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Would-Be Pharmacy Robber Killed
Babcock Square Pharmacy Owner Opens Fire Following Brief Confrontation

POSTED: Wednesday, May 27, 2009
UPDATED: 5:46 pm CDT May 27, 2009
SAN ANTONIO -- A pharmacy owner shot and killed a would-be robber Wednesday morning on the city's northwest side.

San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said an armed man walked into Babcock Square Pharmacy at 5824 Babcock Road at 10 a.m. and handed an employee a note demanding drugs.

Moments later, the owner, who was armed, confronted the armed man, McManus said. The man saw the gun and told the owner, "Let's get it on," McManus said. That's when the owner opened fire, killing the man.

Bill Winn, the owner of the Babcock Pharmacy who also fired the fatal shots, said he was worried about his employees' safety.

"We were held up about three-and-a-half years, at knifepoint at that time, but it was basically the same type of thing," Winn said. "This guy was a little wilder and a little bit off-key."

McManus said the pharmacy owner was in fear of his life and had a right to open fire.

"He has a right by state law, to defend himself, to use deadly force in a situation like this," McManus said.

The robber, whose identity has not been released, had been stalking the area for a brief period of time, said other business owners.

"We had seen somebody parked out here, and he's been wearing a bandana and he was wearing green surgical gloves, and he was moving from parking space to parking space, just kind of looking," said Charlie Rojas of Martha's Mexican Restaurant next door to the pharmacy.

McManus said his officers were investigating the possibility the man might have been involved in other area robberies. Evidence in the man's vehicle indicated that he may have committed other robberies prior to the incident, McManus said.