Men tried to rob Uber Eats driver in an IHOP parking lot. But the driver had a gun, Tenn. cops say

The Uber Eats food-delivery man had just gotten in the driver’s seat of his 2016 Hyundai early Thursday morning when he found himself staring at the barrel of a gun, a police report said.

The suspect approached him in the parking lot of an IHOP in Memphis, Tennessee after he had picked up a delivery, the Commercial Appeal reported. The man pointed a gun at the driver, told him to be quiet and demanded his money and car keys, police said, News Channel 3 reported.

But the driver had a gun in the car, police said. He reached into the console, pulled out a .40-caliber gun and started shooting, the Commercial Appeal reported.

The suspect wasn’t alone, police said. And two of his accomplices allegedly returned gunfire, News Channel 3 reported.

Police say the suspect was wounded in the shooting. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, CBS 47 reported.

Officers found bullets in the Uber Eats driver’s car, News Channel 3 reported. The driver’s wife, who was in the passenger seat, told police she ducked down when the shooting started, the Commercial Appeal reported.

The other two suspects fled the scene, police said. But one of the men showed up to the hospital later and was taken into custody. He hasn’t been charged, the newspaper said.

An Air Force veteran was gunned down at the same restaurant last year. Authorities say Devin Wilson was shot to death when he tried to break up a fight, WMC reported.

At a different IHOP in Memphis earlier this month, a brawl broke out that involved the manager of the restaurant. After a group of customers allegedly attacked him, video appears to show the manager piledrive one of the assailants down into the floor.

This story was originally published March 30, 2018 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Men tried to rob Uber Eats driver in an IHOP parking lot. But the driver had a gun, Tenn. cops say."