Good - Surveillance video shows violent confrontation at gas station - Houston, TX

[ANGLICO]

Rucks Russell / KHOU 11 News
khou.com
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:56 PM
Updated yesterday at 12:00 AM

.........Alexander Calloway, 21, and his two cousins were trying to enter the gas station on Martin Luther King and Belarbor around 3:30 a.m., but the store was locked.

The young men got into an argument with the clerk, who unlocked his door and came outside, police said.

Someone punched the clerk in the face and the clerk pulled out his gun and shot Calloway in the stomach, according to HPD.

.........Community members marched in front of the store and demanded justice. Calloway’s father blamed the clerk for what happened to his son.

“I’m just hurt,” said Allexander Calloway. “He didn’t have to shoot my son. He didn’t have to shoot my son.”

Read the rest/Watch Video: Surveillance video shows violent confrontation at gas station | khou.com Houston

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OldVet]

And just why did the clerk unlock the door with angry men outside? Stupid all around!

[mprp]

Looks like he was inviting the situation to come inside. I think I would have fired him just for doing that.

[Piratesailor]

Stupid.. To open the door in the first place. And there is an upstanding citizen... Quanell X... First class racist marching with e black panthers.

[FLArmadillo]

The video in the article shows me nothing useful other than that the idiot clerk opened the door.

I'm all about defending yourself, but this is like getting into a ring for a boxing match and then shooting the opponent and calling it self defense. The clerk KNEW what was going to happen when he opened the door.

[high pockets]

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. Talk about a hostile work environment, I think this one may be the ultimate example!

[RKflorida]

And just why did the clerk unlock the door with angry men outside? Stupid all around!

He didn't want to shoot through the expensive glass door.

[goldshellback]

Two stupid people being stupid it looks like me.

[Caertaker]

.........Community members marched in front of the store and demanded justice. Calloway’s father blamed the clerk for what happened to his son.

“I’m just hurt,” said Allexander Calloway. “He didn’t have to shoot my son. He didn’t have to shoot my son.”

He's right, the clerk didn't have to open the door or shoot his son but where did his son learn it was appropriate to punch someone in the face? No sympathy from me.

[theskunk]

The clerk should have called 911 - he just wanted to pop the kid

[MASSIVE]

Tell me if I'm wrong or if it was just edited or what not -- Did he have that gun *immediately* ready as that punch was thrown? As in "I'm grabbing my gun and opening the door" immediate?

"Self defense" maybe -- "Avoidable" also.

[ccw9mm]

If that video's "clean" and hasn't been edited ...

Texas law. The two of them were contributing to the "dialog." Unclear if the shooter actively provoked the other guy (TX PC 9.31). The shooter didn't attempt to "abandon the encounter" (TX PC 9.31). The single punch, alone, doesn't hardly seem to be defending against the "other's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly force" (TX PC 9.32), though we don't know what threats where being flung by the other, if any.

By itself, I don't see the video helping to justify the use of deadly force. But that's just from this "armchair" perspective.

As for whether it was sensible to open that door when the other person was agitated, I'd say that in a normal situation of people discussing things between a barrier it's entirely reasonable for a person to open the door to have a clearer discussion. BTDT myself, on both sides of the situation, as have most of us I'd bet. Unknown what was said, whether threats were voiced, but it was clear that both were elevating the discussion to in-your-face posturing, at minimum. Unknown whether the clerk attempted to deescalate, verbally demand the guy leave, attempt to disengage (though it doesn't appear so, from the vid).

[TheConcealer]

Who knows what was being said prior to the clerk opening the door. Perhaps it wasn't a violent argument, and only turned violent after the door was opened.

So maybe the clerk had a momentary lapse in judgement and opened the door when he probably shouldn't have, lets not condemn him for it. Everyone makes mistakes.

However, I can't say myself that I would have shot. It looks like after the clerk is punched the son steps back, if it were me I feel like I would have immediately drawn while trying to create distance, and if he followed me THEN I would have shot. But you never know how you will react in the situation.

[Cokeman]

Why was the door locked?

[MASSIVE]

Why was the door locked?

I can only speak for some of the stations around here, but many in the wee hours are gas only and the only potential contact with the employee on duty is a "night window" for exchanging cash.