CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Homicide detectives are turning over evidence in a deadly west Charlotte shooting to the district attorney to determine whether charges will be filed.

Police say Checker Cab driver Clyde Coley shot and killed a man who robbed him just before 3 a.m. Wednesday on Columbus Circle.

Investigators say the driver called for help over his radio, but before help arrived, the two men started fighting and Coley fired a shot.

“The cab driver shot the person who tried to rob him,” a Checker Cab dispatcher told the 911 operator. “He said he’s still breathing.”

Coley told police he was sent to the location to pick someone up, but when the passenger got in the back seat of the cab he pulled out a shotgun and demanded money from the driver. He said during the course of the robbery he pulled out his handgun and shot his assailant once in the chest.

Michael Antonio Hamilton, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Eyewitness News has learned Coley has driven cabs for 15 years. Coworkers said he's so shaken up by the incident that he's been given time off from work

Checker company officials would not comment on whether they allow employees to carry concealed weapons. But for taxi drivers, the incident is a reminder of just how dangerous their job can be.

“He pulls a gun on you, what are you supposed to do?” asked cab driver Kenneth Oli. “This job is very, very dangerous because you are driving with somebody at your back.”

The man in charge of overseeing taxi drivers in Charlotte, who asked not to be identified, said each driver is trained on how to react in robbery attempts. He said Coley passed the course.

He also said staying on the two-way radio helps the company and fellow cab drivers stay as safe as they can. This driver did just that.

“He’s begging for help. He’s calling for help,” the cab dispatcher said on the 911 tape.