A bodega worker who police say was assaulted on the job this past weekend is calling for justice after he says the suspect tried to stab him and shot bullets into the store. 

Bobby Roman works at the bodega located at 1376 Rockaway Pkwy. The incident took place Saturday night, when Roman says he and the suspect argued back and forth over his food not being finished. It then became violent.

Roman says he chased the man out of the store as the situation escalated. He says the suspect pulled out a knife, and chased Roman back into the bodega. Roman says he got his own knife to defend himself, and the suspect left before coming back and shooting two gunshots into the bodega.  

Holes remain in the ceiling from what Roman says was the gunfire from the suspect. He says that over the 11 years he has worked in delis, that this is his fourth violent incident, and he hopes more can be done to protect workers like him. 

“Give us approval for a gun carrying permit and then we can have a means to defend ourselves or at least let the people know that there’s a chance that something can happen to you if you try something. So it kind of stops the behavior,” said Roman.  

The suspect is believed to be a man in his 50s or 60s, last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes. Police say the suspect fled in a black Mercedez-Benz SUV.