A Texas grand jury has opted not to press charges against the man who shot and killed a robber inside a taqueria in Houston the previous year.
In January 2023, a video showed Washington entering the El Ranchito taqueria, flashing what appeared to be a gun, and robbing the patrons. The grand jury decided on Wednesday not to press charges against the man who shot and killed Washington, 30, according to a press release from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the press statement, “Grand jurors ‘no billed’ the shooter.”
“Harris County grand juries are composed of 12 randomly selected residents who meet regularly for three months to review all criminal charges to decide whether there is enough evidence for a case to proceed,” the release said.
“A “true bill,” or indictment, is issued and the matter proceeds through the criminal court system if nine or more grand jurors find probable cause. A “no bill” would be issued, so absolving the defendant of any criminal responsibility, if nine or more grand jurors find there is insufficient probable cause. Grand jurors, not prosecutors, have the last say on whether to prosecute someone.”
At least nine rounds were fired from behind at the suspect, who fell to the ground and perished, by the armed patron, who Houston police have identified as a guy White or Hispanic.
After discovering that the gun was a phony plastic handgun, police solicited the public for assistance in finding the individual. Eventually, prosecutor Kim Ogg, a progressive from Houston, backed by George Soros, sent the matter to a grand jury.
Social media users saw the security footage go viral, and activists immediately demanded that the man—who has not been named by the authorities—be charged with a crime for what they saw to be a vigilante act.
Those who disagreed contended that the man had good grounds to fear for his life and that his acts were a lawful form of self-defense.
“What matters is not the actual nature of the firearm, but rather the belief held by the individual, this armed Samaritan, that it was real or could have been real,” criminal defense lawyer Sean Buckley of Houston stated to Fox News Digital in a previous interview.
“A person is justified in using force against another person when and to the degree he or she reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect him against the other person’s use of force.”
The gunman ought to have stopped shooting as soon as there was no longer a threat, according to Corine Goodman, Washington’s mother.
“I could take care of it if you had to kill him. That’s something I can accept. I recognize that he did something wrong,” she remarked. But after shooting him four times in the back before running off, he shoots him four more times when he falls. He mistreated him.”
Louis Casiano of Fox News Digital helped with this report.