An off-duty cop has helped track down an accused would-be robber after he allegedly pulled a gun and assaulted a worker at a store in Brisbane's north.
According to police, two men walked into separate businesses in the same Everton Park block of shops about 9.20pm Tuesday.
A 25-year-old man armed with a handgun allegedly threatened a male employee at the Corner Convenience Store, on the corner of South Pine and Everton Park roads.
When the employee couldn't open the till, the man allegedly fled to the Baskin-Robbins, which the second man had already entered, demanding two employees and a customer move to the front of the store.
No one was injured as they again ran off empty-handed.
That might have been the end of the matter were it not for an off-duty police officer, who followed the men after they got into a nearby vehicle.
"He was able to provide the vehicle's registration to police that lead officers to an address in Albany Creek," police said, in a statement.
Officers cordoned off the Wilson Avenue residence and the two men and a woman surrendered to police.
The 25-year-old man was charged with attempted armed robbery, common assault and enter premises with intent to commit an indictable offence, to appear in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on August 31.
A police spokeswoman said no other charges had been laid.