City of Dallas sues gas station for being a ‘hub for criminal activity'

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The family of a security guard is sharing his story after he was shot several times at a Dallas gas station that is now being sued by the city.

Mahir Amiri was shot in December 2018 while working security at the Texaco gas station on Ferguson Road next to LBJ Freeway in the White Rock area.

The city of Dallas is now suing the business for excessive crime complaints. That is what prompted Amiri's wife and attorney to speak to FOX 4.

Mahir Amiri came to the U.S. from Afghanistan after working as a translator for the U.S military. He feared for his life as a result of his work there. His attorney says it's a sad reality that he nearly died on U.S. soil.

The family of the 32-year-old is talking to FOX 4 for the first time since Amiri was shot five times in the back last year while working as a security guard at a Texaco gas station.

"He was unwittingly thrown into a war zone," said Charles Bennett, the family's attorney. "He had a security guard shirt on. It put a target on his chest, and he was armed with a pistol."

Amiri, his wife and three young children came to the U.S after working as a military translator in Afghanistan for eight years. Speaking through a translator, his wife says Amiri faces a grim future as a quadriplegic who will soon be transferred to a nursing home.

"She obviously wants the perps brought to justice from the people who did this to her husband," the translator said. "And she said it's been really difficult."

Even before Amiri was shot, the city of Dallas says it documented several complaints of rampant crime at the business.

Last week, the city sued the owner seeking to have the business shut down. The city described the gas station as a "hub for drug use and sales and related violent crime."

The city's lawsuit states that between May 28, 2018, and July 25, 2019, there were: two aggravated robberies, five robberies, 24 drug-related offenses, four aggravated assaults and three cases of people firing guns.

In copies of DPD reports provided by Amiri's attorney, the security guard called police on Dec. 14, 2018, after a person he confronted about an open-air drug deal told him "I'm gonna kill you."

On Dec.19. Amiri called 911 again after a customer he told to leave the store said, "Your turn is coming. I get a gun, and I'm going to shoot and kill you."

The next day, Amiri was shot in the back. His attorney plans to take legal action, too.

"We're certainly looking at anyone who was involved out there who knew about this violent activity that was going on out there," Bennett said.

Amiri's attorney says that could include the owner of the Texaco, surrounding businesses and even the city of Dallas.

The owner of the Texaco was not able to be reached. For now, the Texaco remains open.

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