A Texas grand jury chose not to charge a man who fatally shot a robber in a Houston taqueria last year.
On Wednesday, a grand jury, as per a statement from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, opted not to press charges against a man who shot and killed Eric Eugene Washington.
This decision followed an incident in January 2023 when Washington, allegedly brandishing a gun, entered the El Ranchito taqueria and robbed its occupants.
The statement said, “Harris County grand juries are composed of 12 randomly selected residents who meet regularly for a period of three months to review all criminal charges to decide whether there is enough evidence for a case to proceed.”
It continued, “If nine or more grand jurors agree that probable cause exists, they issue a ‘true bill,’ or indictment, and the case continues on through the criminal justice system. If nine or more grand jurors determine probable cause does not exist, they may issue a ‘no bill,’ effectively clearing the individual of criminal wrongdoing. The final decision as to whether to indict rests with grand jurors, not with prosecutors.”
It then went on to say, “Grand jurors ‘no-billed’ the shooter.”
The incident occurred when a White or Hispanic male, identified by Houston police as a customer, fired approximately nine shots from behind at the suspect. The gunfire caused the suspect to fall to the ground, resulting in fatal injuries.
A Harris County grand jury has declined charges against a man who fatally shot a man robbing customers in 2023, according to the district attorney’s office. https://t.co/HbPj98Gk30
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) January 3, 2024
Law enforcement later verified that the deceased had a replica plastic pistol. Authorities asked the public for help in finding the person involved. Eventually, Houston’s prosecutor Kim Ogg, recognized for her progressive stance and backed by George Soros, referred the case to a grand jury.
The security footage gained widespread attention on social media, prompting activists to demand the pursuit of criminal charges against the unidentified man, labeling it as an act of vigilantism.
On the contrary, some contended that the man’s actions constituted a valid form of self-defense, emphasizing that he had reasonable cause to believe his life was in jeopardy.
Houston criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley said, “As long as the individual, this armed Samaritan, believes that the firearm was real or could have been real, that’s what is important, not the actual nature of it.”
He continued, “A person is justified in using force against another person when and to the degree he or she reasonably believes force is immediately necessary to protect him against the other person’s use of force.”
