Store owner opens fire on customer with AK47

Saf Ahmad says he thought the unarmed customer had tossed a grenade at his store

Video has been released showing a Florida store owner shooting an assault rifle at an unarmed customer during a tense dispute.

Saf Ahmad, the store owner who was charged for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon following the Christmas Eve 2017 altercation, has said he fired in self defence after the customer became hostile and threw something from his car.

His lawyers have now released surveillance footage that shows the customer, Jason Morris, verbally confronting his staff before heading outside and knocking over a rubbish bin in the car park.

He then throws the bin at the store, sending litter flying across the car park as nearby customers rush away in a panic.

The bin and some of its contents can be seen smashing into the front entrance of the store, where Mr Ahmad later appears brandishing a weapon.

He and another person are both holding guns and appear to be shouting at Mr Morris, who is still just outside of the store.

The door closes before Mr Ahmad reappears with a larger weapon, an AK-47. He fires multiple shots at the customer, who flees in his car.

The video shows Mr Ahmad and the second person running out of the store and into the car park with their weapons.

Mr Ahmad was arrested shortly afterwards. His next hearing is scheduled for 1 November, NBC News reported.

A police report filed at the time indicated that Mr Morris was shot in the back and left permanently disabled.

Mr Morris told police he was confronting the staff at the convenience store about allegations of employees threatening customers with violence and accusations of illegal activity.

Andrew Rier, a lawyer for Mr Ahmad, disputed that account in a July court filing.

His client claims to have thought the customer had thrown a grenade at the store when a bottle smashed into the entrance.

“In this case, Mr Ahmad believed he had no choice but to use force necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself as well as others present," his lawyers wrote.