A South Carolina convenience store owner who fatally shot a 14-year-old in the back after falsely accusing him of stealing was involved in at least two prior altercations in which he confronted people he suspected of shoplifting and then opened fire, authorities said.
As the owner, Rick Chow, remained in jail awaiting a bond hearing in the death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday revealed it had received numerous calls about trouble at the Xpress Mart Shell gas station. In one incident in 2015, Chow fired six times at a car after he tried to stop someone he suspected of shoplifting, it said. Three years later, he shot a man in the leg, department spokesperson Veronica Hill said.
Chow’s conduct in both cases “did not meet the requirements under South Carolina law to support criminal charges,” she said, adding authorities made that determination because he wasn’t the instigator in either incident.
Owner opens fire over accusations of stolen beer and peanuts
An incident report stated that in May 2015, Chow allegedly tried to stop a woman from stealing two cases of beer and a package of boiled peanuts.
Chow confronted the woman in the parking lot. The woman, who was not identified in the report, told him that she purchased the items and he said she had not.
The woman and Chow “began to struggle over the items” and she “began to yell for help” from a man seated inside her vehicle, the report stated. The woman allegedly threatened to shoot Chow, Hill said.
Chow grabbed the beer and the woman’s purse, which contained the peanuts, according to the report. The scuffle left Chow with two scratches and a broken glasses, the report said.
As the man and the woman attempted to drive away, Chow pulled out a handgun and fired about six shots at the vehicle, according to the report. No one was injured, Hill said.
Deputies responded but could not find the man and the woman, the report said.
A stolen can of Easy-Off, then…
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