Jugging victim shoots suspect during attempt to pull them over himself, Cedar Park police say

CEDAR PARK, Texas - The Cedar Park Police Department is investigating the shooting of a jugging suspect. Police said the victim shot the suspect while trying to pull them over on the road, himself.

The victim took matters into his own hands and an attorney said it was legal.

Jugging is when a suspect watches a victim withdraw money, follows them, and steals it from them.

The Cedar Park Police Department said that’s what happened on April 10 when a man withdrew money from a Chase Bank and stopped at a gas station near S. Lakeline Blvd. and Cypress Creek. While he was inside, someone busted out his car window, stole the money, and took off.

Police said they got a call around 4 p.m. that the victim was following the suspect’s car and was trying to get them to pull over.

"I think somebody has the right to, to follow somebody and attempt to stop somebody who is stolen from them," Criminal Defense Attorney Sam Bassett said.

While tracking down the thieves, the man said they pulled out a gun, so he pulled out his and shot the other driver in the mouth.

"At what point could the use of deadly force be justified? It probably can’t be justified simply to chase somebody down and shoot them because they’re fleeing the scene of a crime they committed," Bassett said.

But Bassett said because police said the suspects pointed a gun at the victim, that changes everything.

"You can certainly use deadly force if somebody's pointing a gun at you, and you have a reasonable belief that you could be uh seriously harmed or killed," Bassett said.

Investigators said the suspect who was shot drove to the hospital. Another suspect took a Lyft from Cedar Park to Houston where he was arrested, and the money was recovered.

Bassett said this case falls under the Texas Stand Your Ground Law which is the same law Governor Abbott is pointing to pardon Daniel Perry.

Perry was found guilty of murdering Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster back in 2020. The state claimed Perry intentionally drove into the crowd of protesters and killed Foster. The defense team claimed self-defense and said Foster was in a bladed tactical stance with his gun.

"So, it used to be, you would have to retreat unless you were in your home, you had a duty to try to retreat if it seemed like that could reasonably get you to safety. But that is no longer the law in Texas and in many states, so that's where the term ‘stand your ground’ comes, you don't have a duty to retreat," Bassett said.

The jugging case is being investigated. No word on the suspect’s recovery.