Look closely at this still photo from a Waffle House surveillance video taken in January of 2012 in Spartanburg, SC, and you’ll notice two armed robbers terrorizing the store, a number of patrons with their faces blurred out, and a man sitting by himself at the counter wearing a red hat.

The two armed robbers are Dante Williams and Jawan Craig. The man wearing the red hat is Justin Harrison.

After Williams and Craig terrorized other customers and the staff, Williams began approaching Harrison, his gun by his side. Seizing the moment, Harrison drew his weapon and fired at Williams, killing him almost instantly. Craig struggled with Harrison, but escaped to be caught later.

According to Williams’s cousin, it’s the dead robber that is the real victim:

“I understand he felt threatened by the situation,” McSwain said. “But he said the gun was pointed at him so he fired. In fact he (Williams) was walking out.”

McSwain admits that Williams made a terrible decision the night he died.

“It still puzzles us as to why he would do something so crazy,” said McSwain.

Williams actions were out of character for the Dorman High School senior who his family said  had never been in trouble before.

“He was always sharp, always goofy, loved to dance, he was a respectable boy,” McSwain said.

McSwain said her family was disappointed that Harrison wasn’t charged in the shooting and says her family is still considering pursuing other legal action against him.

Both the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s office cleared Harrison in the shooting.

Tamika McSwain and the rest of the Williams family are suffering from a crippling morality deficit if they think that her cousin’s killer is anything other than a good citizen forced into action by Williams’s criminal deeds.

Further, I strongly doubt that Dante Williams had “never been in trouble before.” It is far more likely that his terrorizing of the staff and patrons of this restaurant were the first—and last—time that he was ever caught committing a crime, but quite obviously, he was not “a respectable boy.”

Justin Harrison did what he had to do to protect himself and the patrons and staff of that restaurant that January night. That Williams’s family is even thinking about harassing him with a civil suit is beyond the pale.