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Surveillance shows Walmart shopper fire shots at suspected meat thief

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — New surveillance video from a Volusia County Walmart shows nearly every moment of a frightening shootout over a package of meat.

Police said Eddie McKee was stealing food items from the store on Saxon Boulevard and in his haste to leave the store, pushed a woman to the ground and ran to his car.

After the woman fell, 10 seconds went by before shopper Jose Martinez could be seen running out of the store, armed with a 9 mm handgun.

Outside, Martinez and several customers ran after McKee in the parking lot. Surveillance video shows McKee quickly backing out in the silver car, which is when Martinez started shooting, shattering the back window of McKee’s vehicle.

"Yeah, he put me in danger and other people," said Martinez. "He tried to run me over."

Martinez said he was surprised when police arrested him.

“It's not wise,” said Jason Sampsel of the Orange City Police Department. “You don't know the totality of the circumstances and you could be putting yourself in harm’s way or it could be detrimental to yourself or somebody else."

Martinez, who had his first appearance in court on Thursday, later told police he wasn't trying to hit McKee, he was trying to mark his car.

But police said Martinez should have let McKee escape.

“It was a dangerous situation, but there was not an aggressive (action) toward anybody. He was simply trying to get away,” said Sampsel.

Channel 9 checked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and found no criminal record for Martinez in Florida.

Police said Martinez was charged with two felonies, including aggravated assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

McKee faces retail theft charges.