The assistant manager at a GameStop in Pembroke Pines fatally shot a man he suspected of shoplifting Pokemon cards Tuesday night, according to police.
The employee, Derrick Guerrero, 33, was arrested Wednesday and charged with manslaughter, Pembroke Pines Police said in a news release.
Guerrero Shot the Victim After He Saw Him Grabbing Boxes of Pokemon Trading Cards
A little after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Guerrero saw the victim shoplifting in the 11000 block of Pines Boulevard, according to the release.
The man had grabbed several boxes of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Ultra-Premium Collection trading cards from behind the register, according to a police incident report. The boxes are valued at $120 each. Guerrero confronted the man, who ran toward the front door with the merchandise, police said.
Investigators said Guerrero pulled a gun from his waistband and fired a single shot, hitting the man in the torso. "At no time did the victim threaten Guerrero or display any type of weapon," police said in a news release.
The man later died of his injuries. Family members identified him as 21-year-old Chadrick Coats. His grandmother described him as a "good kid" and a sophomore at Florida Memorial University.
Guerrero was the Victim of a Robbery at the GameStop Last Month
"I'm really sorry for the family. I didn't mean for any of this to happen to the family. It wasn't my intention," Guerrero told reporters.
With his head in his hands, Guerrero repeatedly apologized as he waited to be picked up from jail. "I'm extremely sorry for the family," he said.
In court Wednesday, a defense attorney said Guerrero had been honorably discharged after serving in the Marines for 10 years, and was moving up in the ranks at GameStop while taking care of his family.
"He's an assistant manager. He resides in Pembroke Pines with his wife and two daughters," the attorney said. Police said Guerrero had been the victim in September of a robbery at the GameStop and had bought the gun for protection.
