A Tulsa business owner fights back against crime

Juanita Buchanan says she's had it and isn't going to take it anymore. Thatâ€™s why when a man tried to rob her restaurant Monday, she pulled out a gun and shot at him. <br><br>News on 6 crime

Tuesday, December 2nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Juanita Buchanan says she's had it and isn't going to take it anymore. Thatâ€™s why when a man tried to rob her restaurant Monday, she pulled out a gun and shot at him.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright has this story about fighting back.

"One, two, three, four. We only had four last time and he jerked it off." Even extra locks weren't able to save Juanita Buchanan from her second robbery in three months.

Back in September, a man broke into her business, Wings Hamburgers and tried to rob her, when he realized she was wearing a gun, the fight was on. "He got my gun out of my hand and I was on my knees and put the gun between my eyes and said if you keep fighting b----, I'm going to shoot you."

Juanita was black and blue and bloody from head to toe. "I had to have surgery, my rotator cup replaced, 22 stitches here, a crack on my skull and stitches down the front of my scalp." Despite nearly dying in that attack, she came back to work, even though her right arm is still partly disabled.

She simply refused to give up, then, the unthinkable, another robber showed up on Monday. It was about 3 PM, things were slow, and the employees were cleaning up when they saw a man with a knife outside this door. He wasn't able to get it open so he kicked in the glass and came inside toward the business owner.

Juanita couldn't believe it was happening again and immediately went for the gun on her hip. "I've been practicing with my left hand, but I drew with my right hand and couldn't hold it and it being a Glock, it jumped and I shot the air conditioner and we went back out the window."

Juanita is no pushover but she has been pushed too far. Now, in addition to the gun she wears, there are others in the store as well. Her husband and her kids beg her to sell the business and get out, but she refuses to let the criminals run her off. The hamburger stand is her dream and she won't let them steal that, too.

It is perfectly legal in Oklahoma to have a gun inside your business.

Juanita is still in physical therapy from her last robbery. That attack cost her $15,000 in medical bills. She feels like she would've been killed Monday had she not fired that shot. She's had her business at Admiral and Harvard for nine years and these were her first robberies.