Man demanding opioids fatally shot by pharmacy customer in Arizona

PHOENIX — A customer pulled a gun and shot a man who police say had jumped over the counter of a Phoenix pharmacy and pointed a gun at people while demanding opioids.

Authorities didn’t fault the customer, saying he was in the right place at the right time to stop the armed robbery, police Sgt. Jonathan Howard said after the Tuesday holdup attempt.

Arizona is among a number of states grappling with a surge of opioid abuse. The state had 790 opioid deaths in 2016, a 16 percent increase from 2015.

The scene in the Walgreens pharmacy was “full of chaos” when officers arrived, Howard said.

Police found a dozen employees and customers hiding from the wounded suspect who had taken refuge in an area at the back of the store.

Officers directed people to leave the business before a police dog was used to pull the wounded suspect away from his gun, Howard said. Officers administered CPR but the man died at the scene.

The names of the man and the customer who shot him have not been released.

The customer cooperated with police, Howard said.

“Based on what the witnesses are telling us, you know, people have a right to defend themselves and defend others especially when we’re talking about serious physical injury or death, and at this point it seems to be a case of a good Samaritan in the right place at the right time,” Howard said.

Howard said Wednesday that no additional information was available.

Arizona has a “defense of third person” law that allows someone to use deadly force against another person who is threatening or injuring a third person.

Under the law, a person who uses deadly force is justified in doing so if they perceive that lives are in danger.

Customer Janice Gordon-Caddy said she arrived at the store as the incident was unfolding.

“I saw the workers from the pharmacy running out with their hands raised in the air. They were crying and screaming,” she told The Arizona Republic.

“Next thing I know, the SWAT team and all the police officers and everybody are going in with their guns; it was just a madhouse,” she added. “That probably would have been much worse if there hadn’t been a customer in there armed.”