An armed robber was shot dead by a customer at a Houston restaurant as he demanded money from the other customers, according to investigators.
A masked suspect entered the front entrance of Ranchito Taqueria at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, brandished a gun at customers, and demanded their money and wallets, according to the Houston Police Department.
Terrorized guests are seen cowering beneath tables as the thief, clad in all black, marches about and grabs their goods, which some had thrown on the floor.
As the thief walks to the door to leave, a client seated in a table rises up and fires a revolver at the suspect, according to footage.
The client is then seen shooting him four times in the back before the robber drops to the ground.
The customer then shoots the thief again at point-blank range while standing directly over him, according to the footage.
As per authorities, the customer then retrieved the stolen money from the culprit and handed it to other guests before fleeing the restaurant with other customers.
The robbery suspect, described only as a male in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the site by paramedics, according to cops.
Officials have stated that they want to talk with the individual for his part in the shooting and have sought the public for assistance in identifying the gunman. He has not been charged with anything.
One of the grounds law enforcement is looking for is to determine if he was afraid for his life or the lives of others around him which is extremely fundamental to a self-defense claim under the law, said KHOU Legal Analyst Carmen Roe.
Roe stated that it looks to be self-defense, adding that even if the suspect’s pistol was a forgery, the restaurant patrons obviously believed it was a genuine gun.
If one is justified in firing the first bullet, one is right in continuing to fire until the fatal threat is gone, she stated.
Roe said she would have recommended the guy to stay at the site and address police inquiries, but one has no responsibility to be on the scene of a circumstance like that.
Police recovered surveillance footage showing the gunman getting into his car, described as a 1970s and 1980s type pickup truck with no bed, before driving away.
🚨#WATCH: Self-defense shooting of armed robber at a restaurant
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 7, 2023
📌#Houston | #Texas
Watch as a brave customer at a taqueria shot restaurant shot and killed an armed criminal who was robbing from other customers. Houston police are now looking for that person for questioning pic.twitter.com/g7EYjms5PZ
