Garland, Texas Copper Thief Shot

Garland, Texas

From the July 10, 2008 Dallas Morning News:

Garland police say they do not plan to file charges against a 25-year-old man who fatally shot a suspected copper thief this morning.

The incident happened shortly before 1:20 a.m. at Bargain Town – Variety & Furniture store in the 5700 block of Broadway Boulevard, police said.

The business owner’s son had been guarding the roof after the store had been recently hit by copper thieves. The son said he confronted a man who had climbed on the roof. The son fired his gun, striking the man in the torso, police said. The man fled, climbing back down the building and collapsing on the ground.

Paramedics arrived to find the man had died. Police said he had a small backpack with tools investigators believe were used to steal copper.