Texas homeowner chases down and fatally shoots man who stole his BBQ pit, ‘fearing for his safety’

A Texas homeowner chased down and shot dead an alleged thief who stole a BBQ pit from his property over the weekend, according to authorities.

The deadly confrontation took place early Sunday in the city of Humble when an unidentified man attempted to drive off with the BBQ pit, leading the homeowner to pursue him in his own vehicle, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a series of social media posts.

The owner caught up with the accused thief and his passenger a short distance from the house when he got out of his car and approached the pair, the sheriff said.

The homeowner, who was “fearing for his safety,” then fired off “several” rounds toward the suspect because he thought his counterpart was reaching for a firearm, Gonzalez said.

The alleged thief was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other individual who was with the deceased man was not hit by gunfire and is not facing any charges.

“The homeowner cooperated with investigators and provided a detailed statement about the incident,” Gonzalez said, noting the case will be handed over to a grand jury.

“Once the investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for presentation to a grand jury,” the top cop said.