HOUSTON, Texas — A man claiming to be an “ex-SWAT deputy” tells would-be looters on camera, “I will cut your [expletive] in half,” while holding a shotgun.

A woman asks the unidentified man about the situation outside the Little York Food Mart located in the flood devastated area of Houston’s east side. “It’s a shame,” the man responds. “We need more real men out here to step up and protect where you live.” Graphic language can be heard in the footage.

He then notices someone (off camera) approaching the store apparently looting or attempting to loot the store.

“Hey! Don’t go back in that store,” he yells, confronting the looters. “I’m telling you one time: I’m not scared to shoot you, I’m an ex-[expletive] SWAT deputy. I will cut your [expletive] in half.”

“Don’t go in that store no [expletive] more.”

He turns to the woman recording, “I’m a former law enforcement officer. I still support law enforcement.”

The woman tells a passenger in her car, “Yeah, we got a real man with a shotgun in his hand.”

Expressing the concern Breitbart Texas heard from many flood evacuees on Wednesday, a girl in the car says, “911 ain’t gonna come mama. 911 is outta there. It’s either marshal law or everybody else watches. … there is no law.”

The looters appear to heed the warning and flee the scene.

“Protecting the community is why I’m here,” the man tells another bystander. He said that as a former law enforcement officer, he understands what the law says and he has the right to defend a “third person’s property.”

“If you’re looting, you’re stealing,” he explained. “It’s a violation of Texas law and federal law in a time of a catastrophe. Do not enter people’s homes. The Constitution says you’ve got the right to protect yourself and bear arms.”

“That’s a [expletive] hero,” the other man responds to his cell phone while capturing the moment on video.

Breitbart Texas spoke with several flood evacuees from this area on Wednesday. They reported seeing people looting to find food as they were unable to get out because of high water and lack of rescue workers.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told Breitbart Texas he and District Attorney Kim Ogg will go after looters aggressively.

“I cannot tolerate people hurting our people while they are already hurting from this storm,” Acevedo said.

The rain stopped in most of Harris County on Tuesday and flood waters in most areas are beginning to recede. Other areas are expected to remain flooded for weeks, or maybe longer, as two of the city’s main reservoirs begin a draining process that could take up to three months.

Texas law allows the open carry of shotguns and rifles by all citizens who are legally allowed to own firearms. Handguns may also be worn openly by holders of a Texas License to Carry. The law allows the use of deadly force, under certain circumstances, to protect life and property, even the property of others.

Follow complete coverage of Hurricane Harvey and Houston Floods on Breitbart Texas.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Gab, and Facebook.