Emerson Royal experienced one of the worst moments of his life as he looked to enjoy a post-season holiday in his native Brazil.
The Tottenham full-back was the victim of an attempted robbery, which resulted in a shoot-out in which he was almost injured
Fortunately, the Premier League player was able to escape the scene of the crime thanks to a policeman who escorted him to his car after a shoot-out ensued. Thankfully, Emerson got away unharmed.
“At that moment, God somehow controlled me… because I felt that nothing was happening,” Emerson said in an interview with Sportv.
“I approached the thief, telling him: ‘Calm down, calm down, everybody calm down, I’ll give you whatever you want’.
“When I gave him what he wanted, I approached him, because I had already seen his evil look. I saw that it wasn’t just the watch.
“When I gave it to him, he moved away and pulled his gun to shoot me. As he was about to shoot me, I pushed him, I hit the gun and he shot into the air.
“It was at that moment, when I pushed him, he lost his balance and the policeman shot him. Then, he starts running.”
“I mean, it’s God at that point. Because we were in a square, there were 15 people or so. In a small square. And he started shooting all over the place and he doesn’t hit anybody.
“He fired 17 or 19 shots, if I’m not mistaken. He had a pistol that was a 9mm, if I’m not mistaken, semi-automatic. It is a weapon that is not normal for a thief, nor for a policeman.
“So I understood that it was a moment that could cost me my life, but it taught me a lesson to be careful. And now I’m calm.”
