Police: Store owner charged for shooting unarmed intruder in West Philadelphia

WEST PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Police are investigating a shooting in West Philadelphia.

The incident happened Wednesday night around 6 p.m. at the H&K Deli on the 6100 Block of Market Street in West Philadelphia.

Saran Pen, the store owner's wife, says she was very afraid of the man. She had dealt with him before, and says after a heated argument with the 22-year-old, over another customer who owed her a nickel, he started throwing trash around the store and threatened her.

"Then he says, I will kill your husband, you and your family," Saran told FOX 29's Dawn Timmeney.

The mother of two young children says she chased him out with a kitchen knife and called her husband. Police say that man came back an hour later but ran off after the husband pointed a gun at him.

Then around 10 p.m., the guy came back a third time and that's when police say the store owner shot him.

"Husband sees him, pulls his gun, chases him and as he's running across the street, fires his gun, hitting him in the leg," says Lt. Johnny Walker of the Southwest Detectives.

Saran Pen says they feared for their lives. She says her husband, Haos Sreng had called the police but was worried the man was armed.

Police say the victim did not have a gun, leaving investigators no choice but to charge the store owner.

"You can't take the law into your own hands and fire at someone who is unarmed," says Lt. Johnny Walker.