Houston, TX -The shooting of a robber at a Houston taqueria has stirred up controversy, with some calling the shooter a hero, while local community activists are calling for his arrest. The incident occurred in late January when a customer inside a Houston taqueria shot and killed 30-year-old Eric Eugene, who was robbing customers at gunpoint. The shooter fired nine shots at Eugene as he was leaving the restaurant, even though the gun he used was fake. He continued to fire as Eugene lay on the ground, and he fired one final shot into Eugene’s head after he had been disarmed. Local community activist Quanell X has called the shooter’s actions excessive and believes that he should be charged.
“We cannot have a society where our citizens are judge, jury, and executioner,” Quanell X said, adding that he hopes the grand jury will take action. “If they don’t, the message that will be sent will be the wild wild west.”
It is important to note that Eric Eugene had promised his mother he would do better just hours before the robbery at El Ranchito that ended his life. While the shooter’s attorney has stated that his client was justified in self-defense, defense of others, and defense of property, Quanell X argues that the shooter went beyond what was necessary to defend himself.
“This is a civilized society, and we cannot condone killing like that,” Quanell X said. “We’re not knocking the man for defending himself, but we’re knocking him for what he did extra beyond that.”
Quanell X also pointed out a moment in the video where the shooter is seen dumping his drink on Eugene’s body and throwing the cup at him as he was leaving the scene. According to Quanell X, this constitutes abuse of a corpse, which is a misdemeanor crime in Harris County. Despite the shooter’s attorney’s claims that his client acted within the law, the case has been sent to a grand jury, who will decide whether he should face charges. It is important to remember that in a civilized society, we must follow the rule of law and not take matters into our own hands. While self-defense is justifiable, excessive force is not. We must hold everyone accountable for their actions, even in cases where the line between self-defense and excessive force may be blurred.