Posted on 01/19/2011 8:54:23 AM PST by bronxville
Last week he was called “fair” and “just.” Today, Judge John Roll, the federal judge killed in the Tucson shooting, is being called a hero.
Police say security footage from the Safeway store where the shooting occurred shows accused gunman Jared Loughner walking up to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and shooting here at close range — the video shows only a wisp of her hair, however. Loughner then turns and begins firing indiscriminately into the crowd.
“He wheels this direction and that direction firing,” Chris Nanos, a captain with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department who has viewed the video, told the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal explains what happens next in the video with 63-year-old Judge Rolls:
As the shooting starts, the video shows Judge Roll pushing another man, Rob Barber, onto the ground, Mr. Nanos said. “It looks to us as though he is pushing against Ron Barber to move him out of the way.” Both men fall to the ground; both are shot. The judge was shot in the back and died.
The New York Times quotes Richard Kastigar, another investigator in the case, in explaining the incident this way:
The judge guides Mr. Barber to the ground, shields him with his body, and then tries to push himself and Mr. Barber away from the gunman, who was no more than three to four feet away as he fired, Mr. Kastigar said.
“He pushes Mr. Barber with his right hand and guides him with his left hand. The judge was on top of him and is covering up Mr. Barber, literally lying on top of him, and his back was exposed,” Mr. Kastigar said.
“It’s pretty evident to me that Judge Roll was a hero … if Judge Roll had not pushed Mr. Barber his wounds might have been fatal,” Nanos told the Journal . “Judge Roll‘s actions are of a man trying to save another man’s life.”
While the video shows Barber, Loughner, and Roll, the camera’s angle blocks other victims from view. However, the video does lead investigators to think that Giffords was the target because it shows a man running past a concrete pillar, and shooting Giffords at close range.
“There’s no hesitation. Once he gets around the pillar, it’s obvious what his intent is. That’s why we believe his target was exactly who we thought it was,” Nanos told the Journal.
The FBI is currently reviewing the video.
Very sad. The man is a true hero and his deeds were lost in the entire smearing of the Tea Party by the left.
I wonder if Glenn Beck, O’Reilly and Peggy Noonan still think Obama’s funeral rally beer hal rabble rousing pep rally speech was great?
Why wasn’t this the story? Why wasn’t it out in the news instantly? I think we all know the answer. It would have interfered with what the propaganda press wanted to do with the story.
Exactly what a Knight of Columbus should do. They can name a 4th Degree Assembly after him.
Yes, we lost a great man in the judge (RIP), he was also a true conservative. I wish they’d mentioned him more in the news. I’m hoping they will now that the footage shows him as a real hero.
Does the video show James Eric Fuller? Was he even there?
I didn’t know he was a Knight of Columbus. Tx.
If they mentioned that a pro-life conservative was killed, it would ruin their attempts to blame it on Palin and Tea Partiers.
I don't think there's any particular conspiracy behind this part ~ but, when you just know that Chris Matthews had a guy hidden behind the stone wall waiting to pick off the survivors as they ran away ~ well, that just proves that we haven't caught all these pukes.
It will be interesting to see the full story when the video is released. The FBI are investigating the tape.
He's got some answering to question though ~ like how did he know this was going to happen
The media and all of TV are evil and love Obama. This man was a true hero but it was all about Palin and the Tea Party.
They've had enough time to watch the video 5,000 in slow motion...Where's the video? I don't see the link..
er..5,000 times...
Strange...
You’re welcome. There was a statement from the Supreme Knight posted in the religion forum a few days ago.
How is that this is the first time we hear of the Judge’s heroic actions?
The Judge himself usually carried a firearm and perhaps this is why there has been less attention paid to him personally.
Speculation is that he did not carry his weapon to Church and that is how it came to be he was unarmed. Yet he saved a life as he gave his own.
The judge had just come from daily Mass, I suspect he happily tried to save another becasue he knew where he would be going if he died. RIP
Of course the media doesn’t want to talk about the judge, it wouldn’t fit with their blaming Palin and the Tea-Partiers for the shootings.
Instead, they will have a CIA created animation of the event, complete with James Eric Fuller using his famous karate kicks to disarm the gunman.
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