PEMBROKE PINES, FL – A GameStop employee in a Fort Lauderdale suburb is facing manslaughter charges after allegedly fatally shooting a shoplifter. Derrick Guerrero, aged 33, was on duty at the video game store when a man attempted to steal five boxes of “Pokemon Scarlet & Violet” trading cards, each valued at $120.
According to the Pembroke Pines police report released on Wednesday, the shoplifter attempted to flee the store with the stolen merchandise. In response, Guerrero drew a handgun from his waistband and fired a single shot, hitting the shoplifter in the side. The injured individual dropped the cards and fled to a waiting pickup truck outside, where a woman called the police. However, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and passed away three hours later at a hospital.
Surveillance footage from the store’s security cameras reportedly shows that the shoplifter did not pose a threat to Guerrero and did not display any weapons during the incident. While Florida’s “stand your ground” law permits the use of deadly force when there is a threat of death or great bodily harm, it does not authorize the use of such force to protect property. Manslaughter charges typically apply to unplanned killings that occur in the heat of the moment.
Derrick Guerrero is currently held at Broward County Jail on a $25,000 bail. It is not known if he has legal representation at this time. GameStop has not issued an immediate response to inquiries seeking comment on the incident.