Store Owner Charged with 2nd Degree Murder After Shooting Shoplifter

Authors Current Events Defensive Use of Firearms Rapid Fire S.H. Blannelberry This Week
Min Kim, a Washington convenience store owner, is now facing a Second-Degree murder charge.

Min Kim, a Washington convenience store owner, is now facing a second-degree murder charge. (Photo: KIRO7)

Self-defense shootings are not always cut-and-dry, and this case is a prime example.

Min Kim, a Washington convenience store owner, has been charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors say he shot and killed a shoplifter who was attempting to flee.

Kim has a different story. According to the account he gave Q13 Fox News, the shoplifter—21-year-old Jakeel Mason—was trying to steal cigarettes when he pushed Kim to the ground and tried to steal his gun.

“He was keep reaching for my gun and I was really afraid,” Kim said. “I pulled my gun out and I shot him a couple times.”

Prosecutors, however, say the surveillance footage captured the day of the incident contradicts the 30-year-old’s version of events. According to charging papers acquired by The News Tribune, Kim un-holstered his gun when he found Mason stealing cigarettes. Kim re-holstered his weapon but proceeded to “punched Mason in the face.”

Both men started fighting, but Mason eventually freed himself and started for the door.

Surveillance video “shows Kim positioned himself behind Mason, having to clear himself from a shelf containing merchandise.”

“Kim raised the gun and shot two rounds at Mason as Mason neared the door in an effort to flee.”

Both rounds connected, and Mason died of two gunshot wounds to the back.

The video has yet to be released.

“Our store clerk would’ve been just fine if he would’ve let him go and called 911,” said Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer. “If you’re going to carry weapons you have to have the responsibility of carrying that weapon. We can’t have shoplifts turn into homicides.”

From here the story only gets more complicated.

According to Q13 Fox News, “in February, Kim’s wife, Suel, got into a shootout with an alleged robber. A bullet ripped through her side and the shooter took off running. She recovered.”

Kim said in an interview that the sound of someone entering his store makes him nervous to this day.

“I am scared. I’m scared of everybody who is walking actually right now. Whoever just walks by I am frightened,” he said.

Troyer addressed the previous incident in a number of interviews, acknowledging the complexity of the situation.

“This is a tough one because we can understand why the store clerk was on guard. His wife has just been shot there a month before during a robbery attempt and the whole family was upset about it. But that doesn’t give you the license and the right to arm yourself and shoot people who may be involved in shoplifting,” said Troyer.

According to Q13 Fox, Mason himself “is no stranger to law enforcement.” Police said Mason pleaded guilty after trying to abduct a 6-year-old Tacoma girl, and also pleaded guilty to attempted burglary.

Kim’s bail has been set at $200,000.

(Editor’s note: This article was a submission from freelance writer Jordan Michaels)

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  • Richie November 2, 2018, 4:04 pm

    He was protecting his property and business. There are consequences for being a low life thief”

  • robert gilmore February 2, 2018, 6:20 am

    so what was the verdict in this case & what was the result?

  • JWS August 6, 2017, 4:03 am

    It should be legal in EVERY state to shot anyone stealing anything. Anyone that supports criminals needs rounded up and given lobotomies.

  • Don February 22, 2017, 10:34 am

    My brother owns a grocery store and is constantly getting shoplifters. The real problem is when he calls the police it is near impossible to get a conviction. He has witnessed people pulling product out of their pants and running off. As long as they don’t physically leave the building with the goods, the cops tell him there will be no prosecution.

    He has chased people down back alleys into sketchy neighborhoods and as long as people get away with it, there is no incentive to stop shoplifting. He is loath to call the police now because he will get the usual run around. Shoplifting has simply become an expensive cost of doing business. He is extremely frustrated with the whole situation.

    This is why stories like these happen, the system you think is in place…isn’t.

  • Ameal Tiket February 9, 2017, 5:03 pm

    Black Lives Matter it’s time to mobilize, time to vandalize and loot, I got dibs on the 60in flat screen plasma tv and cartons of Newports! Why??? Because “They owe us” of course! Plus my monthly benefits have been reduced to steak and lobster tails, which is unacceptable! The government should give me free liquor, cigs, and housing as well, so I won’t have to steal it. Mr. Kim you’re going to hell for not giving us the five finger discount and for capitalizing in our neighborhoods, how dare you steal our American dream!

    • CLARENCE TOUSSAINT January 7, 2018, 8:50 pm

      You’re a racist idiot. I don’t see you making the same comments about the cop killer in Colorado. ..

      • Frank Rizzo March 10, 2018, 4:27 pm

        Did you know that your surname TOUSSAINT originated in France. I am 99% certain you are not French but are black. Most likely of Caribbean descent. My instincts tells me Jamaica. Am I correct?
        Do you know how that name was passed onto you?
        Not being racist, just giving you a little history lesson, boy.

  • Dan January 20, 2017, 6:50 am

    Yes, but did mason look like he could have been Obama’s son? An attempted kidnapping and he is free? Of a child? The world is better off without this person breathing.

    • CLARENCE TOUSSAINT January 7, 2018, 8:55 pm

      This is why people think all gun owners are racist idiots. WTF does Obama have to do with this? If you’re so stupid you can’t think for yourself you shouldn’t be allowed to ever touch a firearm. Does anyone ask if the Colorado cop killer’s your son? Or would you think that’s racist? …..

  • Vakerie November 21, 2016, 8:40 am

    It sames so easy for you Mister Kim to say I would do it again, what part take a young man life over a pack of crigrettas after you followers him out your store place a Gun fully loaded to his head an make him go back into your store then allowed him to try an run out the store firing at him in his back !!! How can you Justifie Cold blooded Murder in the 1 degree Dirty MFucker. You will never know that pain his Mother feels an his family , nor do you care. We carry those young man’s for 9 months in our wombs like your mother than you. Labor pain , years of birthdays fixing Cakes breakfast lunches an dinner PAT meeting. UP AT NIGTHS when our child’s are sick Doctor’s visits Chicken pops Sport really Laughs Danceinng together or walking in the rain , with the one we Love holidays dinners will never be the same . Choose your words Thank before you speak Mister Kim All Life Matters Black Life Matters to God, Buhhu, are who ever your Higher Power may Be. ONE MORE THING Mr, Kim We all a a final Judgement day before God ..ll Life Matters Mister Kim remember That. THERE is no self defense in your case , you do the crime do the time

    • dan January 20, 2017, 6:55 am

      Scuse me? Just had a fight and you called it cold blooded? What about the mom of the 6 year old mason tried to kidnap earlier in his crime career? What do you think he was going to do with a 6 year old girl? You foolish woman. This mason person was worthless. I don’t think he should have been shot heading out of the door after shoplifting, but it does not change the fact that he was human trash. And forget the “that’s my bayyybeeee” defense. If you cared for him why didn’t you raise him better?

      • Harry Marker February 3, 2017, 9:30 am

        I agree. As far as im concerned the dirtbag piece of shit got what he deserved. NOONE should feel afraid in their home or business. If you walk into someones home or business with the intent to steal, you take the risk of getting shot. There are MANY MANY stories of someone entering a store unarmed, robbing an unarmed store clerk, and the thief ends up raping women and beating the hell out of them, and male store clerks being beat to the point of being in a coma. So according to the last Vakerie, because the thief wasnt armed, that makes a difference.
        Its idiots like Vakerie that blur the reality of someone robbing a store or breaking into a home.
        We owned a deli that was 1 miles from the State police. At 1:20 one afternoon, my 65 year old mother was watching the counter when a man entered the store and robbed her at knife point. I can tell you this, if i had been in the store, i would have given him the money, and as soon as he ran out the door i would have unloaded everything in my 40 cal. Now my mother and father both carry even at 70 something.
        The laws of this country have been turned to protect the criminals. WE have allowed this to happen. We need to take OUR country back from the progressives.

    • Ameal Tiket February 9, 2017, 10:15 am

      Wow, your spelling really sucks Vakerie! Mr. Kim has every right to protect what’s his, even if it’s with lethal force. If you don’t make examples and set standards then your other son might attempt the same behavior. At least now he might learn something from this, like respecting other people’s property, stealing a pack of smokes today can lead to stealing someone’s daughter later. Nevermind, he’s already tried that huh? He should have been shot then, I guess karma finally caught up and Mr. Kim was a conduit of justice. Release Mr. Kim, give him a medal, and go back to school Vakerie because you need to learn how to spell and learn how to raise kids properly. Don’t just produce law breaking, feces producing, tax dollar draining, and Newport stealing children for your EBT benefits. Obumer is out, now learn to wk for yours! ALL LIVES MATTER, BUT some people actually have to work for a living and not get their merchandise stolen. Also, when seconds matter cops are always minutes away!

    • Rick hansen September 29, 2017, 5:44 pm

      If you dead ass raised your kids right and showed them good work ethics maybe they would not be robbing people. Then you would not have to worry about getting a call that they are dead trying to steal a pack of cigarettes for there dead ass parents.

  • David Keith August 12, 2016, 3:54 am

    Who gives a shit if got shot now or later?
    These scum balls only understand getting shot or incarcerated time and time again. Seriously, who cares? It’s thug life they’re after.

    • Meghan October 6, 2016, 10:52 pm

      I totally agree. The shop lifter got what he deserved.

      • Rick hansen September 29, 2017, 5:45 pm

        Agree!

    • $Vakerie November 21, 2016, 8:44 am

      That a cold as comment We as Mothers care smart as

      • Ameal Tiket February 9, 2017, 3:47 pm

        I wonder what this stellar 21 year old adult with such an impeccable criminal record was going to do with such a young child when he tried to abduct her? Makes me wonder Vakerie if that child had been you and you were the one abducted, maybe we would be spared your dumb comments today. Mr. Kim, in my eyes, is an angel sent from God to punish the evil thief who got shot over a pack of “crigrettas”, who tomorrow left alive would have stolen a child’s life. Cops in Washington should release Mr. Kim, return his firearm, and let him return to his job so he can continue to wk. And pay taxes which in return pays cops wages. Also, thank Mr. Kim as you release him back into society for doing your jobs for you. Vakerie, stop having kids you’re obviously one of them self entitled sponges that soak up revenue.

        • Rick hansen September 29, 2017, 5:47 pm

          Well put and totally agree. ..

  • Ung April 14, 2016, 1:09 pm

    If police can be justified in shooting a white man in the back because he was wearing headphones and didn’t hear the police say, “stop” while he was casually walking and carrying his bag of snacks that he just purchased from the store, if the police can shoot a black man in the back because he ran away, and be justified, then Kim can shoot a criminal who assaulted him, entered his store to rob the place, and is running who knows where, maybe to get another gun and shoot his wife again.. the fact that Ben Kim is even being charged shows a broken justice system. I would be ashamed if I were the prosecutor in this case.

    • Ung April 14, 2016, 1:27 pm

      Another aspect of this is, if two criminals partake in a robbery, and one of them gets killed in the process, the one who survives is charged with their partner’s murder. This is the Felony murder rule. During the commission of a Felony, ie. robbery and escape from law enforcement. If during the commission of these crimes a homicide occurs as a result of the felony attempt, the felony murder rule can apply and the charge goes to the person who committed the felony in the first place. In this case, it is the same person who died. In any case, if Kim was assaulted during an attempted Robbery and didn’t know know if the kidnapping pedophile robber was running to get a weapon, attack another customer, or simply trying to escape, why is it ok to charge the kidnapping pedophile robber with murder if Kim had shot one of the guy’s thug friends, but Kim gets charged if he shoots the robber? Not to mention the whole “escape from law enforcement” condition of the Felony murder rule. Who is “law enforcement” in your own store, or your own home for that matter? Are you to be charged with kidnapping in your own store if the robber is being held by you at gunpoint until police arrive? Even if the robber has his back turned and you are holding him at gunpoint after he attempted to rob you and assaulted you already, I don’t think that you will be charged with kidnapping if you are holding him at gunpoint until the police arrive.

      • $Vakerie November 21, 2016, 8:45 am

        A pack of crigrettas

    • Dittohd June 1, 2016, 1:54 am

      If police and our justice system were actually JUST. Kim would walk. Our Justice system lets these thugs go and they get away with robbing. If they get shot every time, some would stop. We have to get a grip on and stop crime with force until criminals know they will die if they steal. Stop the criminals and we won’t have to worry about store owners shooting someone who has taken something and running away.

      • $Vakerie November 21, 2016, 8:48 am

        Kim forced a 21 year old man back in his store behind a pack of cigarettes come in Life is a gift an it matters he shot this young man in the back an lied about the whole situation For God same walk 1 degree Murder

        • Ameal Tiket February 9, 2017, 3:22 pm

          I wonder what this stellar 21 year old adult with such an impeccable criminal record was going to do with such a young child when he tried to abduct her? Makes me wonder Vakerie if that child had been you and you were the one abducted, maybe we would be spared your dumb comments today. Mr. Kim, in my eyes, is an angel sent from God to punish the evil thief who got shot over a pack of “crigrettas”, who tomorrow left alive would have stolen a child’s life. Cops in Washington should release Mr. Kim, return his firearm, and let him return to his job so he can continue to wk. And pay taxes which in return pays your wages. Also, thank Mr. Kim as you release him back into society for doing your jobs for you.

        • Rick hansen September 29, 2017, 5:55 pm

          Cigarettes this time, what next time, pull your head out of you $# . Get jobs and work for a living.

  • MidWestMike April 9, 2016, 9:16 am

    If I am on that jury he walks.
    “Police said Mason pleaded guilty after trying to abduct a 6-year-old Tacoma girl, and also pleaded guilty to attempted burglary.”
    This POS got exactly what he deserved.

  • Dusty April 9, 2016, 2:18 am

    Reality here is the shooting of a fleeing MISDEMEANOR suspect in the back. Lying about the circumstances will complicate his case. He nor we get to play woulda shoulda coulda about Mason’s presence on the street. I saw no indication Kim knew him at all prior the shooting. And no Ryan- cops can’t shoot fleeing FELONS willy-nilly either. Check your facts and look at Tennessee v. Garner.
    There will be a trial. From the apparent facts, Kim should not be allowed to own a firearm. I don’t relish him being held a shining example of responsible firearm ownership and use. The gun haters will make hay of his at least reckless (which in Washington would make his crime Manslaughter 1) use of a firearm. Believe what you like and should we ever meet in person Mr. Hribal- please attempt to be civil- please recognize that what you have is a computer and an opinion- and you have a right to hold any opinion you are capable of defending- so do I and anyone else posting here. In spite of the ad hominem rants- I would defend your right to an opinion with which I differ. Will you and Veritas accord the same adult respect to others? Let’s move on please.

  • Andrew N. April 9, 2016, 1:35 am

    I’m surprised that his wife wasn’t charged with “Disorderly Conduct” or something like it for being shot. No wonder this guy shot the criminal. They never said they caught the guy who shot his wife, so it could have been Mason. Kim also “cured” a pedophile and prevented a second occurrence with some other young girl. Sounds like he deserves a medal, not prosecution.

  • John April 9, 2016, 12:19 am

    QUOTE “Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer. “If you’re going to carry weapons you have to have the responsibility of carrying that weapon. We can’t have shoplifts turn into homicides.””

    Huh?!? Cops have shot a 12 yr old kid within 2 seconds of getting at the scene. Chicago cop shoots a 16yr old who was walking away 16 times!!
    So they defend cops, but this store owner can’t protect his property??
    Even kids that flunk out of school should be smart enough to know if you steal you take the chance of being killed.

  • James peters April 8, 2016, 9:00 pm

    I believe we should have a right to protect our property by any means , the old days no one would have thought anything about shooting someone robbing a bank or a store, why now is it all of a sudden bad to shoot a thief, seems like a good thing to do to deter crime,remember ,when seconds count the police are only minutes away

  • renny April 8, 2016, 8:28 pm

    Don’t think he was legally justified, that said, he would have no worries if I was on jury.

    • $Vakerie November 21, 2016, 8:49 am

      Hopefully you won’t be

  • Kris April 8, 2016, 3:54 pm

    First off I think we need to differentiate between whether this shooting was morally justified or legally justified. The two are not always one in the same. Yes. That does mean that there are laws that are morally unjustifiable. But they are still the law.

    Was the shooting morally justifiable? ABSOLUTELY! The shooter’s wife had been shot in an attempted robbery not so long before. SO HE WAS TERRIFIED. He had had a punch-up with the robber. So he was doubly terrified. YES. The shooting was morally justified.

    Was the shooting legal? WARNING!!! I am not a lawyer and I know little or nothing about State of Washington law so what follows is only an old gun-guys OPINION. None of us are likely to have seen the security camera video so we really don’t know the facts of what happened. From reading the article I think that if this goes to trial I think the shooter will get convicted either as charged or as manslaughter. With a top-flight defense attorney an aquittal might be obtained but I don’t think the odds are good. Throw in the fact that the store is located in a bad neighborhood–most likely because the owners can’t afford a store in a better neighborhood and it seems unlikely the shooter can win in court. In other words someone would likely get convicted of a felony for doing something that was morally justified.

    So what to do??? Get the best lawyer you can afford and try to plea bargain this down to a first offender situation. Most states have a first offender law whereby the defendant is put on probation for a while (in this case likely 5 years or more) and the case is continued for that time period. So no verdict and no conviction immediately. If the defendant makes it through the probation period without committing any serious crimes the charges are then dropped. Since a shooting was involved that might be a tough sell to the prosecutor, but because of the extenuating circumstances (his wife having been shot in a store robbery) the prosecution probably wants to avoid a trial. They might win a trial but even if they did they would lose in the eyes of much of the court of public opinion. If you can’t sell that idea to the prosecution, then you go for a guilty plea to a misdemeanor with no jail time, no felony, no loss of 2A rights and a limited period of probation…maybe 2 years.

    Remember, the end goal here is that the shooter does not go to jail, does not become a felon and does not lose his 2A rights.

    In short, the goal here is NOT to win. Rather the goal is to NOT LOSE.

    • tinfoil hat davy April 8, 2016, 4:50 pm

      Any one want to start a fund drive for his legal costs? I’ll throw in a twenty.

      • Chet Hribal April 8, 2016, 9:08 pm

        I’ll throw one in too davy.

        • Anthony I. April 9, 2016, 12:54 am

          ….So basically this is what the jury is gonna get….2nd manslaughter charge, possibility of considering lesser charge.
          State- 2nd manslaughter charge.- shooting of a 21-year-old male Jakeel Mason (Yes if you’re wondering this is a Black kid)
          – Jakeel Mason, pleaded guilty after trying to abduct a 6-year-old Tacoma girl, and also pleaded guilty to attempted burglary.( Stand-up citizen )…And surveillance video of him shoplifting., this action cost him his life.

          Defense- Min Kim 30, a Washington convenience store owner
          – No prior record
          – Kim’s wife Seul Lim, 30, survived after being shot during a gun shot exchanged with an armed robber at the store in February.
          – He feared for his life after a brief scuffle.
          – Probably thought perpetrator was the same person that tried to kill his wife…(Freebie for Defense attorney )
          – Probably thought perpetrator was going for a weapon after the brief scuffle. (Freebie for Defense attorney )
          – He was trying to shoot at his legs, but missed. (another Freebie for Defense attorney )

          Outcome – Not Guilty!
          Probable : 5 years probation, maybe some fine.
          Repercussion – Al Sharpton, Jesse jackson , and the fucking annoying Black Lives (didn’t) Matter fuckers protesting!

    • John April 9, 2016, 12:25 am

      Gee when the cops gun down or abuse people they just hand out a big hunk of taxpayer’s cash and wait for it to go away….we need a system like that for regular citizens…
      Maybe we should all join the police Union, even if we don’t pay dues, the law says they have to defend us as wall as they do the dues paying cops…. 😉

      • $Vakerie November 21, 2016, 8:51 am

        Black Life Matters all Life Matters

  • Roscoe April 8, 2016, 3:07 pm

    If the sheriff wants a conviction, he’d better leave me off the jury.

  • LAH053 April 8, 2016, 12:13 pm

    The crux of the argument is DID HE FEAR FOR HIS LIFE!!! If he answer is yes than he had a legitimate right to shoot. His wife being robbed and shot recently MAY have led him to believe he was in danger especially if he thought the robber/shoplifter/strong arm robber would again return to do him harm and rob him again. I wish the media would stop trying to minimize the offender’s crimes and condemn the victim for doing what he thought was protecting his life perhaps at a future date. Remember folks the tunnel vision police get during similar situations can also be felt or develop during victimization of a store clerk.

  • Russ April 8, 2016, 11:21 am

    Well it looks like Mr Kim removed a repeat offender thug cockroach from society and the gene pool. So truthfully no great loss here. Also the suspect in the other robbery where Mr Kims wife was shot by a similar looking thug cockroach also during a robbery leads me to believe that he might have a good defense for this incident. Remember the suspect commited a shoplifting/ theft. When the store owner confronted the thug I mean suspect and resisted he upgraded the crime to probably strong armed robbery. If the video shows all of that happening then the thug I mean suspect being shot in the back as he is leaving Mr Kim will have some issues. Hopefully he gets a good lawyer and uses a PTSD defense. Although the liberal idiots on the Westside of Washington State always tend to feel bad for thugs, damn I mean suspects out of their supposed elitism or white or affluence guilt so it might be a tough sell. I truly believe that businesses should just stop operating in these trashy areas. Hard for a thug to hop a bus to go do a crime like robbery or shoplifting. Just my 2 cents.

  • Brett April 8, 2016, 10:55 am

    What is mine is mine. It does not belong to anyone else. So if anyone attempts to take what is mine they should expect to suffer the consequences. My consequences not the governments. We someone steals from you and you kill them that is not murder or manslauter. It it protecting what belongs to you. If I decide to steal l should expect the same.

  • that guy April 8, 2016, 10:49 am

    I just love all the internet John Waynes that think killing a man for stealing cigarettes is ok. Shooting a man – in the back – for stealing cigarettes is a cowardly move. His life was no longer in danger (if it even was in the first place), therefore there was no cause for deadly force. And did he really think telling a lie (with security cameras) would help his case? I suppose all of you want a true anarchy – you decide who lives and dies, we don’t need the police or laws? I’m not a liberal, I’m a life NRA member, and I’m an NRA Instructor and youth firearms coach/instructor. And I didn’t vote for Obama. I do, however, have some common sense that seems to be lacking with these comments. If you believe that killing an unarmed man in the back while he’s fleeing for stealing cigarettes, then yes. I’ll agree with the crazy left liberals and say the YOU shouldn’t have a firearm. YOU are a danger to society. Don’t you see that your comments and this man’s actions are what CAUSE the liberal left to want to take our firearms? Why do you give them a GOOD reason? You are the problem. Think about that for a minute. Do you think only pro-gun people read these comments? Grow up and be a man – you aren’t Clint Eastwood in a movie.

    • Chet Hribal April 8, 2016, 9:02 pm

      that guy, I take offense to your post. As a matter of fact, F**k You. Big “MAN” talking sh*t is all you are. You’re the John Wayne/ Clint Eastwood type on here, running off at the mouth saying you’re NRA this and you’re NRA that and how us guys shouldn’t be cowards. I for one say, F**k what you think and how you think it. You need to speak for yourself, you don’t have the right to speak for someone else. Who in the hell do you think you are, coming on here and lecturing anybody on what they should or shouldn’t do in a situation like this. I have absolutely no doubt that if you were in Kim’s place, you would’ve let the shoplifter go. I have absolutely no doubt that you would’ve then ran to the bathroom to clean out your shorts. I also have absolutely no doubt that a week later the POS would’ve come back to the store to do it again but maybe then, he would’ve brought a gun with him. Kim’s wife might’ve been the next victim, again. You go on and let a POS steal some cigarettes from you but don’t you dare put me or anybody else on GA, down for stopping it from happening to us, in any way we possibly can. It’s not your call. Our cigarettes belong to us, not some POS that thinks he can just go in and take them. $5.00 cigarettes today, next week, $100.00 worth of cigarettes, after that, who knows. That’s the way it works with these poor innocent shoplifting P’s OS. Oh and by the way, are you the only one on here that’s still stupid enough to believe that the “Liberal Left” actually needs a good reason for anything they believe in?

    • Gun Totin' Mom April 9, 2016, 3:28 pm

      That Guy is correct. There are a few things in this situation that leave the store owner vulnerable to prosecution. The biggest is shooting after the danger was over. As a juror will be instructed of what the laws are, the same laws we are taught in our concealed carry class, that pertain to this case. They will be directed to determine if his actions were inside or outside the laws. Other factors such as the previous experiences will be introduced by his defense lawyer. All those that carry legally agree to these laws and they help protect us when we stay in them, citizen and law officer alike. When laws are unfair we have to be active in changing them. But some laws are needed, such as the one in this case, you cannot fire your weapon at a fleeing suspect. It puts others in danger from bullets that miss and it has always been agreed that it is wrong to shoot someone in the back

    • Dittohd June 1, 2016, 2:13 am

      Hey “that guy”. If you want something I have and I will sell it to you and you pay for it, there is no reason for anyone to shoot at you! If you take anything that does not belong to you from someone else, YOU should expect some bad thing to happen. I personally don’t mind if you get shot. I don’t think people should get shot in the back for walking away from a police officer or even for walking out of a store with something they did not pay for (I have done that by accident, and went back in to pay for it), but that is because I am an honest person. Thugs like this guy and the Thug in Ferguson, MO deserve to be removed from the gene pool. I would hope that I would not ever shoot anyone (in the back or otherwise) but if someone takes my stuff, The LAW should protect ME not the thug!

    • Rick hansen September 29, 2017, 6:13 pm

      You must not live in a high crime area so you don’t know what these store owner go threw or your opinion would be different.

  • James Summers April 8, 2016, 10:24 am

    Need to read the ruling WARREN vs DC
    444a.2d – DC
    Court of Appeals 1981
    Ruling that police do dot have the duty to protect the individual only society. Do believe the Supreme Court justice stated the protection of the individual is up to the individual. Numerous rulings since then support this ruling.
    And the government wants to take guns away. Politicians want to take our guns, since is is easier to rule an unarmed society than an armed one.
    Do not differentiate between Republicans or Democrats. The real enemies are the politicians. They have made the jump from civil servants to civil masters and have very little concept of life in the U.S. Remember they have a well armed force to protect them 24 / 7. And remember millions are spent to keep them out of harms way. WE the PEOPLE do not have the same guarantees to safety and protection as the ELECTED therefore temporary hired help.
    Me doth think they aspire to the purple.

    • Chet Hribal April 8, 2016, 9:09 pm

      Well said.

  • Rouge1 April 8, 2016, 10:22 am

    More government tyranny. Sounds like a Ferguson moment but instead of the government shooting the criminal it was a lowly citizen defending his property and persons. America is done and is the bill of rights. Most of the losers on this sight think a citizen does not have the right to bear arms without monkey training and goverment permission, because guns are magical and requires special handling.

    • David hamilton February 3, 2017, 6:20 am

      Is that Rouge as in Lady Clarol? Or Rogue as in Scoundrel? If it really is Rouge, I beg your pardon, Mam.

  • ryan April 8, 2016, 9:45 am

    I’m confused because cops shoot fleeing suspects all the time after they start wrestling on the ground or what not how is this case any different?

    • Jerry S April 8, 2016, 11:37 am

      I see no one mention if the robber that shot his wife was caught? Maybe it was the same guy, this low life also tried to abduct a 6 year old child.

  • George Bill April 8, 2016, 9:39 am

    He was no longer a threat, you cannot shot him while he is escaping and broke off the attack

  • Dave Williams April 8, 2016, 8:56 am

    The threat was past. Deadly force was no longer justified.

  • 3rdAFCrewChief April 8, 2016, 6:57 am

    In the end the law is the law. Was the store owner properly trained in firearms safety, and in the self-defense using a firearm? With that said his wife was shot recently in a robbery, and his emotion were running high the day he shot and killed the shoplifter. Emotions can not be channeled through to your trigger finger. Plain and simple. Owning a gun and understanding the ramifications well…. some of us do and some of us don’t.

  • Mr Robert Anton Novak April 8, 2016, 6:42 am

    How was Kim suppose to know that Mason wasn’t going home to retrieve a gun of his own and come back looking for revenge? I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by six.

    • that guy April 8, 2016, 10:53 am

      So, you think we should just shoot anyone we think might do something criminal later? You are the judge and jury according to your post. Way to make responsible gun owners a target for the anti’s….

      • Chet Hribal April 8, 2016, 9:40 pm

        What do you mean later? Mason had already done something criminal. Inside their own home or store, yes, Kim or Robert, is the “Judge and Jury”. He/They and no one else decides whether or not to shoot. You watch what you say and do around the “anti’s”. It kinda sounds like you’re afraid of them when, with all your NRA backed abilities, you should be teaching others how to take the “anti’s” head on.

  • JGinFL April 8, 2016, 6:35 am

    There is too much emphasis on shoplifting, minor theft of cigarettes, and getting shot while running away. What is missed is the actual crime, We can sit in our chairs and think about how unreasonable the clerk’s actions were, but we would not be suffering the years of nightmares over what could have happened. It is not the shoplifting, it is the terror. It is not the property being stolen, it is the terror. Given his previous experience the clerk was likely affected by PTSS. Manslaughter with probation would be just.

    • Doc Loch April 8, 2016, 9:44 am

      I agree with you and especially the point of community disruption and terror.

      I lobby that any one injured or killed or in any way harmed when they initiate a crime of any type, needs to bear the entire responsibility for the consequences that ensue from “the initiation” of disorder! You start it you pay for it! Failure to do so complicates a simple issue. A criminal starts an unfathomable chain of consequences when they break the law. The simple solution is to hold the initiator responsible because they started it. Let a Jury decide.

  • Joe April 8, 2016, 6:31 am

    No lost to society.

  • captain April 8, 2016, 3:14 am

    If you’ve never been in a situation where a thug is violently assaulting you while stealing from you after having a loved one shot in a recent similar situation, maybe you don’t have a clue what was going on in the mind of the adrenaline charged store owner. Is shooting a crook in the back wrong? Probably. Should it be considered felonious? Maybe not. Mitigating circumstances…. But this is 2016. Internet judge/jury knows all! :-p

  • SuperG April 1, 2016, 3:30 pm

    Had “government” done its job of protecting the citizens it was supposed to, this felon and repeat felon would not have been at large victimizing people in the first place.

  • Ross Butler April 1, 2016, 7:59 am

    More thugs should take note. Perhaps if Mason was still in jail from trying to abduct the 6 year old girl he would not have been shot, If it were my 6 year old daughter then he suffered much less at the hands of the store owner than he would with me.

    • Aaron April 1, 2016, 12:30 pm

      This point cannot be hammered home enough. It can never be understated. Every metro area with rampant violent crime follows the same path – violence is not punished by the justice system.

      Case after case has shown willful disregard for sentencing guidelines that keep the violent behind bars.

      One of my favorite rap lyrics is, “killas keep killin, murderers get life”.

      The overwhelming majority of murder victims are felons. It only stands to reason civilians maintain private, untraceable firearms in order to not become victims of left wing social justice worriers in the court houses.p

  • A April 1, 2016, 7:12 am

    Looks like he shot the right guy for the wrong reason.

  • Aaron March 31, 2016, 7:41 pm

    This bs helped light off the LA riots.

    Shooting someone in the back will always be prosecutable unless you’re saving a life by doing it.

    It’s not like his family was in the next room. It was the exit to the store.

    When I worked retail (everyone should work a register for a summer) a guy ran out with a whole bag of cartons of tobacco. Only harm is if someone got in his way.

    Think like a doctor. Do no harm.

    If a thief is going towards someone, you MIGHT have a way to explain how you’re reducing harm. A guy runs for the exit?

    This guy is going away.

    • dirtsailor67 April 1, 2016, 8:13 am

      Oh, yes, by all means, let’s just let the criminals come onto our lives and take whatever they want.
      We can file an insurance claim for the lost property, right?
      We can repurchase the items and just restock the shelves, right?
      We can continue to stand idly by while our livelihoods are taken from us, right?

      I mean, why should we defend our property? You know, come to think about it, Aaron, what is your address? I want to take a look through your cupboards and see if there is anything that I might want.
      That is alright, isn’t it? As long as I just grab what i want and then walk out the door, right?

      • Carl April 1, 2016, 10:13 am

        Comparing the life of some scumbag to a pack of cigarettes is just the kind of thing any liberal would love to quote as example why guns should be only the hands of the state.
        You are either with them trying to get someone else to write something stupid or not thinking straight.

        • Veritas April 8, 2016, 5:50 am

          There is always a bleeding heart willing to defend a criminal, no matter what the crime. At what point do you hAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND YOUR PROPERTY AND LIVIHOOD?

          aCCORDING TO THE lEFTITS NEVER AS LONG AS ITS NOT THEIR PROPERTY.

        • David Keith August 12, 2016, 3:56 am

          Fuck what the liberals think.

      • Aaron April 1, 2016, 12:25 pm

        My point is that he shot him in the back and lied about it.

        I live and work in states that allow self defense. But this guy murdered a man – he didn’t use self defense.

        If you read what I wrote instead of what you wanted to read, you’d notice that I imply killing someone in self defense or in defense of another life is not doing harm. Harm would be to not act and let the innocent get hurt.

        You can shoot someone in the back and still do no harm if the individual was about to do harm to someone.

        Do you still think I’m against the principles safeguarded by intelligent use of firearms?

        • Veritas April 8, 2016, 5:52 am

          Aaron you sound like the type of person who believes a no guns allowed sign will protect you.

          You just can’t cure stupid. Tell us why voted for Obama.

        • Jack Gates April 8, 2016, 6:09 am

          It can’t be the same Aaron in both posts. The first Aaron is spot on. The second post sounds like a total loser who probably shouldn’t own a firearm. I suspect that Aaron was imposted. Hopefully anyway…?

        • Dp April 8, 2016, 6:55 am

          I think I agree, I’m still stuck on the harms. Who’s on first?

      • Dittohd June 1, 2016, 2:38 am

        yes Aaron, since you are so pro criminal, Please post your address as I may want some of your stuff too, if you are giving it away and not want to protect it. Maybe you will just give me your car keys and your house keys and move somewhere else so I can live in what you paid for! That is fair right? Laws should protect HONEST PEOPLE not criminal thugs who take stuff that they don’t want to pay for! Laws in this country are wrong unless you are a cop or government employee, because they think they are better or more important than the rest of us. I say they are not and we should not pay anything to protect them any more than the rest of society.

        We should not have to let someone leave just because they get to the door of our house or store. They are a threat to society if they get away. They are a threat to others because they got away with stealing again and are learning that they can get away with it. Our society needs to punish people more severely, Kill murderers and get them out of out jails and make room for thieves and other less violent criminals and keep them there.

    • Sally June 24, 2016, 7:34 am

      “This BS helped light off the LA riots”….really, like Odumbo and his fellow travelers saying that calling muslim terrorists “muslim terrorists caused jihad and all their murdering of innocents.
      What caused the LA riots was blacks and liberals. Blacks due to….well, it’s known what it’s due to, and liberals, because they only make excuses for the problems they’ve caused and refuse to take out the garbage when it’s necessary.

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