News/Commentary

Full video of diner shooting armed robber has some people upset, cops now have questions

January 8, 2023 | | Print Article

Police in Texas are seeking a man who was captured on surveillance video during a robbery at a Houston area Mexican restaurant where he responded to a masked thug waving a gun and stealing money from customers by pulling out his own piece and shooting the would-be robber dead.

The action went down on Thursday night at the Ranchito #4 Taqueria in southwest Houston when diners had their meals rudely interrupted by the perp who stormed into the eatery, began waving his gun around and demanded that the customers give him their money and valuables, it would be the final act in his criminal career.

Surveillance video of the incident shows the robber in the dining area of the establishment stalking the floor as customers cower under and behind tables but the two men sitting at a table to his left not only remained calm and seated but on of them drew his own gun and shot the thief dead — the video has since gone viral.

(Video: KHOU)

While the video posted by media outlets stops prior to the shooting, another longer version has since become available on social media that shows the customer with the gun shooting the thug multiple times and then for good measure, squeezing off another few rounds into his fallen body.

The graphic video has been flagged for sensitive content by Twitter.

Unfortunately for the robber – who police said is a man in his twenties – he didn’t act out in a city in one of the deep blue states run by criminal-coddling Democrats where thugs are emboldened to prey on the citizenry but rather in Second Amendment-loving Texas where law-abiding citizens are armed and such actions are a major gamble, one that the Ranchito Taqueria bandit badly lost.

Even worse for the attempted robber is that he didn’t even have a real gun.

“The robbery suspect he came into the store and was wearing masks and gloves,” an HPD police officer said according to KHOU. “He had a plastic pistol possibly an aero soft or possibly a little BB pistol.”

Houston Police released a statement saying that no charged had been filed against the man, who along with other victims and witnesses fled the scene, but they want to ask him some questions and are asking for the public’s help in locating him.

Police also released a picture of the shooter as well as his vehicle.

“Know the man’s ID? Call HPD Homicide 713-308-3600. He is not charged at this time,” the HPD said on Twitter.

(Image: Screengrab/Twitter/Houston Police)

Twitter users reacted to the incident with much of the commentary being favorable to the man who is being described as a hero, a predictable reaction in a country where violent crime has spiked.

The owner of the restaurant also believes that the man is a hero.

“If he had a real gun he would have shot all the clients,” Pedro Lopez told KHOU. “He’s a hero to me, he is not an assassin, he is a hero.”

(Video: KHOU)

A major question remains as to whether the shooting was justifiable.

“I can point you exactly where it is in the law, 9.31 and 9.32 of the penal code,” said Nathan Beedle with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office,” KHOU reported. “Beedle says Texas law outlines specific instances pertaining to robbery by threat, or aggravated robbery, where deadly force is presumed justified.”

“Whether someone uses deadly force in the situation, that is presumed to be correct under Texas law,” said Beedle.

“The person he shot was in the process of committing robbery and consequently his use of force in defense of himself and innocent third parties is completely justified in Texas,” lawyer and former Houston cop Thomas Nixon told local media outlet KPRC. “He was reasonably in fear of serious bodily injury or death.”

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Chris Donaldson
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