‘Went down a hero’: Family identifies man killed while breaking up fight at Walmart
A customer trying to break up an argument between Walmart coworkers was shot dead in Lauderdale Lakes on Tuesday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.
Family confirmed that 38-year-old Thierry Bastien was the good Samaritan killed in Tuesday’s shooting. Tironie Sterling, a 22-year-old from Lauderhill, has been arrested on charges of robbery by sudden snatching and murder while engaging in a felony offense.
Bastien’s girlfriend Makia Ford told Local 10 News about how she pleaded for the life of the father of her child before he was shot six times.
“I was like ‘No, please, even if it’s for the baby,’” she told Local 10. “And he stood over him and shot him.”
For Ford, Bastien was the love of her life and an amazing father who died a hero.
“Having the big heart that he had, he went down a hero,” she told Local 1. “It’s sad.”
BSO investigators said Sterling works at the Walmart Supercenter at 3001 N. State Rd. 7, but was off when he came in to the big-box store before 2 p.m. to talk with a woman who also worked there.
Their talk, BSO said, turned into a fight with words and that devolved into a physical fight. While they tussled, investigators said, Sterling dropped a gun on the floor and tried to take the woman’s cellphone. A man shopping at Walmart, identified by family as Bastien, jumped in trying to help, and wound up fighting Sterling.
“During that altercation, Sterling picked up his gun and shot the good Samaritan multiple times,” BSO said.
Sterling ran. He was arrested late Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 3:36 PM.
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