Robbery victim charged after getting into shootout on Detroit's east side

A man robbed at gunpoint got into a violent shootout at a Detroit gas station on the city's east side.

It was 4:00 a.m. on Monday when the 29-year-old victim stopped to fuel up. Suddenly, a man walks up with a gun to rob him.

The man rummages through the victim's pockets, grabs his empty wallet and then takes it anyway.

"The suspect approached him from behind, armed with a weapon. The suspect forced the victim against the car," DPD Communications Director Michael Woody said. "The victim went into his car, pulled out his weapon and at some point there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and the victim"

The victim wasn't hit and it's unknown if the suspect was, either. He got into his car and sped off before police arrived.

Woody says that, while the victim was technically defending himself, he broke the law.

"The victim was the owner of the weapon, however he was not licensed to carry the weapon," Woody said.

As a result, the only person to be charged in the shootout is the robbery victim.

Police said they hope someone passed by the area at the time and saw the man's getaway car. They described it as an older model Pontiac Grand Prix but knew little other details. Anyone with information is asked to call police.