After he allegedly shot a Texas shoplifter, a man now in custody is holding a gun.
Dallas police received a call about a shooting at the Oak Cliff Family Dollar store just before 7:30 pm on Nov. 29. This is a section of Dallas that has seen its fair share of violent crime. Police arrived to find Phillip Betts, 26, lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. The man accused of shooting him, Kevin Jackson Sr. was also there.
Witnesses explained then the sequence of events that led up to Betts’s death. A female assistant manager saw Betts in the store earlier that evening. He claimed he had robbed the store several times in the past. She demanded that Betts return all of the stolen items and leave the shop.
Betts refused to comply at first, so the woman grabbed his backpack. Betts then briefly went outside but returned shortly afterward to attack the manager who had kicked Betts out. He “struck her multiple times with both his fists,” according to reports.
Betts attacked the manager, and another female employee sprayed him with Mace to try to drive him away. Betts continued to fight the two women, and Betts eventually lost the struggle.
Jackson, rumored to have entered the store around that time, witnessed the fight between Betts, and the two women, then shouted “Move!” Jackson allegedly pulled out a gun to fire one shot at Betts after the women obeyed the order. Although firefighters tried to save Betts’ life, he died at the scene from his injuries.
Jackson claimed to police that he believed that the women were in danger. Police also admitted that Betts was a robber when he was killed. They also acknowledged that the gun used here is legal.
Jackson was still taken into custody by Dallas police and charged with murder. They first stated that Betts did not possess any weapons at the time of this incident. They also pointed out surveillance footage that showed Betts moving away from the women and toward the exit, and claimed it was proof that he no longer poses a threat.
Jackson, who has no criminal record, was booked at Lew Sterrett Jail. He is currently being held on a $100,000 bond. Jackson’s next court appearance is unknown.
