Houston Man Who Shot Robbery Suspect who Spoke With Police and was Released has Now Been Referred to Grand Jury

Houston police have spoken with the man who fatally shot a robber at a taqueria in Houston, TX. He was released after questioning and the incident was referred to a grand jury to determine if charges are warranted.

The alleged robber was identified as Eric Eugene Washington, 30. Washinton entered the taqueria on Thursday just before 11:30 pm. He was wearing a mask and pointed what turned out to be a fake gun at customers demanding money and wallets.

A customer who had complied with Washington’s demands took out a gun of his own and shot the robber. Washinton was pronounced dead at the scene. The man who shot the robber returned people’s stolen money back to them.

Washington had committed a robbery previously in 2013 and was charged with capital murder as a man was killed during that armed robbery. The charge Washington faced was changed to aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and Washington, after being convicted was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

He was released early, and was currently out on bond after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend on December 16th.

Currently, the question is, was the shooting justified? KHOU 11 reported:

KHOU Legal Analyst Carmen Roe said the shooting appears to be in self-defense but understands why police wanted to talk to the shooter.

“One of the reasons that law enforcement is seeking out this individual is to find out whether he was in fear for his life or the lives of the people around him because that’s absolutely essential to a self-defense claim under the law,” Roe said. “If you’re justified in shooting the first bullet, you’re justified in continuing to shoot until the deadly threat is no longer there.”

Nathan Beedle works with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. He said Texas law outlines specific instances pertaining to robbery by threat, or aggravated robbery, where deadly force is presumed justified.

“I can point you exactly where it is in the law: 9.31 and 9.32 of the penal code,” Beedle said. “Whether someone uses deadly force in the situation, that is presumed to be correct under Texas law.”

Roe said it didn’t matter if the gun used in the robbery was fake because the threat was real.

“Everybody in that restaurant clearly believed it was a real gun,” she said.

It seems that whether charges are brought against the man who appears to have shot the man in self-defense is now in the hands of a grand jury.

Outrage Ensues After Houston Police Announce that they are Seeking Man Who Fatally Shot Robbery Suspect For ‘Questioning’ and that he is not Charged ‘At This Time’