Bystander opens fire on fleeing shoplifter — and hits store clerk, Arizona cops say

A bystander opened fire Saturday morning on a shoplifter fleeing an Arizona hardware store but hit an employee chasing the thief instead, police say.

Phoenix police responded to the incident near Howard’s Ace Hardware at 9 a.m., KNXV reported.

An employee had chased the shoplifter outside the store when a man standing nearby pulled out a gun, KSAZ reported.

“The person fired at the shoplifter and missed the shoplifter, however the (employee) was struck by the gunfire,” Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said, AZ Family reported.

The employee, who had serious but non-life threatening injuries, was taken to a hospital, KNXV reported. The shoplifter escaped.

The bystander remained at the scene and cooperated with police, KSAZ reported. No charges have yet been filed in the incident.

This story was originally published January 31, 2021 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Bystander opens fire on fleeing shoplifter — and hits store clerk, Arizona cops say."