In Houston Shooting of two Robbers, Reporter says to "give them what they want"

A reporter covered the defensive shooting in Houston, where marksman, clerk, and brother of the owner, Dien Tu, shot and killed two of three armed robbers.  The robbers were attempting to rob the store and had pistol whipped his brother in law, Brian.   The reporter at khou.com gives this advice:

Police advise clerks in this situation to give in to the demands of robber.

It is not clear if this is actual advice from police in the area, or vaguely remembered propaganda by the reporter.  The store owner sees things a little differently, as reported in the next sentence:

The owner here said everyone is armed because of how dangerous the area is.

In the picture above, Dien Tu is seen aiming at the fleeing robbers.  Note the reinforced posts to prevent smash and grab burglaries and robberies.  They also provide some protection from car bombs.

The comments on the story at khou.com show that people think the reporter’s advice is foolish.  From Kurt Kirkpatrick:

Do cops give in to criminals who flash a gun? Why not, if that’s their advice to others? I’m thinking the reporter is shooting from the hip.

From Sandy Wheeler Coryell

One, or, two for the good guys! I think every employee should be armed and taught how to use a gun, and when.
This was the right time. If everyone just gives over the money, there is no reason for the robbers to stop. If every employee is armed, they might think twice about robbing the place. And there should NEVER be just one employee in a store.
KUDOS to this guy. Two more pieces of scum off the streets

From Homstad House:

If you just give them money, they know where to come next time.in 

The store had been robbed on July 1, just 10 days before.   From abc13.com:

The owner says his store was robbed July 1 so he and his brother were prepared with guns to fight back. The clerk in that robbery was beaten so badly, he hasn’t been able to return to work.

I cannot help but wonder if Dien has been in some tight spots before.  He acted quickly and decisively in a difficult situation.   A previous story refers to Dien as “wearing a gun”.  Might it be that he was openly carrying in the store?  No holster is evident on this image, taken four hours later.  Open carry on one’s property has always been legal in Texas.

The robbers have yet to be identified, but it is likely that cutting their criminal careers short has prevented hundreds, if not thousands of future crimes.

Perhaps their deaths will serve as a lesson to others.   If the crime rate in dangerous urban areas is to be brought down, the rule of law needs to be reinforced and internalized by the culture in the area.  Young men need to be taught that crime is not a respectable or worthwhile career option.  Responsible actions by armed citizens are part of that process.

Link to video 

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