Philadelphia store worker shoots and kills robber stuffing pockets with cash, police say

A worker in a corner store shot and killed an armed robber late Wednesday night, Philadelphia police said.

The robber had cash stuffed in one of his pockets when police officers arrived at the bodega, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The man -- believed to be in his late 20s -- was found on the floor behind the counter bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and torso, Small said.

Medics pronounced the man dead on the scene minutes later.

The man had entered the store partially masked and holding a gun.

"He pointed it at one of the employees, then went behind the counter and point-of-gun started taking money from the cash register," Small said.

"That's when the store employee who was also behind the counter pulled his weapon and fired several shots."

You could "clearly see that at least one of the 28-year-old's pockets is stuffed with money," Small said. Investigators believe that cash and other money seen on the ground was stolen from the cash register by the gunshot victim.

"Preliminary information it appears to be self-defense," since the robber was armed with a gun, Small said.

Investigators recovered the guns of both the dead robber and store worker, Small said.

The store worker remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said. Others also cooperated with the investigation.

Police looked over interior store surveillance cameras to corroborate witness testimonies, investigators said.

The store had been robbed in the past, Small said.