"Just like that it was over. I didn't see anything, but just somebody coming in running about a gun shot and next thing you know, cops were coming in and it was over just like that," describes a woman at a neighboring business.
At 9:30, Thursday morning, two Abilene police officers were executing a search warrant at Abilene Gold Exchange.
According to APD, the business was failing to report transactions.
When officers asked for files, the co-owner refused to hand them over and that's when he drew his gun, pointed it and made a gesture that threatened the requesting officer.
According to Abilene Police Department, the officer asked the armed suspect to put his gun down several times before firing.
"We're trained to give those verbal commands and we always hope for the best, that the verbal commands will be complied with and it just wasn't the case today," says Assistant Police Chief Doug Wrenn.
Forty-nine-year-old Marcus Cass died on the scene. He was the manager and co-owner of Abilene Gold Exchange.
One employee of a neighboring business says, she was surprised something like this would happen to one of her customers.
"He's a really nice guy, that's why I never thought. But you know, the gold exchange and the money, gold, I think that's a risky business," she says.
Because the business is so risky, police have been trying to crack down on metal thieves, however, Cass thought the most recent modifications to the regulations were a bit strict... And instead of protecting his business, they could hurt it.
Cass' death comes at an interesting time. Just a week ago, KRBC spoke with him about the metal ordinance.
He told us, "This effects us because we have to hold it for an extended length of time. If the market goes down, we lose money"
Taking his concerns to city council meetings, Cass was extremely passionate about his line of work and fighting for what he believed was right. In this case however, police say the shooting had nothing to do with the ordinance.
At 9:30, Thursday morning, two Abilene police officers were executing a search warrant at Abilene Gold Exchange.
According to APD, the business was failing to report transactions.
When officers asked for files, the co-owner refused to hand them over and that's when he drew his gun, pointed it and made a gesture that threatened the requesting officer.
According to Abilene Police Department, the officer asked the armed suspect to put his gun down several times before firing.
"We're trained to give those verbal commands and we always hope for the best, that the verbal commands will be complied with and it just wasn't the case today," says Assistant Police Chief Doug Wrenn.
Forty-nine-year-old Marcus Cass died on the scene. He was the manager and co-owner of Abilene Gold Exchange.
One employee of a neighboring business says, she was surprised something like this would happen to one of her customers.
"He's a really nice guy, that's why I never thought. But you know, the gold exchange and the money, gold, I think that's a risky business," she says.
Because the business is so risky, police have been trying to crack down on metal thieves, however, Cass thought the most recent modifications to the regulations were a bit strict... And instead of protecting his business, they could hurt it.
Cass' death comes at an interesting time. Just a week ago, KRBC spoke with him about the metal ordinance.
He told us, "This effects us because we have to hold it for an extended length of time. If the market goes down, we lose money"
Taking his concerns to city council meetings, Cass was extremely passionate about his line of work and fighting for what he believed was right. In this case however, police say the shooting had nothing to do with the ordinance.
