LAWRENCE — Raul Gruezo said he got angry last night when a would-be robber walked into Garcia Liquors, pointed a loaded gun at him and demanded money.

"I'm so mad, I'd like to hit him," the 59-year-old package store clerk said.

Gruezo said he stared the man down, then grabbed hold of the gun with his right hand, and used his left hand to pull it away from the intruder, who then fled the store.

"I look at him, like a cat, then take it away," Gruezo said, demonstrating how he snuck his right hand onto the weapon as he looked at the intruder. His left hand was injured and bandaged from the scuffle.

"This is the first time in my life that somebody pointed a gun at me," he said. "But I don't scare. I'm not nervous. I'm just mad."

Gruezo said he used his size advantage to pull the gunman toward him and push the gun so it pointed toward the ceiling instead of at his face.

The robbery suspect, who is described as 5-foot-5, with a stocky build, fled the store after losing his gun. Police said they will review a store surveillance tape in an effort to identify the gunman.

Detective Sgt. Charles Carroll retrieved the handgun that Gruezo took away, which appeared to be an automatic weapon.

Luis Garcia, who owns the package store at 260 Jackson St., said Gruezo more than earned his pay last night.

"I'm just happy that nothing happened to him. He's like family," said Garcia, who seemed more bothered by the incident than Gruezo was.

"He's so great. He's honest," Garcia said of Gruezo. "When I leave here, I don't care about the money. He takes care of the business more than me. He's my good friend."

Lawrence police Chief John Romero said this is the first time he could recall in his 10 years in charge of the city police force where a store clerk wrestled a gun away from a robbery suspect.

There was an incident several years ago where a store owner fired at a gunman to prevent a robbery, according to the chief. But nothing like this.

"I'm happy it ended the way it did and the victim didn't get hurt," Romero said. "But we wouldn't recommend people doing this.