Hollywood

Man Asked Publix Security Guard ‘Why Did You Shoot Me?' Before Dying in Hospital: Police

Private security guard Andre Grey, 48, cried when he learned the man he shot died in the hospital, police said.

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The man who pushed his way into a Hollywood Publix supermarket as the store was closing, then punched a security guard in the face, asked the guard "Why did you shoot me?" police said.

The man died in the hospital about 30 minutes later.

When police told guard Andre Constatine Grey, 44, of the death, he started to cry and said, “I didn’t want to shoot him. It’s a life. I never meant to kill him,” according to the police report.

Andre Grey
Broward Sheriff's Office
Andre Grey

The dead man’s name was redacted from the court document.  

Grey explained the man was still breathing after being shot so Grey did not render first aid. Grey told investigators he shot the man because it was his job to protect people in the store, the report stated.

The Broward Medical Examiner's Office said the bullet entered the man’s back left shoulder but changed direction inside the body, tore the heart, and exited his chest.   

It happened about 10:04 p.m. June 10 in the Publix at 1740 Polk Street. The man entered the store as Grey was opening the sliding glass door to let a woman shopper leave, police said.

The man pushed past Grey – who has been a licensed armed security guard for 20 years, assigned to that Publix since last July – and the man refused to leave, investigators said.

Grey followed him behind the customer service counter. Then Grey blocked his access to the rest of the store. Grey thought the screaming intruder was about to leave the store when he swung around and punched Grey on his left cheek, the report stated.

After Grey fired the shot and called police, the man was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 10:30 p.m.

Two witnesses and surveillance video confirmed Grey’s version of the events.

Grey surrendered Saturday at the Broward County Jail where he remains on a $100,000 bond charged with manslaughter with a firearm, records show.

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