KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Kansas City, Missouri, area prosecutor says she's seeking the highest punishment for a store clerk accused of shooting a teenager who allegedly was shoplifting cookies.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker's office charged 26-year-old Mohammed Abdi on Wednesday with first-degree assault, which is punishable by up to life in prison. He's also charged with armed criminal action - a count that carries mandatory prison time.
Police say Abdi shot a 16-year-old in the leg Tuesday at a Pic N Save store as the teen was walking out the door. The teen is expected to survive.
Baker tells KMBC-TV (http://bit.ly/1H4DDyB) that while she understands stealing is a crime, it's not worth a shooting and that "simply put, this can't happen."
Online court records don't show whether Abdi has an attorney.