The owner of a popular Hopewell eatery who was shot Friday by a man who accosted him and his wife at their Prince George County home is set to be released from VCU Medical Center today with a broken collarbone and a bullet lodged in his shoulder.
Kenny Purdie and his wife, Linda, who have owned and operated K&L Barbecue for 17 years, survived a harrowing robbery attempt and shootout with a gunman who accosted the couple in the garage of their home about 9 p.m.
After first confronting Linda Purdie, who yelled for her husband, the assailant jerked around and fired at Kenny Purdie, hitting him once in his left shoulder in a shot that broke his collarbone, said police and Steve Nugent, Kenny Purdie's stepson.
Although wounded, Kenny Purdie — who holds a concealed-gun permit — grabbed a pistol from under the seat of his truck and returned fire, causing the intruder to flee, police and Nugent said.
"The one thing that I have learned from this incident is that Pop having that gun possibly saved the life of him and my mother," Nugent said Monday. "If he wouldn't have had that gun nearby, there's no telling what would have happened after that."
"Pop acted so fast," Nugent added. "This all occurred probably within 20 or 30 seconds."
