Store Owner Charged After Shooting Beer Thief on Surveillance Camera

A Florida store owner is charged with attempted murder after he shot an alleged beer thief. 

Officials with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said that at 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday, 43-year-old Rennie Defoe Jr. walked into the Shell gas station, picked up three 18-packs of Nature Ice beer and walked out of the store without paying.

The store’s co-owner, 22-year-old Mehedeum Hasan, was caught on surveillance footage chasing Defote outside of the store with a gun in his hand while Defoe carried the beer to his car.

Defoe can then be seen tossing the beer into his car and quickly getting in. 

Hasan runs up to the vehicle driver’s side window, pointing the gun at Defoe, the video shows. 

Deputies said that as Defoe backed out to leave, Hasan fired the weapon, shooting him in the arm and chest. Defoe then sped off in the car but later crashed, police said. 

He was taken to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where he is listed in critical condition, reports said. 

Police said Defoe is a convicted felon and was released from prison in June.

On Wednesday, Hasan was arrested and charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and attempted second-degree murder. 

Deputies said beer was worth about $36.

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