A suspected shoplifter at the Home Depot in San Carlos was allegedly shot by the store’s armed security guard after a fight broke out between the suspect and an armed security guard.
The incident occurred Monday, Aug. 7, after employees confronted the suspect, Jonathan Mackey, 26, of San Carlos, for allegedly stealing merchandise from the store. During the altercation, Mackey allegedly gained control of the security guard’s collapsible baton and struck him in the face and head before he threw the baton through a glass window near the store’s entrance. The security guard shot twice at Mackey, striking him with one, according to a press release.
A nearby on-duty sheriff’s deputy heard the gunshots and responded. The deputy arrested Mackey and facilitated medical care for him and the injured security guard. Both Mackey and the guard sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital for medical attention, according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, which will be submitted to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, Sgt. Javier Acosta, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office public information officer said.
“It will be their decision if the security guard acted appropriately,” Acosta said.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said when the case arrives at his office it will look to see if the shooting was legally self defense.
“In order for someone to have a valid claim for self defense one must have a reasonable fear that you could suffer death or great bodily harm to use deadly force on another person,” Wagstaffe said.
Acosta said the San Carlos Home Depot has had 13 calls in the last year regarding shoplifters and the store hired an armed security guard.
“Shoplifting continues to be a problem in our jurisdictions even though it has not increased much, it continues to be an issue,” Acosta said.
(3) comments
Prop 47 must be recalled. This is not OK.
First on the legislative agenda should be overturning, or at least suspending, the effects of Prop 49 that encourages low lives like this one to steal with impunity. That was yet another liberal solution that is backfiring everywhere. Also, another legacy gift from Kamala Harris.
I'm glad to hear neither the security guard nor the person arrested sustained life threatening injuries. There are a lot of details that did not make it into the article that the DA will have to consider before making a decision about the security guard's use of deadly force. Police officers are trained to not strike someone on the head with a baton because such a strike could have deadly consequences. If the person arrested struck the security guard on the face and head with the guard's baton, his actions may justify the guard's use of a firearm. We hear about big companies creating policies that prohibit store employees from confronting shoplifters. Last week, a long time employee at another home improvement chain was fired because she contacted someone trying to steal merchandise. So, how can such stores deter theft? Hire a security guard. However, it appears even an armed guard at a store does not dissuade some persons from stealing merchandise.
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