Rodney Duve, Texas Store Owner, Shot Man for Allegedly Stealing Beer (VIDEO)
Rodney Duve, owner of Duve's Quick Stop convenience store in Corpus Christi, Texas, shot and killed a man who was allegedly walking out without paying for two cases of beer Saturday night. Duve was arrested for the shooting, and despite the alleged thief's actions, the store owner may still face a trial.
Rodney Duve was in his store Saturday when an unidentified man entered. When the robbery suspect attempted to leave without paying for the two cases of beer, 51-year-old Duve shot him several times, including once in the head. The 39-year-old robbery suspect, whom KRIS-TV described as a "known gang member," was taken to the hospital, but died of his injuries later that night.
One neighbor believes the killing was unjustified, considering the circumstances.
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"He didn't have to shoot the person for two cases of beer," the neighbor who asked to remain anonymous told KRIS-TV. "A life doesn't equal two cases of beer."
The neighbor also said that when visiting the store, Duve had been in "a scary rage" on several occasions.
However, others think Duve was in the right, and was simply pushed to his limits.
"I probably would've done the same thing," another neighbor said. "It's one of those things where how many times can you be pushed until you fight back. Everybody has their limit."
Police have not confirmed that Duve's Quick Stop has been a robbery target in the past. Even if he had, though, a grand jury could say that the use of deadly force was unjustified, given the crime.
"Generally speaking you can use deadly force in self-defense of yourself or another person, if someone is using force against you," District Attorney Mark Skurka explained. "The law changes a little bit when we talk about deadly force in defense of property. … First off, it's got to be reasonable. … Or it has to be while you're in the course of someone committing robbery, aggravated robbery, burglary, rape, kidnapping, things like that."
Duve is being held at the Nueces County Jail on 35,000 bond. The small business owner's children have requested donations on gofundme.com. to pay for their father's legal fees.
