'Chubby' Chihuahua Owner, Shot in Back, Sues Haight Street Market Owner Who Shot Him

You'll recall the incident from early February involving an owner of Fred's New Lite Market in the Haight who'd obviously had it up to here with a certain chracter who was always coming around, whom the Examiner now describes as homeless, with a portly little chihuahua named Gizmo in tow who was fond of pink sweaters? The market's owner, Sam Kazzouh, allegedly shot neighborhood regular Michael Stafford in the back after an argument that ensued because Stafford believed Kazzouh had kicked his precious pet. Kazzouh pleaded not guilty to the shooting, but now Stafford has filed suit against the Kazzouh family who owns the market. Stafford says he is now paraplegic after being shot in the head and back, and remains hospitalized.

It turns out this was, unfortunately, an instance of two mentally unstable people getting into a fight and one of them happening to have a gun behind the counter. Kazzouh's brother Fred describes Sam as being schizophrenic but says he was taking medication to manage his illness. Stafford, likewise, is described as having "an emotional condition."

And to add insult to injury, Gizmo, the chihuahua, was killed about two weeks after the incident when he ran out into traffic on Masonic Avenue and was struck by a car. Sorry... sad Monday.