A man was shot dead after he was accused of stealing a barbecue pit from a residence, Texas authorities said.
Officers responded Feb. 18 to reports of a deceased male in a residential neighborhood of Humble, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The victim stole the barbecue pit from someone’s yard before fleeing the scene in a vehicle, the sheriff said.
The homeowner chased the accused thief in his own vehicle, according to authorities.
After catching up with him a short distance away, the owner exited his vehicle and confronted the accused thief on foot, the sheriff said.
The homeowner told investigators he believed the driver had a weapon, the sheriff said.
“Fearing for his safety, the homeowner fired several times at the suspect, striking him,” he said.
Authorities said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second person present in the car with the victim was not injured and is not currently facing charges, according to the sheriff.
“The homeowner cooperated with investigators and provided a detailed statement about the incident,” the sheriff said.
Authorities said the case will be referred to a grand jury when the investigation is complete.
Humble is about 25 miles northeast of Houston.
