Chick-fil-A Worker 'Selflessly Jumped' Into Action to Stop Man from Carjacking Mom with Baby: 'Incredible'
A Chick-fil-A employee is being praised for stopping a man from carjacking a mom with her baby outside of a Florida restaurant.
The young employee sprang into action Wednesday afternoon after a man stole the woman's car keys in the parking lot of the Chick-fil-A on Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, according to a news release shared Wednesday by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
Matthew Sexton, the operator of the Chick-fil-A branch, identified the brave worker as Mykel Gordon in a statement to PEOPLE.
Gordon is "an outstanding Team Member" at Chick-fil-A's Beal Parkway location, where he has worked for 14 years, Sexton says.
"I'm grateful for my amazing Team Member, Mykel Gordon, who so selflessly jumped in to intervene and help our Guests. I couldn't be prouder of his incredible act of care," he tells PEOPLE.
The victim told police she was getting her infant out of her vehicle when the suspect demanded her keys while "wielding a stick," according to Wednesday's release.
The suspect managed to swipe the victim's keys from the waistband of her pants and hopped inside the car as the victim began to yell, the OSCO said.
That's when Gordon stepped in to help. Footage from the incident, shared by the OSCO on Twitter and Facebook, shows Gordon in a physical altercation with the suspect on the ground before other employees and bystanders rush in to help.
"A major shout-out to this young man for his courage!" the department wrote alongside the clips.
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Gordon was punched in the face, but "was not seriously injured," according to the OSCO.
The restaurant employee told officials that the suspect was "involved in another incident shortly before the carjacking attempt," per Wednesday's release.
The suspect was eventually arrested and charged with carjacking with a weapon and battery, the OSCO said.
"We're so relieved that our Guests and Team Members are safe following this alarming incident," Sexton tells PEOPLE.
