The Florida GameStop clerk who police say shot and killed a robber trying to steal a rare Pokémon card said he is “deeply sorry” for the victim’s family.
A somber Derrick Guerrero, 33, spoke about the fatal shooting of Chadrick Coats, 21, for the first time as he was bonded out of jail on a manslaughter charge Thursday.
“I am really sorry for the family. I didn’t mean for this to happen to the family,” Guerrero told reporters.
“That was not my intention.”
With his head down, Guerrero, a retired Marine and married father of two, repeatedly apologized as he waited to be picked up from jail, NBC 6 reported.
“I am very sorry for the family,” he said.
Guerrero was arrested shortly after the shooting Tuesday night.
He was working a shift at a GameStop location in Pembroke Pines when he saw Coats make off with five boxes of “ultra-premium” Pokémon Scarlet & Violet cards worth about $600, police said in a report.
Derrick Guerrero, 33, a retired Marine, apologized to the family of Chadrick Coats, 21, after police say he shot and killed the college sophomore for stealing Pokémon cards from a GameStop store. WSVN
Guerrero screamed, pulled a gun from his waistband — a gun he said he bought for protection after a previous robbery — and fired one shot, which hit the fleeing robber in the torso, officials said.
Coats dropped the stolen merchandise and ran to a waiting pickup truck, where his girlfriend called the police.
He was taken to a local hospital but died of his injuries three hours later.
Coats’ grandmother said he was a “good kid” and a sophomore at Florida Memorial University.
Guerrero was working at a GameStop location in Pembroke Pines when he saw Coats make off with five boxes of “ultra-premium” Pokémon Scarlet & Violet cards worth about $600, police said in a report.Chadrick Coats/facebook
The victim’s family has demanded justice for him.
Security cameras at the GameStop store showed that Coats never threatened Guerrero, police said.
It’s not the first time Coats has been accused of shoplifting.
Two weeks ago, the college student was arrested by police for allegedly stealing $500 worth of Pokémon cards from Macy’s in Plantation, station WSVN reported.
Guerrero screamed, pulled a gun from his waistband — one he said he bought for protection after a previous robbery — and fired one shot, which hit the fleeing robber, officials said.WSVN
He was released with a notice to appear.
During Guerrero’s initial appearance in court Wednesday, his attorney said his client served 10 years in the US Marine Corps before being honorably discharged.
He works as an assistant manager at GameStop to support his wife and two daughters.
Guerrero was robbed at work on Sept. 11 and had purchased the gun used in Tuesday’s shooting for his personal protection, police said.
In addition to posting $25,000 bond, Guerrero was ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor and surrender all of his weapons.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
