Clerk Faces Murder Charges For Bucking Shoplifter!

Store owner kills shopper. He faces a murder charge. He claims it was "self-defense". 

The law warns residents never become a hero if you're facing a potential threat. It's best to protect yourself from an attack. If you're cornered or force to take action, do so safely. It could be justified only if the threat can't allow you to escape.

Now it seems like you can't take actions into your own hands. A Washington state clerk faces a murder rap for bucking an alleged shoplifter.

The clerk claims that its was an act of self-defense.

Shooting in a Seattle-area convenience store.

Pierce County sheriff says that the evidence points to a cold-blooded killing.

Min Sik Kim of Spanaway was booked in the county lockup on a high class murder charge. He decided to handle an alleged shoplifter with the firearm. Jakeel Mason was the victim. The 21-year old man was shot in the back and he posed no threat to Kim or his business.

The victim was unarmed. This killer claimed that his business Pacific Quickmart was a target of chronic theft and robberies.

Kim says that the victim was trying to steal cigarettes. They got into a tussle and the victim pushed the killer to the ground. He claimed that the victim tried to reach for the killer's firearm.

Jakeel Mason in 2014.

He and his wife wanted to show the thieves that they're not going to take theft lying down. They decided to use their firearms to stroke fear in Black shoppers who loiter too much. They wanted to show Black shoppers that they're not going to allow them to steal from them.

The law said that the video shows a store clerk profiling a shopper. The video  shows that the struggle started when the store clerk punching the victim and the victim goes to leave the store, the killer puts the slugs in him.

The killer's wife Suel, got into a violent confrontation with an alleged robber. She was grazed by a slug. She was treated for the injuries. The robber got away. This happened last month.

Okay, Detective Ed Troyer speaks on this.

"We know that just the previous month that his wife was shot at in a robbery, we understand that. That probably leads to high emotions and people carrying weapons, but if you're going to carry weapons you have to have the responsibility of carry that weapon. We can't have shoplifts turn into homicides."

The victim had a criminal history. Mason plead guilty to attempted burglary and trying to abduct a 6-year old girl.

Kim will face the judge soon on second degree murder. These charges could land Kim in the iron college for the rest of his LIFE.

Kim is innocent until proven guilty.

If the alleged suspect stole something, it's best to avoid confrontation. If the suspect attacks you and you try to defend yourself by using deadly force, then the law could determine if the encounter is justified or a criminal act.

An eerie reminder of the tragic death Latasha Harlins. Around the Rodney King beating in 1992, a teen was killed by a store clerk in a South Los Angeles liquor store.  The killer Soon Ja Du murdered Latasha after a confrontation over a stolen bottle of orange juice. The killer claimed that the teen punched her.

The law concluded that the killing was justified and Du was released. This along with the dismissal of LAPD officers accused of beating King sparked the Los Angeles riots.

World News Today send our condolences to the family of Jakeel Mason.