Beer-toting customer who stopped robbery won’t be charged
- A customer stopped a robbery while holding his pack of beer
- Suspect, a three-time felon, could be sentenced to life
- Store clerk being robbed: ‘He saved my life’
Testing widget old system
(NewsNation) — It turns out a shopper in southern Michigan didn’t need anyone to hold his beer while he stopped a suspected armed robber.
Video obtained by NewsNation affiliate WOOD-TV shows a gas station customer in Cass County, Michigan, firing seven shots at the suspect, all while hanging on to his six-pack of beer.
Prosecutors announced Tuesday that the beer-toting man will not face charges.
“This is self-defense,” Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz told “On Balance” host Leland Vittert, later adding: “This patron acted lawfully and he acted to protect both himself, as well as even more so, the clerk in this situation.”
The shooting happened July 27 at the Stone Lake Marathon Mini Mart. Authorities say Cordelius Anthony Martin, 35, went into the store and threatened a clerk with a box cutter.
The beer-toting customer, who reportedly has a valid concealed carry permit, told investigators he could see a look of fear on the clerk’s face. He pulled out his handgun and shot the suspected robber in the face, arm and back. He held him at gunpoint until police got to the scene.
“In this situation, he made the decision he felt was reasonable at the time and certainly the clerk agreed with him,” Fitz said. “The clerk said, ‘He saved my life.’”
The suspect, who is a three-time felon, faces three new charges and is being held on a $100,000 bond. If convicted, he could reportedly face up to life in prison.
