Clerk charged in death of shoplifter at Melville 7-Eleven, cops say

A clerk at a Melville 7-Eleven store accused of fatally stabbing a shoplifter early Thursday has been charged with manslaughter, Suffolk police said.

Convenience store clerk Conroy Jarman, 29, stabbed Raquan Jackson of Melville in the chest with a box cutter during a confrontation near the store at 24-28 Broadhollow Road, according to police.

Jackson, 31, entered the store at approximately 12:30 a.m. Thursday and stole food and drinks, Suffolk police Lt. Det. Kevin Beyrer, commanding officer of the Suffolk Homicide Squad, said Thursday.

Jackson fled from the store while Jarman, who was working alone at the 7-Eleven, gave chase. Jarman followed Jackson to a nearby parking lot at 1117 Walt Whitman Road in Melville, where the two exchanged punches, Beyrer said.

"Once he (Jarman) caught up with the suspect, they got into a confrontation and that is when he used the box cutter," Beyrer said.

Jackson, of Melville, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office.

Jarman was charged with second-degree manslaughter. He will be held overnight at the Second Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in First District Court in Central Islip.

A store employee declined comment Thursday and the convenience store chain's media relations representatives did not respond to a request for comment.