Austin gasoline station taking pictures: longtime prospects rally behind clerk charged with homicide

The Austin Police Division (APD) arrested a 25-year-old man for homicide following a taking pictures in East Austin. This hasn’t stopped longtime prospects from coming to the protection of Yaseen Naz.

Police mentioned on Sunday, round 11:14 p.m., officers responded to a taking pictures on the Shell gasoline station at 4509 E Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard.

When officers arrived, they discovered 42-year-old Marquis Demps inside a automobile within the gasoline station parking zone with gunshot wounds to his physique. Police mentioned Demps died on the scene.

All through the investigation, detectives decided Demps was concerned in an altercation with an worker of the Shell, Naz. 

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Police mentioned after the altercation, Demps got here into the shop and destroyed property earlier than leaving. It’s not identified what led to the disturbance. Later, Naz allegedly shot Demps.

Regardless of this, prospects who frequent the family-owned Shell gasoline station can’t say sufficient good issues about Naz.

“At all times in a superb temper. Beneficiant, respectful. Only a enjoyable man,” mentioned Cortney Sherman, a distributor who works with the shop.

“Each time I come right here, he makes me giggle. I make him giggle like now we have. That is my boy,” mentioned common buyer Vetrice Smith.

“He would by no means do something like that until, , one thing needed to go down,” mentioned Jojo, one other common buyer.

In line with courtroom paperwork, Demps got here into the shop and precipitated a verbal disturbance that turned bodily.

“There was some sort of altercation taking place inside the shop, and that’s what began every thing,” mentioned Austin Police Officer Alexandra Parker early Sunday morning.

In line with courtroom paperwork, Naz advised police Demps waved a knife on the staff, so Naz grabbed a gun, telling Demps to go away. As an alternative, courtroom paperwork say surveillance video reveals Demps trashing the shop.

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Naz’s father confirmed FOX 7 the broken merchandise and show instances within the retailer. He says Demps broke the glass on the counter and ripped out the pc and bank card machine.

“Generally it is the individuals which are humble that , unhealthy individuals count on them to not do something,” mentioned longtime buyer Michael Dunn.

However police say Naz did do one thing. As Demps left, Naz adopted him into the parking zone and shot him a number of occasions via his automobile window. Police particularly cited these circumstances within the homicide warrant.

“He do not deserve that. He would not deserve first-degree homicide,” mentioned Dunn. “I really feel prefer it’s in a approach it is not self-defense, however it’s self-defense.”

Naz is being held on the Travis County Jail on $1 million bond, going through a first-degree homicide cost from Travis County District Lawyer Jose Garza’s workplace. He’s due in courtroom Feb. 22. 

Austin has struggled with violent crime because the metropolis council voted to slash the police division’s funding by about one-third in August 2020. That funding has since been restored, however scores of APD officers left within the wake of that funding lower, plus a perceived lack of assist from the mayor and metropolis council on the time. Response occasions to 9-11 calls have reportedly soared since that 2020 funding vote. 

This text was initially revealed by foxnews.com. Learn the original article here.