Teen shoplifter shot by Kansas City store clerk files lawsuit

A teenager who was shot by a Kansas City store clerk after shoplifting a package of cookies has filed a lawsuit against the clerk and his employers.

The boy was 16 when he was shot in the leg June 30, 2015, at the Pic N Save Market on the corner of 59th Street and Prospect Avenue.

According to the lawsuit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, the teen put a package of cookies in his pocket and began to leave without paying.

The store employee, Mohammad Abdi, yelled something, “and then immediately pulled his loaded pistol and shot at (him), striking him in the leg and seriously injuring” him, according to the suit.

After he was shot, the teen ran into the street and collapsed.

Bystanders rushed to perform first aid until an ambulance arrived.

Besides Abdi, the suit filed by attorneys Darren Fulcher and Richard McLeod names as defendants Pic N Save and T-Mobile U.S., which did business at the location as MetroPCS.

The teen sustained “substantial medical bills,” and the injury has “diminished” his ability to work and play sports, according to the suit.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount in actual and punitive damages.

Abdi later pleaded guilty to charges of assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He was placed on probation for five years.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Teen shoplifter shot by Kansas City store clerk files lawsuit."