An Alabama convenience store clerk used a tomahawk to defend his wife from a from a would-be thief, according to police.

The clerk reported to police that a man entered his store on Highway 90 in Mobile on Tuesday evening and attempted to steal some chips. When confronted, the suspect reportedly started a physical altercation and ended up punching the clerk’s wife in the face.

Police report that the clerk then reached for a tomahawk and struck the would-be thief in the arm. The suspect was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained when he was hit by the tomahawk.

The incident remains under investigation.