Marine defuses robbery at S. Phila. coffee bar

KEVIN SMITH served two tours with the Marines in Iraq. After he came back home, he didn't expect to see another gun pointed at him.

Especially not in a trendy coffee shop in South Philly.

Smith, a barista at Ultimo Coffee, on 15th Street near Mifflin, came face to face with an armed robber late Jan. 18.

"I heard a noise behind me and turned to look at [the robber] pointing a gun at me, and it took me a second to register what was going on," Smith, 30, told the Daily News yesterday.

"My first thought was whether it was a real gun, because it looked totally fake."

Smith said he walked over to the already-empty register to press the security-alert button concealed beneath it. When the robber realized that the register was empty, he ordered Smith to empty his pockets and hand over his cash, Smith said.

The gunman then noticed a second register, which belongs to Brew, a beer store located within Ultimo, and stole the remaining cash.

Although the punk was aggressive in his demands, Smith kept his cool throughout the ordeal.

"Being in a war zone, you sort of expect that someone is going to kill you," he said. "What helped me the most was that being in the Marines has put me in many, many stressful situations.

"It helped to be able to diagnose the situation and understand that the guy wasn't trying to hurt anyone."

Smith said he believes that his calm response helped prevent injury to himself and others inside the cafe.

"Personally, I don't think that you have to carry a gun in a store to deter crime," Smith said. "Let the police handle it and don't try to be a hero."

Police last night were still looking for the gunman, who they said was in his 20s, about 6 feet tall with a thin build. He wore a dark-gray hoodie, a gray North Face jacket and a light blue coat during the robbery, police said. Tipsters may call 215-686-8477.