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Fearing for life, pharmacist kills gunman (Texas)
mysanantonio.com ^ | 27 May, 2009 | Eva Ruth Moravec

Posted on 05/29/2009 5:10:15 AM PDT by marktwain

Just before walking into Babcock Square Pharmacy, the gunman lurked suspiciously around the parking lot Wednesday morning — even moving his car several times before making his move.

Carole Ann Aguirre, manager of the neighboring Martha's Mexican Restaurant, said the white Honda lingered enough that her grandson, Christopher, mistook it as that of a relative's and walked up to it.

“He opened the car door and thought it was his uncle,” Aguirre said. “But he saw the man had a bandana around his face and was wearing rubber gloves, so he came back in and told us what happened.”

Aguirre's son-in-law, Charlie Rojas, called police shortly before 10 a.m. to report the suspicious person. But before Rojas could hang up, the gunman had moved his car once more, this time parking it near the pharmacy at Babcock and Huebner roads.

Esmeralda Rodriguez, who was walking to her job next door at Natural Health Improvement Center, remembers seeing the light-blue surgical gloves the stranger wore. But, she didn't think more of it as she walked into the health center.

About 10 minutes later, Rodriguez heard two loud noises coming from the pharmacy. Moments later, the pharmacy owner's wife, 60-year-old Patricia Wynn, ran into the health center in hysterics.

“She was so stunned; she just kept saying, ‘We almost got robbed,'” Rodriguez said.

The stranger who had been loitering in the parking lot had walked into the pharmacy carrying a black revolver and a note demanding the narcotic drug OxyContin and some money, according to authorities.

Once inside, the gunman handed the note to a clerk behind the counter, Police Chief William McManus said. The clerk was one of three people inside the pharmacy at the time of the robbery attempt. The others were the pharmacy owner, 62-year-old Bill Wynn, and his wife.

The details about what happened next are unclear, but McManus said the clerk was able to inform the pharmacy owner of the attempted robbery. Wynn, who had been robbed before, somehow managed to arm himself with a gun.

That's when McManus said the robber uttered his last words: “Let's get it on.”

Police said Wynn reacted quickly, shooting the gunman in the chest.

“I was scared to death,” Wynn later said, declining to comment further.

Police arrived to find the gunman, whose identity wasn't released Wednesday, lying on his back in a pool of blood. In his right hand was a cocked revolver.

McManus said Wynn wouldn't face any charges in connection with the shooting.

“He was in fear (for) his life,” the chief said. “He has a right and state law allows him to defend himself.”

The dead man wasn't immediately identified, so his relatives couldn't be reached for information.

Wednesday's pharmacy shooting became the third justifiable homicide of the year for San Antonio, not including a shooting death May 17 that's still being investigated as possible self-defense. The number, however, is half of what it was at this time in 2008, a year the city's justified homicide rate jumped significantly from previous years.

Wynn's wife said it's not uncommon for pharmacists to keep guns.

“A lot of pharmacies do, but we carry one because we have been robbed before,” she said without elaborating.

One of their employees, Maria Martinez, said it's been years since the pharmacy last was robbed.

Lindsay Simpkins, a cashier at Martha's Mexican Restaurant, said no one suspected the pharmacy owner — a man with a strong sense of humor — to fatally shoot anyone.

The pharmacy was closed the remainder of the day.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; defense; robbery; tx
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To: marktwain

Good thing this pharmacist was in Texas, if he was in Oklahoma he might have been charged with murder one like happened a few weeks ago in an almost exactly similar case.


21 posted on 05/29/2009 5:42:49 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: marktwain
I notice that the jusifiable homicides jumped, then dropped. I am not sure if it is statisticly significant, or if robbers are learning that it is a very dangerous business.

I think getting killed for your efforts reduces the recidivism rate.

22 posted on 05/29/2009 5:51:45 AM PDT by Retired COB (Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
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To: Abathar

There are some significant differences in the cases. The big one being this guy killed him the first time, he didn’t come back and finish the job. The pharmacist in Oklahoma wasn’t charged until it was determined that his first shot didn’t kill the robber.


23 posted on 05/29/2009 5:57:06 AM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: Abathar

Probably not.
The Texan didn’t walk up to the unconscious man and pump another couple rounds into the crook.

Even the Oklahama DA says the first shots were justifiable, but the follow up “coup de gras” shots were murder.
I think the law will agree with him.


24 posted on 05/29/2009 5:59:03 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: Tenacious 1

“The sentence seems to suggest that the idea of the owner being able to arm himself was a lucky or amazing occurrence. Maybe I’m just nitpicking.”


I noticed it as well. I would have written something like:
The pharmacist, who had prudently armed himself...


25 posted on 05/29/2009 6:00:39 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: SJSAMPLE
“The Texan didn’t walk up to the unconscious man and pump another couple rounds into the crook.”

Whether the robber was unconscious or not is a major point of dispute in the case. My understanding is the video tape does not show the robber on the floor when the robber is shot the second time.
26 posted on 05/29/2009 6:02:29 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: Niteranger68

Good point. I suppose the reporter would suggest his neighbors would more likely of expected the owner to tell the criminal a joke to thwart the attempt. They apparently just can’t seem to picture this guy seriously defending his life and those of his employees and wife.


27 posted on 05/29/2009 6:05:54 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (We may officially be too stupid to govern ourselves.)
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To: SJSAMPLE
It has not been determined that the perp was unconscious when shot. The pharmacist maintains that the perp was moving and that he felt threatened.
28 posted on 05/29/2009 6:08:53 AM PDT by SVTCobra03 (You can never have enough friends, horsepower or ammunition.)
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To: marktwain

If we’re talking about Oklahoma, the first shot was to the crook’s head.
He was definitely down.
The pharmacist went to get a second gun and go after the other crook.
When he returns, that’s when he shoots the first guy a couple more times.


29 posted on 05/29/2009 6:09:26 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: SVTCobra03

I hope he can prove this.
The first shot was to the head, so he’ll have a hard time if the coroner says the first shot was a “show stopper”.

Personally, I think the crook’s death will have a positive message, while a conviction of the pharmacist should have a negative effect.

The rule is to keep shooting through the first volley, because you’ll have a hell of a time justifying a return trip.


30 posted on 05/29/2009 6:11:26 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: SJSAMPLE

The story I read was the robber did sit back up or continue to be a threat when he shot him again, that was the contention between his story and the police version.

In fact I applaud the DA for standing up to the judge in that case and requesting the pharmacist be allowed to be armed until the case is heard in court. She refused, but even then how can she agree to charge him with murder one in the first place? Manslaughter is the most he should be charged with, murder one is premeditated, he never set out to kill anyone that day.

That whole case is whacked IMHO, it will be interesting to follow and see how it goes.


31 posted on 05/29/2009 6:16:29 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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.


32 posted on 05/29/2009 6:45:42 AM PDT by TexasBeth
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To: 1010RD

Oh come one, they didn’t charge the owner with first degree murder? /s


33 posted on 05/29/2009 7:08:31 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Obama is mentally a child of ten. Just remember that when he makes statements and issues policy.)
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To: Abathar

The only good thing about that charge, murder one, is that the pharmacist will NEVER be convicted of it.

The local DA really screwed up filing that charge. I wouldn’t be surprised if the judge dismisses the case.


34 posted on 05/29/2009 7:11:39 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Obama is mentally a child of ten. Just remember that when he makes statements and issues policy.)
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To: marktwain
‘We almost got robbed,'” Rodriguez said.

bwahahahahaa.... perfect description. Like the robber "almost" got out alive....

God I love Texas.

As for the robber....

Photobucket

35 posted on 05/29/2009 7:33:18 AM PDT by erman (Outside of a dog, a book is man's best companion. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.)
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To: Tenacious 1
I suppose the reporter would suggest his neighbors would more likely of expected the owner to tell the criminal a joke to thwart the attempt.

LOL!!!

36 posted on 05/29/2009 7:40:21 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (If you haven't purged you company of 0bama supporters, you are part of the problem.)
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To: SJSAMPLE
If we’re talking about Oklahoma, the first shot was to the crook’s head. He was definitely down. The pharmacist went to get a second gun and go after the other crook. When he returns, that’s when he shoots the first guy a couple more times. All this crap does is embolden criminals and make honest store owners fear to defend themselves.
37 posted on 05/29/2009 7:56:59 AM PDT by calex59
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To: SJSAMPLE
If we’re talking about Oklahoma, the first shot was to the crook’s head. He was definitely down. The pharmacist went to get a second gun and go after the other crook. When he returns, that’s when he shoots the first guy a couple more times.

You know what, he could have just grazed the guy in the head, by the time he got back the guy could have been trying to attack the pharmacist, that's what the pharmacist says. Now, personally, I don't care if the guy was still kicking or not or trying to get up. He deserved what he got and there is no way this should be called murder. He wouldn't have shot the guy if the guy wasn't trying to rob his store and possibly kill the pharmacist. I hope he gets off and I am praying he does. The DA that charged this pharmacist is a coward.

All this crap does is embolden criminals and make honest store owners fear to defend themselves.

38 posted on 05/29/2009 7:57:21 AM PDT by calex59
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To: 1010RD
“I was scared to death,” Wynn later said, declining to comment further.

I can tell he's taken the concealed carry class...

39 posted on 05/29/2009 11:37:24 AM PDT by Redbob (W.W.J.B.D.: "What Would Jack Bauer Do?")
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To: Tenacious 1
"Wynn... somehow managed to arm himself with a gun."

You're not just nit-picking: it always astounds the liberals when someone is able to arm himself, and use that weapon effectively.

Out here in the real world, however, it happens all the time.

"Let's get it on," indeed!

40 posted on 05/29/2009 11:40:35 AM PDT by Redbob (W.W.J.B.D.: "What Would Jack Bauer Do?")
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