NOTE: Since this article was first written, prosecutors announced that the alleged attempted robber will face several charges and the beer-toting customer who opened fire on the alleged attempted robber will not be charged.
An incredible surveillance video out of the town of Cassopolis, Michigan, shows a convenience store customer using a firearm to defend himself from a robber with one hand while clutching onto his six-pack of beer with the other.
Apparently, the robbery suspect, a man named Cordelius Anthony Martin, who is 35 years old, pulled a mask down over his face and declared that a robbery was in progress. But Martin, who was armed with a box cutter, was no match for the armed, beer-toting customer.
So that customer, who has a valid concealed carry permit and so was legally able to be carrying a concealed firearm, drew his pistol and, firing with just one hand, sent seven shots Cordelius’ way. Cordelius was wounded in the arm, in his back, and in his face by the gunfire. The final shot was fired as the armed robber crawled toward the beer-carrying customer.
Cordelius did survive, however, and is now being held on a $100,000 bond. He is also a convicted felon, leading many to question why he was back out on the streets and able to try to commit yet more crimes on the law-abiding population. However, as he is a three-time felon, this robbery attempt could land him in prison for the remainder of his life.
Watch that incident here:
The armed citizen told police after the shooting that he ran to his car and load another magazine in his firearm after the shooting, just to be safe. He then held Cordelius at gunpoint until the police arrived and were able to handle the situation.
The local prosecutor, Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz, said that he is going to wait until the police finish investigating the incident to determine whether to file criminal charges against the gun and beer-toting customer.
“In Michigan, obviously, we do have defense of others as part of the law in Michigan, that you can defend others if they’re in a situation that there’s dangerous force being used against them. And certainly in this case, we’ll be looking at the facts in regard to that,” Fitz said.
Michigan law provides that “An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission of a crime at the time he or she uses force other than deadly force may use force other than deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if he or she honestly and reasonably believes that the use of that force is necessary to defend himself or herself or another individual from the imminent unlawful use of force by another individual.”
That deadly force can be used when “The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual” or “The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent sexual assault of himself or herself or of another individual.”
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