As reported, a violent armed robber who threatened the life of a Fresno, California liquor store clerk was fatally shot in self defense.
Police say that the robber and an accomplice entered the U-Save liquor store and pointed a pistol at the clerk, as part of an armed robbery attempt. Fearing for his life, the clerk reportedly grabbed the store-owned self defense pistol and shot one of the suspects in self defense, saving himself and ending the robbery. The armed robber, identified as 29 year old Fernando Valencia, is said to have died at the scene. Valencia reportedly had a criminal history which included carjacking, car theft, and illegally carrying a weapon. Speaking about the robbery, Police Chief Dyer reportedly said “In this incident, where the store owner made the decision to arm himself and shoot someone, as tragic as it is, that business owner had the right to defend himself in his own business and defend his property,”
Here we have yet another case where an armed citizen is able to shoot a violent robber before that robber could kill the citizen or another innocent person. Instead of ending up nearly killed by a robber after complying with demands for money, this clerk will be able to go on with his life. Remember, complying with robbers’ demands is no guarantee that they won’t become violent, and self defense is often the best way for a citizen to stay safe during a robbery. Society as a whole also seems to have benefited, as this violent criminal will never again victimize another innocent person.