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Home / New Zealand

Watch: Kiwi stops knife-wielding KFC robber

Heath Moore
By Heath Moore
NZ Herald·
4 Apr, 2019 02:41 AM4 mins to read

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A Kiwi man who came to the rescue of a KFC staff member who was being held at knifepoint has gone viral after his hilarious account of the event. / Footage from 7 News and Nine

A clip by Kiwi man who came to the rescue of a KFC staff member who was being held at knifepoint has gone viral after his hilarious account of the event.

Vai Lefau was going through the Logan KFC outside of Brisbane on March 28 when all hell broke loose inside the store.

Screams could be heard coming from inside the restaurant as a 40-year-old man jumped over the counter and held a worker at knifepoint.

Lefau ran inside to see how he could assist in calming the situation down but found himself recording the incident instead.

The Kiwi-born man's clip has since gone viral after giving his eye-witness account, describing the moment two customers with golf clubs took the knife-wielding man down.

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"I was thinking, how am I going to disarm this guy," he told 7 News.

"When I got in there were already four to five blokes already in there. Two were holding golf clubs, trying to be Tiger Woods. Everyone else evacuated, only the macho men were in there. I was one of them," he explained while giggling.

"The boys were telling the guy with the knife to come out through the door but he said 'na'.

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A man holds a knife to a KFC worker in Queensland. Photo / 7 News
A man holds a knife to a KFC worker in Queensland. Photo / 7 News

"I think he was scared because he saw how many of us were there. That's when I pulled out my phone, and started reporting live on Facebook and Instagram."

As Lefau had his back to the offender, the two men with golf clubs took down the knife-wielding suspect.

Lefau turned around, and saw the offender on the floor "sleeping".

The witness then sprung into action, coming to the aid of the offender who was 'knocked out'. But while caring for the injured man, Lefau's mind turned to fizzy drink.

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"He then decided to come out through the door. By the time I turned around to see him he was sleeping on the floor.

"Me and the other guy from the drive-through turned him over onto his side and tried to wake him up. He was still sleeping.

"I said I'll get some water, I could have got me another fizzy, I was like 'ooooh I want to get some fizzy!'. By the time I got back two cops came in and saw him on the ground and asked 'is this the offender?'. I was like 'yeah that's the offender, what do you think man!'."

During the interview, Lefau said he felt calm while the situation unfolded inside KFC, and tried to keep his composure as he does in stressful situations.

"When I got to the scene I was like there's already heaps of blokes there, a few islanders, a few bogans, so I just let them handle it ... so I was like it's a good time to get my phone out and just record. At that time in my mind my stomach was rumbling man I was hungry."

When asked about how the offender got to the ground he said: "They were peeling off him, kind of like a tackle, like a ruck.

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Bystander Vai Lefau's hilarious account of a Queensland KFC robbery is a must-watch. Photo / 7 News
Bystander Vai Lefau's hilarious account of a Queensland KFC robbery is a must-watch. Photo / 7 News

"I feel sorry for him, he was probably just hungry."

Lefau revealed he soon went to another KFC down the road, giving them a shoutout and asking for some free vouchers.

"KFC Marsden, shout out some vouchers! I want some vouchers man!"

He also explained he "doesn't normally go to KFC, I to salad bars".

Lefau's interview has since been viewed thousands of times, and his new-found fame has reached as far as Ireland.

The South Aucklander told the Herald he didn't expect to become so famous and was stunned at the reaction he is getting from people in the street.

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"I've had people from as far as Ireland call me up. It's a bit much.

"Yesterday I had someone stop me in the street and say 'bro are you the KFC dude? What a legend'. It's pretty crack-up. I should be signing autographs," he joked.

However, despite shouting out KFC on television, he says he's still waiting for his free vouchers.

"Na bro I'm still waiting for them to come through. They better suss me out or I'll be hungry. Might have to stick to the salad bars until then."

Lefau's antics have gone global with many people praising the Aucklander for his actions.

"Bogans and Islanders coming together as one to defend our local KFC! Fizzy drinks for everyone," one person joked.

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Another said: "This is actually the greatest interview I've ever heard."

Others demanded KFC give him a lifetime supply of chicken and fizzy drink, or at least some free vouchers.

The 40-year-old suspect was meant to face a magistrate at court on Friday, but is still recovering in the mental health ward at Logan Hospital.

His case has been adjourned until Monday.

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