A Memphis jury has found a store clerk guilty of second degree murder in the March 2018 shooting death of a 17 year old who left a convenience store with a beer he had not paid for.
According to the Washington Post, Anwar, the clerk at the Top Stop Shop, saw the unarmed teen take a $2 beer from the shelf and walk out. Prosecutors said Anwar grabbed a gun, followed him into the parking lot and fired three times, then returned to the store. The teen was found dead two days later, in a backyard down the block. Reports say the bullet severed a major artery.
An eyewitness named Beverly testified that she tried to stop it as the clerk walked past her with the gun, saying, “Don’t kill him.” The case drew protests and boycotts in Memphis and deepened racial tensions in the city.
The defense argued that Anwar never intended to hurt anyone. His attorney told jurors the clerk meant only to scare the teen and did not realize he had hit him, which is why he did not call police, and called the gunfire a “shot in the dark,” according to the Commercial Appeal. The attorney also suggested a bullet fired into the air could have come back down and struck the teen.
After deliberating for less than four hours, the jury rejected the premeditated murder charge and convicted Anwar of second degree murder on Friday. Sentencing is set for next month, and reports say he faces between 15 and 60 years in prison.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
