A 36-year-old Lancaster man is facing an aggravated robbery charge after police say he stole items from a DeSoto convenience store and then attacked the clerk and an intervening customer with a razor blade late Monday night, cutting his own hand in the process. DeSoto Police responded to the 1500 block of the North I-35E frontage road at approximately 10:25 p.m. on Monday after a caller reported people fighting near the storefront.
According to the DeSoto Police Department, officers arriving at the scene observed several individuals in the parking lot and found a man suffering heavy bleeding to his right hand. That man was identified as Willie James Richardson III, a Lancaster resident, whom witnesses identified as the alleged offender. Officers detained Richardson at the scene, and the department says he was charged with aggravated robbery.
A Theft That Turned Violent
Witnesses told police that Richardson stole several items from inside the store before the confrontation began. Police say he then retrieved a razor from his vehicle and attacked the store clerk and an intervening customer with it. Both the clerk and the customer suffered minor defensive injuries during the struggle, per the department's account, while Richardson cut himself with the same razor during the attack.
Officers arranged medical treatment for Richardson at the scene before he was transported to a local hospital for further care. He was later released and transferred into custody to face the felony charge. Under Texas Penal Code Section 29.03, aggravated robbery is a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison, along with a fine of up to $10,000.
How a Razor Becomes a Deadly Weapon Under Texas Law
The elevated charge stems from how Texas law treats everyday objects used as weapons. Under Texas Penal Code Section 1.07(a)(17), a deadly weapon is defined broadly as anything that, in the manner of its use or intended use, is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury — a definition broad enough to cover a razor blade in the right circumstances. That statutory framework is what allowed what began as an alleged shoplifting incident to escalate into a first-degree felony charge.
The customer who stepped in to help the clerk was acting within a legal framework as well. Under Texas Penal Code Section 9.33, a person is legally justified in using force to protect a third party if they reasonably believe intervention is immediately necessary to prevent unlawful force. That statute offers context for why a bystander's decision to get involved carried legal protection rather than risk.
Police Credit Citizen Reporting for Fast Response
The call that sent officers to the scene came in through the Southwest Regional Communications Center, a consolidated 911 dispatch agency established in 1999 that handles emergency calls for DeSoto, Cedar Hill, and Duncanville from its DeSoto facility. The department's account of the incident credited the citizens who reported the disturbance and provided information to dispatchers and responding officers, part of a broader local push encouraging residents to report suspicious activity when they see it.
The response fell to the department's Charlie Shift, the unit that covers late-night patrol duties across the city. DeSoto, home to an estimated 56,211 residents as of 2024 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, sits along the Interstate 35E corridor and shares deep civic ties with Lancaster, Richardson's home city — the two are founding members of the Best Southwest Partnership, a regional economic and civic alliance formed in 1986.
Part of a Busy Stretch for DeSoto Police
The convenience store confrontation was one of two major violent incidents DeSoto Police handled that same night, as Hoodline reported an 18-year-old's fatal shooting elsewhere in the city on August 17. It also follows a string of recent felony cases for the department, including a registration stop that turned into a gun bust in July and an earlier arrest by the same Charlie Shift unit in January, Hoodline reported. In April, officers also responded to a shooting in the 900 block of North Hampton Road that left one person dead and multiple others injured in a commercial parking lot, according to WFAA.
Major felony cases originating with DeSoto Police, including this one, are routinely coordinated with the Public Integrity Unit of the Dallas County District Attorney's Office as they move toward prosecution. Open questions remain about the case, including the exact items Richardson allegedly stole, the full extent of the clerk's and customer's injuries, and what bond amount, if any, has been set following his medical clearance and transfer to jail.
