Seems like they're going to be able to successfully prosecute the clerk because he followed the assailant outside. Sort of like the Star Wars thing where fear leads to anger, etc. Except that we're all real human beings and not magical movie characters. The patrons of the store that were interviewed seem to like the clerk. And, of course, there is the final paragraph in the story that is very telling, too. Incidents like this one leave you pretty upset that it had to happen in the first place. "Defund the police" really has worked out great, hasn't it?
Austin has struggled with violent crime since the city council voted to slash the police department's funding by about one-third in August 2020. That funding has since been restored, but scores of APD officers left in the wake of that funding cut, plus a perceived lack of support from the mayor and city council at the time. Response times to 9-11 calls have reportedly soared since that 2020 funding vote.