A Colorado Springs liquor store owner was recently cleared of criminal charges for shooting a shoplifter in the face. As reported by KRDO NewsChannel 13, the store owner shot a man on October 25 after the man stole a bottle of vodka.
The man dived into a getaway car, and the store owner was trying to write down the car’s license plate number when someone hit him in the head with a hard object. The store owner fired gunshots into the car. One shot hit the shoplifter in the jaw, and another shot hit an accomplice in the leg. The store owner was arrested three months later, but was not officially charged with any crime.
The store owner was shot during a previous robbery in his store and nearly died, according to his attorney, and naturally took whatever measures necessary to protect himself. The attorney stated that his client was relieved when the judge dismissed the case. The store owner has been a business owner in Colorado for 18 years and has no plans to close his liquor store.
The shoplifter faces a Class 2 misdemeanor charge because the value of the item he took is less than $500–unless he took a very expensive bottle of vodka. Because the store owner was assaulted during the crime, the shoplifter may also be facing assault charges, which carry a even harsher punishment. The Colorado criminal defense attorney in this case was able to establish that there was no criminal intent on the part of the store owner. The attorney stated that there had been several shoplifting incidents before the October 25 incident in which no one was hurt. The Colorado criminal defense attorney successfully established that the store owner was acting in self defense, using whatever means necessary. As a result, his client was cleared of his charges.
