Prosecutor won't charge gas station clerks who shot, killed robbery suspect

SPRINGFIELD TWP, Ohio - Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said Tuesday no criminal charges will be filed against the store clerks who shot and killed an alleged robber at a Springfield Township gasoline station.

After an investigation by the Springfield Township Police Department and a review by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Deters determined that no criminal charges were appropriate. The BB gun wielded by alleged robber Lashawn Daniels resembled a handgun and the clerks believed their lives were in danger, the prosecutor added.

“It is a shame that you have to arm yourself when you work in a convenience store to protect your property and, more importantly, your life from a gun wielding thief who enters your store and demands money at gun point," Deters said.

"Fortunately, the two hard-working and law-abiding clerks were able to protect themselves and return home safely,” he added.

Springfield Township police say the clerks fired shots at the suspect while he was attempting to rob the Sunoco gas station located at 10960 Hamilton Avenue at about 12:30 a.m.

"The suspect entered the store and approached one of the clerks brandishing a weapon. He had [the clerk] go around to the back of the store toward the cash register," said Chief Dave Heimpold of the Springfield Township Police Department.

Heimpold says Daniels, 19, whose last known address was in Mason, forced the clerk behind the counter and demanded cash from the register.

Another clerk who was in an office in the back of the store saw what was happening on a video monitor and came up front armed with a gun.

Police say a struggle ensued between the three. In a 911 call placed to Hamilton County, one of the clerks said, "He shot at us and we shot him!"

The Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Samarco says that Daniels was shot three times. He was shot twice in the buttocks and once in the waist. One of the wounds was from a shotgun while the other two were from a handgun.

Police say this store has a security system with several large cameras inside and outside that are part of their investigation.

On Monday afternoon, 9 On Your Side spoke to Brian Hamdan a few doors down from the shooting. Hamdan is a cousin to the men involved in the shooting.

"I know they are a little shocked and a little shaken up from what happened," said Hamdan. "They've had a couple of robberies and stuff like that but never like this."

Hamdan says that he and his extended family including those who work at the Sunoco treat all of their customers with respect.

"We basically treat people as family," said Hamdan. "But when it comes down to it, we're not going to take 'no mess' from nobody. We're here to work and make money to support families. We will be damned if we let somebody just come in and try to take away from us. We're not working 12 to 13 hours a day for nothing."

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