Independence, Missouri Customer Shoots Shoplifter in Self-Defense

Independence, Missouri

From August 31, 2009 Fox News channel 4 (Kansas City):

INDEPENDENCE, MO. - Did an Independence man go too far in shooting a suspected shoplifter? The store manager of a Sun Fresh grocery store in Independence was trying to stop a suspected female shoplifter when a bystander intervened and shot her.

You won't hear Bill Miller apologizing. The 37-year-old is on crutches because of a broken foot, but he still sprang to action when he saw the store manager at Sun Fresh chase a female shoplifter into the parking lot.

"The customer service girl coming out screaming, 'Help, help, my manager's on the hood,'" Miller said.

Armed with a 9 millimeter and a conceal carry permit, Miller left his crutches behind and hopped on one foot toward the suspected shoplifter's car.

"I had it pointed downward on her, I told her stop, she looked at me smiled, turned the wheel at me, acted like she was going to run me over," MIller said. "I fired one round, I thought she was going to kill me and the manager."

Miller hit the suspect in the arm and fired another round at her tire.

"Well I don't think he should've shot her, but I agree it's a good idea to try and stop her," customer George Fleming said.

"I don't know, I still think that's vigilante, I just don't go for it," customer Vicki Sims said. "I think it's a little too vigilante."

"No it's not, these criminals got to be stopped," Miller said.

"He was legal to carry it, he was protecting somebody's life or livelihood and he did the right thing," customer Leslie Reid said.

Miller said that police said they would not charge him and that what he did was justifiable.

UPDATE: From September 2, 2009 KMBC channel 9:

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- The man who shot a suspected shoplifter in Independence won't face any charges, prosecutors said Wednesday.

...

With the car turned on, police said Carroll lunged the vehicle forward, striking the manager on the legs, leaving her clinging to the hood of the car.

William Miller was in the parking lot and saw it happen. He used his truck to block an exit and pulled out his handgun, repeatedly telling the driver to stop and get out, police said.

Police said Miller feared for his life and for the manager, and he fired a shot into the driver-side window. It hit Carroll in the shoulder and neck.