Screenshot from WAVY 10 news report.

In a dramatic turn of events, a convenience store employee at a gated Essex Food Store in Portsmouth, Virginia, defended himself against a thief last Thursday afternoon, resulting in the thief’s death.

It was around 2:25 p.m., when 27-year-old Rahsaan Nixon entered Essex with the stated intent to steal merchandise. This incident followed an attempted robbery by Nixon the previous night at the same store. According to a man interviewed by WAVY 10 in the store parking lot, Nixon had tried and failed to rob the store on Wednesday night, returning Thursday to repeat his crime.

“He tried to rob the store the night before, and he came back the next day to do what he did not do Wednesday night,” said the man. “He tried to rob the place. … I don’t know if he succeeded, but he tried to rob the place, so when he comes back on Thursday, he gets killed.”

Police didn’t confirm the Wednesday confrontation to the news station, but the man they interviewed seemed to know exactly what went down.

“All those shots, I come out and find the guy was dead. I think it was stupid. Why was he trying to rob a place one night and come back and hit the same spot again? He has got to know he is going down,” he said.

And “down” is exactly where Nixon went. 

When he entered the store and began grabbing merchandise, Nixon was quickly confronted by the clerk. An altercation ensued, leading to the employee to open fire in self-defense.

Police arrived to find Nixon shot, and despite being rushed to a local hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

“He tried to rob the place. … I don’t know if he succeeded, but he tried to rob the place, so when he comes back on Thursday, he gets killed,” the witness told WAVY.

The Portsmouth Police Major Crimes Unit has launched a criminal investigation, but no charges have been filed against the store employee. Police Chief Stephen Jenkins acknowledged the unfortunate reality of violence in communities but emphasized the right to self-defense, especially in situations where individuals face repeated threats.

A billboard outside the store where a thief was killed by the clerk after an altercation began. Screenshot from WAVY 10 news report.

Ironically, right outside of the store stands a large billboard that reads: Gun Crime Means More Time. While there is no indication Nixon had a gun, his crime still cost him a lot of time, like forever.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the necessity for law-abiding citizens to be prepared to protect themselves and their property. The Essex Food Store, with its caged windows as a precaution against break-ins, is a testament to the constant vigilance required in today’s society and the risk criminals face and the price they might pay, when good people fight back.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. More details. Shoplifting, “grabbing merchandise” is not a justified deadly force crime. Unless, the suspect initiated a deadly force situation when confronted by the clerk.

    • Article states there was an altercation between the two. I guess the clerk tried to stop him.

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      • In Florida an attempt to escape from a store owner when confronted for shoplifting is called resisting a merchant. A misdemeanor. If there was physical contact with no weapons it’s a simple battery charge also. A misdemeanor. An aside, I have a friend who owned a Mom and Pop grocery. Think oversized convenience store, but not a super market. Sold fresh meat and vegetables, etc. He confronted a shoplifter one day. Young man, mid twenties with a toddler. He bolted out the door abandoning the child. The stupid thing is, every employee in the store knew him and where he lived. Martha consoled the child until his mother arrived. The suspect was her brother. LEO went straight to her house and he caught felony child abuse in addition to the misdemeanor charges. I’ll give Debbie one guess.

    • If they robbed you yesterday while using a weapon. It’s really safe to assume when they return the very next day. They will also have a weapon to force you to comply.
      Again.

  2. ln other self defense news: 2 federal agents defend themselves against apparent carjacker – in front of Justice Sotomayor’s house…

    … having good help is a real blessing.

    • Ballsy move. Appears that the surprise didn’t pay off this time. But the government issued tags should have at least alerted them.

    • The DNC can see their policies at work and will still blame the offays for the plight of the locals.

      (Other folks, aka white people and systemic ray-cism)

  5. Taking out the trash. This thug.treated everyone around him as “things” and would as soon kill you as anything else. You have to assume he has as little respect for your possessions as your life itself. No shame in taking out this kind of trash. He’d as soon kill you as look at you. Beware of killers like him.

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