Ricardo Tafoya Garcia, 30, was shot and killed inside the Pita Stop in Birmingham’s Southside on Saturday, December 16, 2023, after a dispute over payment for a meal. Islam told police Garcia attacked him and that he retrieved a firearm because he believed his life was in danger; Garcia was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The Birmingham Police Department investigated and the matter was presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and a grand jury. The grand jury chose not to indict Islam, and the district attorney concluded the restaurant owner had acted in self-defense. Islam’s attorney said his client had been deeply affected and acted to protect himself.

Are there witnesses or anyone who was in or near the restaurant that afternoon who can add details about what happened inside Pita Stop?