LAKE CITY, Fla. – A man doing construction outside a Lake City restaurant Sunday night told police he fired a shot at a teenager who tried to rob him.
The man said the person, believed to be in his late teens, approached him outside a restaurant on Duval Street and asked for money. When told no, the person went away, but returned a short time later, pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and said, "Put your hands up."
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Instead the victim pulled his own weapon, which Lake City police say he carries with a valid permit, and fired two shots. The robber ran, apparently not hit.
The victim locked himself in the restaurant and called police.
Lake City police established a perimeter around the area and, with the assistance of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, attempted to track the robber, but had no luck.
The robber was described as a 15- to 17-year-old black male, 5 feet 5 to 7 inches tall, thin with short-cropped hair. He had a tattoo with blue cursive letters across his upper chest. He was last seen wearing a pair of black gym shorts. He was not wearing a shirt, but had one tucked into the back of his shorts.
Police said the victim's actions were determined to be proper and in self-defense, so no charges were filed.