East Texas Liquor Store Owner Shoots, Kills Alleged Burglar

COLDSPRING, Texas — The owner of a liquor store in East Texas shot and killed a man who broke into the building and was in the process of stealing merchandise, according to the local sheriff. Store security cameras captured the incident and was reviewed by law enforcement.

The owner of Frank’s Liquor Store in Coldspring spent the night in his store Tuesday night saying he was too tired to drive home and his wife was out of town. Shortly before six a.m. Wednesday morning, the owner was awakened by the sounds of a man who broke into the store, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told Breitbart Texas in a phone interview. He bought the store about nine months ago and lives about 30 minutes away.

“Store security cameras captured both the audio and video of the incident,” Capers said. “When the owner heard someone in the store, he got up to investigate.”

Capers said the burglar entered the building through a drive-through window “and began his shopping spree.” He said the man put several bottles in bags and was in a storage room when the owner confronted the burglar, he stated.

The sheriff told Breitbart the video shows the man moving toward the owner who yelled at the suspect to, “Show me your hands!”

Fearing for his life, the store owner fired a single shot striking the suspect in the rear of his shoulder area as he turned away from the store owner. “It appears the shot caused spinal damage he did not appear to be able to move his legs after he fell.

Emergency medical teams arrived and transported the wounded man to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, Sheriff Capers stated.

“After reviewing the video, we did not arrest the store owner in relation to the shooting,” the sheriff explained. “A grand jury will review the case as a matter of standard procedure but it appears to be a justified shooting.”

Texas law allows the owner of a business to use deadly force if he believes he is in danger of losing his life or sustaining severe bodily injury. There is no requirement to retreat before using deadly force.