Man Kills Thug Thief, Gets 8 Years in Prison
A year ago, a thug attempted to rob a convenience store while the owner was distracted. Now, the court’s reaction to how the clerk handled the situation has provided a reason to think carefully about self defense, especially if you live in a liberal state.
According to Fox Q13 News, a Washington state man was just sentenced to eight years in prison. However, the convicted man wasn’t the thug who attempted to rob the store. Instead, it was the store owner who tried to defend his establishment.
“Pierce County Superior Court Judge John Hickman sentenced Min Sik Kim, 31, owner of the Pacific Quick Shop on Pacific Avenue in Spanaway,” reported Q13 News. “Kim had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.”
Kim was dealing with a group of loitering men when Jakeel Rashon Mason tried to steal cigarettes from the store. Due to past incidents at the location, including a previous armed robbery attempted that left his wife injured, the store owner carried a handgun for protection.
That fact by itself did not put Min Sik Kim outside the law. However, what happened next would prove to be a mistake that all gun owners should consider.
Surveillance video from inside the convenience store showed that Kim confronted the thief, who was not armed.
“Mason puts both hands up and is not resisting. Kim then holsters the gun before punching Mason in the face,” Q13 News explained, based on the surveillance footage.
“The two men engage in a physical fight where both men exchange punches. Kim gets taken to the floor by Mason as both men continue to fight for several seconds,” the news report continued.
Even after the physical altercation, Mason attempted to flee the scene. The store owner’s next move would impact his life forever.
“Kim stood up and removed the firearm from the holster, positioned himself behind Mason, raised the gun, and shot Mason twice in the back as Mason fled,” stated Q13.
Mason, the would-be thief, died at the scene. While Kim may have thought that his actions were justified in the heat of the moment, the court and his own hindsight determined that the choice to shoot Mason was neither smart nor legal.
“I’m here to take responsibility for my actions in taking Mason’s life,” Kim stated to the court prior to sentencing. “I accept the consequences. I did not have the right to take his life.”
While it is unfortunate that a hard-working shopkeeper will now be going to prison, the facts show that his decisions were not wise. Instead of dismissing the incident, lawful gun owners throughout the country can use it as a case study, and learn from the outcome.
It’s important to remember that lethal force is only justified when there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. A heated incident may be over in seconds, but the pull of a trigger can create consequences that last forever.
The Second Amendment and the right to self defense are important. Hand-in-hand with that right, however, is a responsibility to exercise judgement and understand the law. This is true everywhere, but is especially important in liberal locations which are not friendly to legally armed citizens.
By studying unfortunate events such as this, all freedom-loving Americans can become better prepared… and that’s increasingly important in today’s world.
H/T: Milo
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