City shopkeeper guns down armed robber, police say

Reading Eagle ^ | 03/04/2006 | Keith Mayer

[Big E]

It will be interesting to see if they press charges against the shopkeeper.

[SquirrelKing]

Even if he lived, the perp should have been charged with bringing a knife to a gun fight.

[Larry Lucido]

Shop keeper deserves an award.

[Looking4Truth]

ran out the front door, turned and fired once at the fleeing robber about 12:30 p.m.,

I agree that the perp was wrong, but this is going to be a sticky situation IMO considering what (little) I know about most laws pertaining to self-defense.

I'm thinking it might have been better to shoot the POS in the store but I wasn't there so I'll leave it at that.

[nightdriver]

Did the shopkeeper get his money back?

[tubebender]

Self defense? ping

[Supernatural]

PA's laws on defense suck. My state. Makes me ashamed.

[metmom]

Another bedtime story with a happy ending ping

[txroadkill]

...the owner of Gregory's Market, 12th and Green streets, ran out the front door, turned and fired once at the fleeing robber about 12:30 p.m., investigators said. Zarzuela killed the man...

Good shoot'n Tex! The dude was running and everything. That's a pretty good shot for a shop keeper.

[Ronin]

“Comply with the robber's demands and call police,” he said. “I wouldn't suggest confronting these people (robbers).”

When is this stupid mentality going to die?

Every time a citizen, shopkeeper, homeowner "complies" with the robbers, not only that robber but all of his lowlife pals are further emboldened to commit the same kind of crimes.

Yet every time the same kind of citizen, shopkeeper, homeowner take immediate action to defend his property or life, or the lives of his family, the Dudly-Dooright Dingalings calling themselves police, haul out the same tired mantra...

The ONLY thing this guy did wrong, IMHO, is let the POS out of the store and shoot him as he ran away. It would have been better for all concerned if the immediate response to his demand for money had been an immediate lead injection -- but I wasn't there, like the poster above said -- so I can't really call that a legitimate beef.

If he isn't charged (which would be justice) one thing is for sure. Robbers are not going to mess around with his store in the future.

[B4Ranch]

Well said.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

[im4eagles]

I'm thinking it might have been better to shoot the POS in the store

Exactly, the robber was no longer a threat, the shop owner could be charged with manslaughter. Tough call, but the shop owner also endangered the public.

If the shop owner does not plead out, a trial will probably result in guilty verdict, with probation. Don't know the mandatories in that state, if the shop owner has a record he could get a few years.

Robbers in that town better pay attention, the risk factor has certainly gone up.

[Looking4Truth]

Good shoot'n Tex! The dude was running and everything.

As serious as this sh*t is, you made me laugh out loud. F'n 'ay. Thanks.

[Gondring]

Officials had not determined the identity of the dead man; he was checked for identification, but had none.

My guess is that it's Jesus. A former co-worker tells me that it seems like Jesus is killed in Reading every month.

[paul51]

Lehman advised shop owners not be as aggressive during robberies as Gregorio Zarzuela had been

Just bend over and hope they don't kill you for kicks on the way out. I'd like to see one friggin cop take their own stupid advice.

[paul51]

I don't find justification (as far as the legal grounds of self-defense) for shooting a fleeing robber, presumably in the back, because you cannot prove your life was in danger when you fired.

The notion that someone should let a violent felon go because he is no longer a threat to his current victim is pathetic. I say get them whenever and however you can and save their future victims and their families grief. The law has got to change on this one.

[Gondring]

PA's laws on defense suck. My state. Makes me ashamed.

Pennsylvania Constitution, Article I, Section 21:
The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

However, that does not grant the right to chase down someone and shoot him.

[Supernatural]

Yes, I know. PA ain't Texas.