| SHOPLIFTER SHOOTS STORE EMPLOYEE - Charleston police have charged a man in a shooting Thursday on the West Side.
Jeffrey Scott Smith, 37, of Charleston has been charged with malicious wounding, prohibited person in possession of a firearm and convicted felon carrying a concealed weapon, according to a news release from the Charleston Police Department.
Police say Robert E. Carpenter, 60, of Charleston was attempting to stop a shoplifter outside of Pile Hardware in the 1600 block of Washington Street West when a struggle ensued and the shoplifter shot him in the leg.
Carpenter is an employee of the hardware store. He was transported to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
"Originally, he ran from the door and got out the door and got to about the parking lot over there and they were chasing down and got him and he had two guns in his pocket. They got one away from him and the other he shot Bobby Carpenter, one of our long time employees. It didn't look too serious, but I didn't care, when you get shot, they're all serious," store owner Bill Pile said.
Police identified the suspect as Smith. Several witnesses described him as a white male wearing shorts and a white T-shirt. A police officer dressed in street clothes was traveling west on 7th Avenue and saw a man matching Smith's description. The officer asked him to stop, and Smith ignored the commands and went inside the West Side Deli and Market.
Police made contact with the business and was able to convince Smith to come outside where he was taken into custody.
Smith is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. | 
