A man accused of killing a California gas station attendant during a “botched” robbery will not face a murder charge because the victim opened fire on the suspect even though his life was not in danger, authorities said Thursday.
James Williams, 36, was killed during an early Saturday morning shootout with Ronald Jackson Jr., 20, at a Chevron in Antioch, Fox San Francisco reported.
The Antioch Police Department said a gas station attendant called to report that a person had been shot at the Extra Mile Convenience Store shortly after 2 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the head inside the store.
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James Williams was shot and killed during a gas station robbery in Antioch, California. The alleged thief and murderer will not be charged with murder because he may possibly claim self-defense, authorities said Thursday.
(Saint Francis Fox)
“Officers on scene were able to determine that the victim was a clerk-employee at the gas station and was held up at gunpoint during what appears to be a ‘botched robbery,'” a police statement said.
Williams was working inside the store when he was confronted by two suspects, one of whom was identified as Jackson, who was allegedly armed with a gun. Williams then pulled his own gun from him.
Jackson allegedly ran out of the store, while dropping packs of cigarettes, and was shot. Williams continued to fire while Jackson was on the ground before Jackson reportedly returned fire, killing him, according to the news report.
“He didn’t deserve this, and he was a good guy, a family man,” Annette Matamoroz, Williams’ girlfriend and co-worker who was in the store when he was killed, told the news outlet.
Jackson was not charged with murder because, under the law, murder could be considered self-defense, authorities said. The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office said Williams pursued Jackson even though the threat of injury or bodily harm had subsided.
“In the eyes of the law, Mr. Williams’ actions ceased to be self-defense when Mr. Williams pursued Mr. Jackson and the other suspect with a firearm, and continued to pursue Mr. Jackson after they shot him,” Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a news release.
“The legal distinction is clear: when their property and life are threatened, an individual is legally justified in using deadly force in self-defense,” he added. “However, once the threat of harm has dissipated, the victim of a property crime cannot use deadly force to recover stolen property.”
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Antioch investigators presented their findings to the district attorney’s office, which instead “chose to charge Jackson with burglary, possession of stolen property and firearms enhancement, but declined to charge him with murder,” police said. .
“Members of the Antioch Police Department extend their condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Williams,” the department said.
Fox News Digital contacted the district attorney’s office.
