Mohammad Hamdan, Stowe Township, Pennsylvania restaurant owner of Hook Fish and Chicken charged for shooting ‘unarmed’ teenager, 15, who stole tip jar.
A Pennsylvania restaurant owner is facing charges after shooting at a teenager over the weekend who the business owner claims was trying to steal a tip jar. This despite the teen neither armed or threatening the owner or other patrons.
Mohammad Hamdan, 39, of Hook Fish and Chicken in Stowe Township is accused of shooting at the un-named teen, Friday night after the boy entering the restaurant and approaching the counter as his brother waited outside, CBS Pittsburg reported.
Cops say Hamdan began taking the teen’s order, only for the teen to reach over the counter and take a tip jar, before then proceeding to exit, the Allegheny County Police Department said.
Teen was unarmed and never threatened owner
Police say Hamdan then raised a pistol and fired at least three rounds at the teen. The teen was taken to a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and is in stable condition. A criminal complaint states he was shot multiple times in his right arm and once in his right shoulder blade.
After reviewing surveillance footage, detectives found no evidence that the teen was armed or had threatened Hamdan. Police then consulted with the district attorney’s office, who approved charging Hamdan with aggravated assault.
A criminal complaint also alleges Hamdan told investigators he saw the teen and the teen’s brother earlier in the day and ‘expected them to try and steal from him,’ WPXI reported.
Hamdan was arrested Sunday morning and is being held in the Allegheny County Jail pending his preliminary arraignment.
First response is violence
‘It’s a little disheartening that people’s first response is violence,’ said Eszquire Harris, the CEO of The BlackTeaBrownSuga Network, which is a few doors down from the restaurant told WPXI.
Adding, ‘Hearing a kid get shot over money who could’ve lost his life over money, when I know a lot of these kids in this community, they’re struggling to survive.’
A co-owner of the restaurant tshHamdan wasn’t trying to hurt the kid.
He claims Hamdan was only trying to stop the boy by firing warning shots -adding that he came in three different times that night – twice with a group.
The co-owner says the boy ran off with the tip jar that had about a hundred dollars inside.
It’s unclear if the juvenile will face any charges related to the incident.
