Boynton Beach Man Says iPhone Deflected Bullet in Attempted Gas Station Robbery

A South Florida father says a routine stop at a gas station turned into a life-threatening encounter, and that his iPhone kept the outcome from being far worse.

Joseph Leatherman, an underwater photographer who spends his free time diving with sharks, was at a Marathon gas station in Boynton Beach on Tuesday when a man approached him from behind. Leatherman said the man pressed a gun into his back and demanded everything he had.

"I told him to get out of here and to leave me alone," Leatherman said. He said the man threatened to shoot him, and that he kept standing his ground and telling the man to leave.

Leatherman said the man, whom police identified as Christopher Porta, then began firing. According to Leatherman, the iPhone and OtterBox case in his pocket stopped one of the bullets.

"The phone saved my life, believe it or not, it happens," he said. "I don't know what kind of armament they put in those phones, but it deflected a 9mm round away from my body, otherwise, I would be missing part of my leg right now."

He said three more shots were fired as he ran for cover. Leatherman has since left the hospital, though pieces of metal remain lodged in his ankle. "There's actually shrapnel in my leg right now," he said.

Although his instinct in the moment was to hold his ground, Leatherman said that in hindsight he would not encourage others to do the same. He also described how talking about the experience has helped him process it. "The more I talk about it, the easier it is to just kind of come to grips with the situation. I'm just happy to be here," he said.

Police used surveillance video to track down and arrest Porta. He remains in the Palm Beach County Jail, where he faces charges of attempted robbery and attempted homicide.