This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
Memphis Store Clerk Convicted of Murder for Shooting Teen Who Stole Beer ¶
On March 29, 2018, Dorian Harris, 17, grabbed a few cans of Spiked Watermelon beer from a cooler in the Top Stop Shop in Memphis without paying. He ran out the door, dropping one can in his haste. The store clerk, Anwar Ghazali, 29, grabbed a handgun and chased him, firing off a few shots into the dark night.
According to a police affidavit and the Shelby County District Attorney's office, Mr. Ghazali told a customer, 'I think I shot him' when he returned to the store. However, he did not call the police.
Mr. Harris's body was discovered two days later in a nearby yard, where he had bled to death from a gunshot wound in the back of his left leg. Mr. Ghazali was arrested and later convicted of second-degree murder by a jury on August 15, 2019.
Prosecutor Lora Fowler said, 'This defendant took it upon himself to be the judge and jury and the executioner over a $2 beer.' Mr. Ghazali faces 15 to 25 years in prison and will be sentenced on September 23.
Mr. Ghazali's lawyer, Blake Ballin, argued that the case was 'neither a premeditated nor a knowing killing.' He said that Mr. Ghazali acted recklessly when he wildly fired into a dark field to scare Mr. Harris.
