In a stern warning to potential thieves, an Ohio county prosecutor has stated that those who target retail stores should "expect to be shot."
This warning comes in the wake of the indictment of a smoke shop manager involved in the fatal shooting of a teenager during an attempted robbery in Cincinnati earlier this year.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers filed charges on Tuesday against Tony Thacker, the manager of VIP Smoke Shop in Delhi Township, in connection with the shooting that occurred on October 20, as per a news release from the prosecutor's office. Thacker, 29, was indicted by a grand jury on eight counts, including five charges of felonious assault, tampering with evidence, and two counts of possessing weapons under disability, as he was not legally allowed to own a firearm due to a felony juvenile adjudication.
According to the release, Thacker, who resided in the back of the smoke shop, emerged just after 1 a.m. on October 20 with a firearm and allegedly fired at several suspects who had broken into the store by hurling rocks through the windows. Thacker discharged multiple shots at the would-be robbers, including 16-year-old Travis Johnson, who was fatally wounded while attempting to escape the scene in a stolen vehicle.
"There is simply no justification for shooting at someone as they are running away," Powers stated. "However, I want to make perfectly clear these retail thefts will not be tolerated. If you try to rob a store, you should expect to be shot."
Thacker reportedly continued to fire at the remaining suspects, including 19-year-old Amontae Carter, from the front of the store. Carter was seated in the back of one of the stolen cars at the time.
Delhi Township Police Chief Jeff Braun told Fox19 Now, "People have the right to stand their ground and protect themselves if somebody breaks into your home or your business. But as far as when somebody is fleeing away from you in this case driving away it's a little hard to say that you're obviously protecting yourself on the driving away."
The prosecutor's office has also indicted Carter on two counts of murder, two counts of burglary, and one count of possession of criminal tools. If convicted on all charges, Carter could face a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
Following the incident, Thacker and his 21-year-old brother Malachi allegedly attempted to disable the store's security system and remove shell casings. Malachi Thacker has been indicted on two counts of tampering with evidence.
Two individuals reportedly called 911 to report the shooting. One caller reported a disturbance, stating that she could hear a woman screaming. The other caller identified himself as the shop owner and confirmed that his employee had shot the intruder.
Three teenagers two males aged 15 and 17, and a 16-year-old female were arrested days after the incident following an anonymous tip. All three face charges of murder and burglary, despite reportedly not being involved in Johnson's death. The 16-year-old female and 17-year-old male also face charges of possessing stolen property.
Prosecutors stated that the three juvenile suspects had previously been charged and were awaiting transfer from juvenile court.
Johnson's 20-year-old brother, Isiah, was later charged with felonious assault for allegedly shooting a woman in her twenties at a vigil held for his sibling.
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