Rodney Simpson knew something was wrong when in July he walked into the Hardee&rsquo;s restaurant where his fiancee worked and saw her and other employees frozen in fear.</p><p>They nervously nodded their heads toward the restrooms, where a man with a gun in a floral bag paced frantically.</p><p>Simpson, 18, recalled seeing patrol cars flooding nearby parking lots and a police helicopter hovering above the area. Now it made sense. The police were looking for this man in connection with a stolen car found in a nearby business parking lot with stolen guns and drugs inside.</p><p>Employees yelled at the gunman, whom they had found hiding in the women&rsquo;s restroom, to leave. The gunman got increasingly upset and threatened to &ldquo;do something.&rdquo; Simpson worried he would take hostages or begin shooting.</p><p>Simpson calmed the gunman and helped employees and customers escape. </p><p>The Kansas City Police Department plans to give him an award today for his actions.</p><p>Simpson, a Van Horn High School graduate who lives in Grandview, recalled Monday that when he approached the gunman, the gunman put up his fists as if preparing to fight.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want any problems,&rdquo; the gunman said. &ldquo;I just want to get out of here.&rdquo;</p><p>Simpson took the jittery man by the arm and began walking him toward the men&rsquo;s restroom while offering him his cell phone to arrange a ride. Simpson looked over his shoulder at the employees and tilted his head toward the door in a signal to &ldquo;get out.&rdquo;</p><p>Simpson went into the restroom with the gunman and told him, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no need to make this a bigger deal.&rdquo; He convinced the gunman to wait in the restroom until the police left the area.</p><p>A woman with two small children entered the restaurant and sent the girls into the women&rsquo;s restroom. Simpson corralled the woman, explained the situation and helped her get her children outside.</p><p>Simpson whistled to get a police officer&rsquo;s attention. Police stormed the restaurant and arrested the gunman. They found the bag with the loaded gun inside the restroom.</p><p>Police said that Simpson showed great maturity and bravery.</p><p>&ldquo;He put the safety of the other citizens before his own,&rdquo; said Capt. Michael Perne.</p><p>Simpson plans to enroll in an emergency medical technician school in January and hopes to become a police officer when he turns 21.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think of myself as a hero,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just really wanted to help out.&rdquo;