Gas Station Clerk Shoots Assailant Who Punched Him in the Face...& Loses His Job

Image source: KHOU-TV

A Texas gas station clerk who shot a man who first punched him in the face has lost his job, the store's owner said.

Police said the Houston-area Valero station clerk was acting in self-defense when 21-year-old Alexander Calloway and two companions tried to enter the store after hours at 3:30 a.m., KHOU-TV reported. Surveillance video released Tuesday by store owner George Hlaiheo shows Calloway first punching the clerk in the face before the clerk pulls out a gun and opens fire.

Calloway's companions rushed him to a nearby fire station, after which he was transported to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition, the station reported.

Community members have rallied in front of the store and called for the clerk's arrest, but Hlaiheo said he stands by his employee's right to defend himself -- except that he no longer works there.

“For the sake of the community, we feel very strongly that he won’t be coming back to work,” Hlaiheo said.

According to KHOU, the same clerk was shot in the leg during a hold-up last year, potentially explaining his armed response.

(h/t Drudge Report)