Posted on 02/07/2014 7:21:32 AM PST by Uncle Chip
I always though in cold blood meant premeditated. The retired cop didn’t go to the movies looking for someone to kill. I haven’t read anything that convinces me that he planned to kill the text dude.
Reeves then quickly lifting his arm and shooting.
It looks like it was already in his hand and in his lap. He didn't pull it out of his pocket as he claims. It was already out of his pocket.
“cops were getting shot by the bad guys because they stopped to pick up their brass before reloading in a gunfight”. I have never heard of this happening. Please give us all a few examples where this has happened in the USA. Thanks...
See my post #33 in this thread. I was wrong. I checked and found that there is only anecdotal evidence that can not be proven.
If it had been premeditated then he'd be facing 1st degree murder. But he shot down an unarmed man without sufficient provocation. You don't get more cold-blooded than that.
Here’s what the timeline looks like from the video:
1:14:56 Reeves arrive & sit down in theatre.
1:23:26 Reeves gets up to go complain to management.
1:26:20 Reeves returns from lobby & sits down.
1:26:37 Oulson reaches over & takes Reeves popcorn & tosses it back at him.
1:26:38 Reeves quickly lifts his arm & shoots him — within one second.
Did Reeves actually reach into his pocket and pull the gun out of it as he claims OR was the gun already in his hand and on his lap when the popcorn was thrown???
If the latter then is that premeditation???
Obviously we disagree on the provocation. I agree the retired cop should not have shot the text dude. Under the circumstances based on what’s public, I still think it was justified.
Self defense is in the mind of the person facing an attack. Once the text dude got up and turned around things escalated fast. The man was reportedly 6’ 4” tall and almost thirty years younger than the retired cop. I can see where the old guy may have felt threatened. Who but the “me” generation jumps up and gets hostile over a cellphone conversation with a daycare center?
That jives with what the witnesses said. The shooting happened in a blink of an eye. It looks like the text dude jumping up and turning around triggered the defensive reaction.
The video and the prosecution are pointing out that he already had the gun in his hand — he lied when he said he drew it from his pocket.
Which means that he was going to shoot him one way or another and was just looking for an excuse.
The thrown popcorn was the excuse and yet he knows that it’s apathetic excuse and does not mention it in any of his statements to the police.
From that time until today he and his defense still insists there was a UFO — that popcorn was not the reason he fired.
If you don't think he should have done it the how can it be justified?
Self defense is in the mind of the person facing an attack. Once the text dude got up and turned around things escalated fast. The man was reportedly 6’ 4” tall and almost thirty years younger than the retired cop. I can see where the old guy may have felt threatened.
Feeling threatened is not justification for shooting someone. Florida's law states, "a person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force." The statute goes on to say that deadly force is lawful if a person "...believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself..."
Reeves was never in dange of imminent death or great bodily harm. He was justified in throwing a punch maybe. But not in shooting an unarmed man, especially when Reeves had provoked the confrontation to begin with.
It was the old guy who got hostile over it. I don't care if the young guy cursed him; that's no excuse to shoot an unarmed man in a publc place.
Thanks for the ping.
Self defense means you do not have to take a beating or get knocked down before you can legally act.
Actually, it does. You cannot just go around shooting people, even if they threaten you. I have people trespassing in my yard and depositing dog crap on my lawn all the time, and extremely pompous about their flouting the law to do so -- one %^&* even pushed me to the ground, and I'm a woman -- but even though it might stop the abuse, I can't just shoot them.
Judge: Where is evidence of depraved mind???
Prosecution: When he was overheard to say “I’ll teach you to throw popcorn on me” and immediately shoots him.
Judge: Okay — what about the light flashing on the video being a cellphone he may have thrown.
Prosecution: That flash of light is seen on the video 14 seconds before he then shoots him — which is further evidence of a depraved mind.
That depends on where you live. Once the person moves beyond assault to battery, it’s a different story. The Zimmerman jury got that one right. There are places in this country that doing less is justification for killing.
Judge’s Decision: No Bond for Mr Reeves —
That makes me feel better. I thought that he may get out.
Yes —
Texters and moviegoers in Florida can breathe a sigh of relief tonight.
You can see Oulson’s arm grab Reeves popcorn and you can also see Reeves immediately pull his gun and then fully extend his arm and then firing his weapon. How on earth anyone can say that this was a defensive shooting is beyond me. Reeves advanced his body position towards Oulson. He wasn’t recoiling in fear at all. Witness statements confirm that he made an aggressive statement to Oulson after shooting him and his wife.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.