
In an action-packed sequence in a San Antonio, Texas mall, a hard-nosed Ford truck owner went full cowboy, defending his property in a shootout that saw an alleged car thief bite the dust. The spectacle unfolded in the southern section of the mall’s parking lot, igniting a fierce debate on the lines of self-defense and the sanctity of property rights.
The 45-year-old truck owner, indulging in some retail therapy at the mall, promptly sprang into action when he discovered his prized truck was stolen.
Unyielding, he tracked down his hot-wired vehicle to the southern end of the mall. Inside, he found the alleged 34-year-old car thief and his 25-year-old female accomplice. He didn’t hesitate to draw his gun and keep them in check, all while dialing up the boys in blue.
A man tracked down his stolen truck in Texas and confronted the alleged car thief, who was killed in an ensuing gunfight with the car owner, police say. https://t.co/Owt09T5U61
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 28, 2023
Unfortunately, the face-off spiraled into a deadly encounter just moments before the police arrived. The alleged thief brandished his own firearm, firing at the truck’s rightful owner. In a textbook act of self-defense, the truck owner retaliated, fatally striking the would-be thief.
The female accomplice, caught in the dramatic exchange of bullets, was critically wounded.
Don’t steal and point a gun at the owner; then maybe you won’t get capped. https://t.co/Xrd1Wuy2hq
— Grand Admiral of Propaganda (@TheIOGuy) July 28, 2023
San Antonio Police Chief McManus acknowledged that the slain suspect was indeed the “bad guy”, guilty of pinching the truck. While he didn’t outright advocate the use of lethal force to safeguard property, McManus recognized the owner’s response as an act of self-defense.
“I guess it would depend on who you asked if he did the right thing or not… We would prefer that (you) call the police before taking that into your own hands,” he declared.
“But he (the truck’s owner) did what he felt he needed to do and we have one dead suspect and we have a critically wounded passenger who was with the suspect and we have a wounded owner of the vehicle,” he added.
Opinions are divided among the public on the truck owner’s vigilantism. Some laud his audacity to defend what’s rightfully his, while others caution about the risks of playing judge, jury, and executioner, suggesting police intervention as the preferred course of action.
Regardless of the public opinion, the truck owner might avoid legal jeopardy, as Texas law permits the use of deadly force to recover stolen property. Amidst this legal and moral quandary, the identities of all parties involved remain anonymous.