ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff's Office has recommended that the State Attorney's Office charge a man who fatally shot a suspected diaper thief at an Orlando Walmart.
A spokeswoman said the office received a recommendation to charge the man with homicide, but charges have not been filed and it's unclear if they will be.
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Deputies said Arthur Adams, 19, stole a shopping cart full of diapers and other baby items from the Walmart on Clarcona Ocoee Road the morning of Feb. 4.
A bystander, who has not been identified, saw Adams and a group of other people trying to evade store security as they fled, so he stepped in to help the employee.
The customer felt threatened because he thought Adams was arming himself, so he shot Adams, deputies said.
"The individual acted based on their belief that the individual was armed in order to defend themselves," Sheriff's Office Capt. Angelo Nieves said the day of the shooting.
Adams, who deputies said was a gang member, died from his wounds.
Information has not been released information on why the Sheriff's Office decided to recommend charges for the man involved in the shooting.