EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Royce Thomas speaks out about shooting injuring 7-year-old
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An argument at a tire shop leads to a young boy being hit by shrapnel.
The incident happened just before 6 p.m. Wednesday in the 1300 block of South Loop West.
Witnesses say a customer hit an employee with his vehicle, then dragged him all the way down a feeder road to a traffic light.
The employee Royce Thomas admits to then shooting into the car.
Thomas is being held on an aggravated assault charge.
Eyewitness News spoke exclusively with Thomas.
"Honestly, yes, I did, but honestly, at the moment, I just wasn't thinking. I was you know, just more enraged and I wasn't really in my right mind," he said. "You know, I was, just distraught due to, you know, being dragged and being attempted to be swung off of a car."
He claims that the customer was upset over a $2 charge for putting air in his tires.
Thomas says the customer started using racial slurs, and then hit him with his car.
He says he felt threatened, but also that he regrets shooting into the car, especially with a 7-year-old inside.
Police say the child was hit by shattered glass, but will be okay.
The owner of the tire shop says he will bond Thomas out of jail.
