SPANAWAY, Wash. – A Spanaway convenience store owner has been sentenced to eight years in prison for shooting and killing a fleeing shoplifting suspect.

Min Kim told the judge on Friday he accepted responsibility for what he did and apologized for his actions.

As the cuffs went on Kim the tears and the anguish were unleashed from his family, trying to come to grips with the fact Kim is heading off to begin his prison sentence for shooting and killing Jakeel Mason last year.

8 year sentence handed down to Min Kim in conv store fatal shooting of fleeing shoplifting suspect. 5pm #komonews pic.twitter.com/r2Skn8L8lT

— Keith Eldridge (@KeithKOMO4) June 23, 2017

In March 2016, Mason was a shoplifting suspect at Kim’s Pacific Quick Shop and was trying to flee from the store, when he was shot in the back.

The fatal shooting came one month after Kim’s wife, Seul Lim, was wounded by an armed would-be robber when she and the suspect exchanged gunfire. Those robbery suspects were caught.

Then a month later, Kim was the one dealing with people trying to steal from his store. He told KOMO News back then it was a struggle for his gun and he shot the suspect in self defense.

“I was down and he was on top of me and he was trying to reach my gun,” Min Kim said in a March 26, 2016 interview

"I did not have the right to take Mr Mason's life." Min Kim at sentencing for shooting shoplift suspect Jakeel Mason in back. #komonews 5pm pic.twitter.com/aRxvyMMjWw

— Keith Eldridge (@KeithKOMO4) June 23, 2017

“I did not have the right to take Mr. Mason’s life or anyone else’s life,” Min Kim said in court on Friday. “I feel terrible that I did so and will have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

His wife said the earlier assault on her had been weighing heavily on him.

"My husband struggled in fear of losing me." Seul Lim at sentencing of Min Kim in conv store shooting. She had been shot a month earlier. pic.twitter.com/qkUS7ZM64Z

— Keith Eldridge (@KeithKOMO4) June 23, 2017

“I was shot by a robber and after that my husband struggled in fear of losing me,” Lim Kim told the court.

Judge John Hickman agreed it was a tough situation, but said deadly force was not warranted.

Kim said he would accept whatever was handed to him. But, the reality of a prison term was painful for his family.

Min Kim's family emotionally crushed as he's taken off in cuffs to begin 8-yr prison term. #komonews pic.twitter.com/lAbAmLS6IP

— Keith Eldridge (@KeithKOMO4) June 23, 2017

No one was there on behalf of Mason.

Kim asked the judge for permission to write a letter of apology to Mason’s family. Most often there are no-contact orders with family, but the judge granted that request.