Lakeland Store Clerk Charged With 2nd-Degree Murder In Shooting

LAKELAND, FL -- A Plant City man who was shot by a Lakeland convenience store clerk after stealing three 18-packs of Natural Ice beer has died of his gunshot wound at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.

Mehedeun Hasan, 22, of Lakeland, the co-owner of the Shell gas station convenience store at 125 Combee Road N. Lakeland, is now charged with second-degree murder and remains in the Polk County Jail without bond.

The shooting took place at about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday, July 17 in the store parking lot. (See related story and video of shooting.)

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the man who was shot, 43-year-old Rennie Defoe Jr. of Plant City, entered the store, walked to the beer cooler, picked up three 18-packs of Natural Ice beer valued at about $36 and walked out of the store without paying.

Hasan, who co-owns the business with his father, 61-year-old Q M Monsur Rahman of Lakeland, picked up a 9mm handgun from the store office and ran after Defoe to confront him about the theft.

Defoe reportedly tossed the stolen beer into his 2005 white Toyota Camry and then got into the car.

Hasan caught up with Defoe, pointed the gun at him while he was in the driver's seat and shot Defoe as he was backing up to leave. The bullet hit Defoe in the left arm and chest.

At that time, Hasan was charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and attempted second-degree murder. Hasan has no prior criminal history.

Defoe has 12 prior felony charges and nine prior misdemeanor charges including robbery, firing a missile into a dwelling, two counts of domestic battery, grand larceny, grand theft, petit theft, resisting arrest, distribution of cocaine within 100 feet of a school, manufacturing marijuana, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear in court.

Defoe has been sentenced to Florida State Prison four times, and was most recently released from prison on June 12.

Image via Polk Sheriff
Mehedeun Hasan

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