A clerk at a GameStop store in Pembroke Pines, Florida, has been charged with manslaughter for fatally shooting a shoplifter. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when a man grabbed five boxes of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet “ultra-premium” trading cards and attempted to flee the store. The employee, Derrick Guerrero, pulled out a handgun and fired one shot, hitting the shoplifter in the side. The man dropped the cards and escaped to a waiting truck, but he later died at a hospital.
According to the police report, store security cameras confirmed that the shoplifter did not pose a threat to Guerrero and did not display any weapons. The man’s identity has not been disclosed.
Under Florida’s “stand your ground” law, the use of deadly force is permissible when there is a threat of death or serious bodily harm. However, it cannot be used solely to protect property. Manslaughter is defined as an unplanned killing that occurs in the heat of the moment.
Guerrero is currently being held at the Broward County Jail on a $25,000 bail. It is unclear whether he has legal representation. GameStop has not yet provided a comment on the incident.
