Susil

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Username:: susil
Name:: Susil
Location:: Carthage, MS
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Life & Events > Death by Beer

Death by Beer

I was listening to a talk radio station yesterday from Jackson (our Mississippi state capitol.) The hot topic of the day was an incident where the owner of a convenience store saw a man take a case of beer and run outside to his car. The owner ran after the man and fired two shots. The thief was fatally shot.
The question was: Was the convenience store owner guilty of murder? I was surprised that about half the callers who phoned in had the opinion that the owner should be indited for murder--they cited the Bible "Thou shalt not kill." The other half said give the owner a medal for reducing the law breaking gene pool by one. In other words, the beer thief got what was coming to him.
Convenience store owners are frequent targets for criminal activity and I side with the owner. After a while you just get fed up. One caller said if the thief had taken a loaf of bread, or milk, you could make allowances for hunger, maybe. But beer, no way. I wonder what your take is on this? susil

posted on Aug 20, 2008 1:08 PM ()

Comments:

I can see both sides of the argument and truly can't side at this time.

comment by shesaidwhat on Aug 26, 2008 4:55 AM ()

Didn't read all the prev comments, but my thought was where the Bible says something about an eye for an eye, and one dead dangerous beer thief maybe pays for one dead convenience store employee somewhere, with many more to be avenged. But what do I know?

comment by troutbend on Aug 24, 2008 7:52 PM ()

I think he will likely end up being charged at least with manslaughter- if not murder. His life was not at risk when he shot the thief. The whole thing is downright tragic.

comment by dragonflyby on Aug 23, 2008 8:36 AM ()

The reason the owner should be in trouble is because if the thief had been caught, he would not have been sentenced to death for stealing a case of beer. The punishment here does not fit the crime no matter how frustrating it is to be robbed. panthur says if a guy comes into his home, etc. I think that is a far different scenario. I wake up and see a guy standing over my bed, and I have a gun, he's dead meat. A man running away is not threatening your life. Property does not equal death. Store owners with guns are supposed to use them to protect themselves.

comment by tealstar on Aug 21, 2008 2:12 PM ()

Too bad he had to choose that store to steal from but I am with the owner who shot him. I despise thieves.

comment by elderjane on Aug 21, 2008 11:59 AM ()

Touchy issue just now in these parts. A gas station near me was just robbed and the young attendant (son of a city firefighter) was shot in the head and killed after quickly handing over the cash. The killer and his two buddies (age 20 and younger) were all caught a day or so later, as was the guy who came into the station right after the shooting, saw the poor kid on the floor, and stole a bunch of cigarettes instead of calling the police and 911. Folks are fuming about this.

comment by marta on Aug 21, 2008 4:12 AM ()

Several years ago in Chicago, a store owner was arested and charged
with firing a gun within the city limits, while trying to protect
himself from a robber.

comment by larryb on Aug 20, 2008 8:10 PM ()

Well, convenience store owners never know when someone is going to walk in, take $50 bucks and kill them to keep them from ID'ing them. However, I might have been prone just to wing the guy rather than kill him over a 12 pack of beer.

comment by redimpala on Aug 20, 2008 6:25 PM ()

I think stealing is wrong.The thief wasn't armed and was running away.
I have to say the store owner should of just called the police.I just think it is sad that a man is dead now over a case of beer.

Laurie

comment by dogsalot on Aug 20, 2008 4:35 PM ()

p.s. Your blog title made me think of a few times when I was hung over after a night of to many beers. I thought it was "death by beer." lol

comment by anniel on Aug 20, 2008 2:15 PM ()

A thief running away does not pose bodily harm or any direct threat to the store owner. He should have called the police. I think shooting the guy just got him in a bunch of trouble.

comment by anniel on Aug 20, 2008 2:14 PM ()

The penalty for petty theft is not death. The thief was running AWAY from the store owner and thus was no threat.
Jondude is right. My friend a State Trooper planned to kill his girlfriend's husband. A hothead with a history of family violence, the husband broke the front door. My friend shot him at an angle so he fell completely inside the house.

comment by bumpedoff on Aug 20, 2008 1:44 PM ()

Aim to kill. If you only wound a thief or intruder, he can sue you. Here you must wait until a burglar is inside your house before you are allowed to shoot or brain him with your nine iron. If any part of the criminal is outside, you are in the wrong. I say, kill him then drag him in. But I don't get along with thieves, so there.

comment by jondude on Aug 20, 2008 1:17 PM ()

Not that I agree with Murder however if some stupid jacka** wants to come to my home or business and try to rob it or I...I plan to defend myself if I can. If the man didn't want to be shot then he shouldn't have been trying to steal.

comment by panthurdreams on Aug 20, 2008 1:16 PM ()

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Death by Beer