Accused car thief shot dead by owner as he drove off in Alabama parking lot, cops say
An attempted car theft left one man dead after the vehicle’s owner shot the alleged thief, Alabama police said.
Around 6:20 a.m. on March 17, Huntsville police were called to a business after reports of a shooting, according to a news release.
A man is accused of trying to steal a vehicle while the owner went inside the business, according to police. When the vehicle owner saw the man in his car, he confronted the would-be thief.
Police say the car owner repeatedly asked the man to get out of his vehicle.
Then, the man tried to drive away in the stolen vehicle, prompting the car’s owner to pull a gun and shoot at him, according to police.
The owner hit the alleged thief, who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, police said.
Police did not release the name of the accused thief as next of kin were being notified.
The Huntsville Major Crimes Unit said that the Madison County District Attorney’s Office was made aware of the case, and it has decided not to pursue charges against the vehicle owner at this time, according to the release.
This story was originally published March 17, 2023 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Accused car thief shot dead by owner as he drove off in Alabama parking lot, cops say."
