A gun-toting Houston man guarded an area food mart during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and he wasn’t afraid to let would-be looters know that he would “cut their a** in half” if they stole from the store.

“Hey, don’t you go back in that store! I’m telling you one time. I’m not scared to shoot ya,” the man, who said he was “an ex-f****** SWAT deputy” yelled at a several people who were reportedly caught ransacking through the Little York Food Mart store off of Little York Road in Houston.

A passerby caught the incident on video as the man, now touted as a hero by numerous people online, made it clear that he was dead serious about protecting his community. The video showed several looters scattering from the area as the man shouted at them and threatened them.

“[I’m] protecting the community where I live,” the man explained. “I grew up in this area, I’m a former law enforcement officer, so I understand what the law says. If you’re looting, you’re stealing. It’s a violation of Texas law and federal law in the time of a catastrophe…Constitution says you’ve got the right to bear arms.”

While another passerby walked up and called the man a “fu***** hero,” the woman filming the incident warned viewers that “this is not a game.”

“Lord Jesus. This s**t is getting real. They are not playing out here…This man out here with his shotgun, y’all. This is not a game.”

The man explained that although he no longer works in the law enforcement, he still supports the law and will protect his community against any looters “too lazy to get a job.”

No one was shot or hurt during the video. The gun-toting man’s name is unknown.

**WARNING** Graphic Language 

[Feature Photo: YouTube]