A still-unidentified man put a halt to an armed robbery inside a Houston restaurant last Thursday when he shot and killed a perpetrator who was wildly waving what appeared to be a firearm inside the business. Houston Police are now asking for help from the public in identifying the man so they can question him about the occurrence.
Security cameras captured video of the entire event inside Ranchito #4 Taqueria in southwest Houston.
This is what happens when you try to rob a taqueria in Houston😬 pic.twitter.com/lu7eoSTSsU
— TXDeplorable (@Texas_Made956) January 7, 2023
In addition to the video, witness reports indicate the deceased suspect was wearing a black ski mask when he entered the building and immediately began pointing his weapon at customers and demanding they hand over their money. Police said the would-be robber was a Black male in his 20s.
As the robber was gathering money from the persons inside the restaurant, he turned his back on the armed customer who took him out. The customer, who police have described as a White or Hispanic male, shot the robber several times as he walked past.
The customer fired at least nine rounds to terminate the threat presented by the armed robber. He fired at least one shot after the suspect fell to the ground. The robber was later pronounced dead at the scene.
After neutralizing the threat, the armed customer took the money the robber had stolen and returned it to the patrons it had been taken from. He then left the scene before the police arrived.
An outside camera captured an image of the customer’s truck, which police described as a “1970s or ’80s model pickup truck with no bed.”
A Houston Police Department spokesperson told reporters that officers had not identified or contacted the armed customer as of Saturday afternoon. The spokesman referred to the customer as a “person of interest.”
In a press release, Houston police said no charges have been filed against the customer, but they wish to “speak to him about his role in the shooting.”
Houston attorney and former police officer Thomas Nixon told reporters that the man who was shot “was in the process of committing robbery and consequently the customer’s use of force in defense of himself and innocent third parties is completely justified in Texas.”
Nixon added the video clearly shows that the shooter “was reasonably in fear of serious bodily injury or death.”
