, and hesitated, but when I saw that they had vests but without identification, I realised that they were not policemen, so I ran to the club.’

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