Stalker shows up at woman's workplace, begins punching her, cops say. But victim has a gun — and she uses it.

A stalker showed up at a woman's workplace in Pensacola, Florida, on Monday morning and began punching her, police said.

But the victim had a gun on her and shot the male once in the leg in self-defense, police added.

'She did nothing wrong. She was protecting herself like she should have done.'

Marquise James, 35, was arrested in connection with the 11:30 a.m. incident at the Downtown Pensacola Holiday Inn, WEAR-TV reported.

Marquise JamesImage source: Escambia County (Fla.) Jail

Records show James was in the Escambia County Jail on Friday morning on charges of stalking, battery, smuggle contraband, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, resisting an officer, and simple assault. His bond is set at $26,500.

Pensacola Police Officer Mike Wood told WEAR that the stalking "has been going on for quite some time" and that "this male individual has been ... using social media, using phones" to do so.

Wood added to the station that "he's come to her place of employment before, and she told him to leave, and he did. But this time when he came, he saw her in the laundry room, he approached her and began punching her."

With that, Wood told WEAR that the victim "drew a handgun that she had legally and shot him once in the leg."

"He's much larger than she is, and she did what she had to do," Wood noted to the station, adding that "she did nothing wrong. She was protecting herself like she should have done."

Police told WEAR that no charges are being filed against the woman.

Wood added to the station that when James "was at the hospital, he kicked one of our officers." Wood also told WEAR that James "had cocaine and marijuana on him."

You can view a video report here about the incident.

How are people reacting?

Commenters under WEAR's Facebook post about the incident appear squarely behind the victim:

• "I am glad she protected herself," one commenter wrote. "I'm just worried about when he gets out."
• "Put him under the jail," another user demanded.
• "Glad she had a weapon," another commenter said.
• "Good for her," another user declared.

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