Protest Shuts Store Where Boy Was Killed
A Long Beach mini-mart where two employees shot and killed a suspected thief shut down Friday afternoon after demonstrators staged a noisy six-hour protest.
The boycott was aimed at Sandler’s Liquors, where Benson Hieng and his son, Peter, shot an unarmed black teen-ager who was allegedly stealing beer and a bag of candy Monday night. The Hiengs said they shot Lester Nichols, 16, to protect each other after the teen-ager struck Peter Hieng and then lunged toward his father.
Beginning about 7:30 a.m. Friday, from 12 to 30 teen-agers and young adults demonstrated outside the store at 7th Street and Rose Avenue, urging customers to shop elsewhere. The district attorney’s office announced Friday afternoon that it does not plan to file charges against the Hiengs because the shooting appeared to be justifiable.
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