Posted on 08/02/2008 9:55:49 AM PDT by B4Ranch
THE GREEN BERET COURT MARTIAL Written by To The Point News Friday, 01 August 2008
US Army Green Beret James T. (Smokey) Taylor was awakened in the early morning hours of November 5, 2007, when an intruder broke into his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He investigated the noises with one of his many weapons in the house.
"It was just after Halloween, on Monday morning at 4:30," Taylor testified in his trial. "I heard this commotion at the door and grabbed my fishing gun, a little .22 revolver, to see what was going on.
"I got to the front door and this fellow had ripped my security door out of its frame. He said, 'You're going to have to kill me. I'm coming in'."
When a warning to leave went unheeded, Taylor brought his .22 caliber pistol to bear and shot him right between the eyes.
"I was about four feet away from him when I shot," Taylor testified. "Looking back now, I'm glad he didn't die but that boy had the hardest head I've ever seen. The bullet bounced right off."
The impact knocked the would-be thief down momentarily. He crawled out of the house then got up and ran down the street.
Taylor dialed 911 and Knoxville police apprehended the wounded man hiding in a hedgerow about 200 yards away. The offender was released on bail but failed to appear for his court date. Knoxville police said the man was homeless.
Nonetheless, Smokey was court martialed for his actions. He was placed on trial by his fellow members of Chapter XXXIII of the Special Forces Association, who found him guilty of "Failing to use a weapon of sufficient caliber."
His sentence, however, was suspended given the extenuating circumstance of his being retired and 79 years old.
LOL. Good story. I liked the part of the acquittal due to using a weapon of insufficient caliber.
Big ole Tennessee attack catfish. Very dangerous.
oops I meant conviction not acquittal.
Why was he found guilty of anything? Was it inhumane to not kill the guy and only cause him pain? I would think they’d be happy that the guy wasn’t killed.
Good thing it was suspended though especially since he was 79.
You do realize this was a mock trial for fun don’t you? Here is a link of the story.
http://bluestarchronicles.com/greenberet.html
The PC Free Zone is reporting that an 80-year-old retired Green Beret has been tried by his peers after shooting an intruder in his Knoxville, Tennessee home. He is the oldest member of Chapter XXXIII of the Special Forces Association.
BREVARD, Jan. 19, 2008 Retired Army Green Beret Smokey Taylor got his court martial this weekend and came away feeling good about it.
Taylor, at age 80 the oldest member of Chapter XXXIII of the Special Forces Association, was on trial by his peers under the charge of failing to use a weapon of sufficient caliber in the shooting of an intruder at his home in Knoxville, TN, in December.
The entire affair, of course, was very much tongue in cheek. Taylor had been awakened in the early morning hours of Dec. 17, 2007, when an intruder broke into his home. He investigated the noises with one of his many weapons in hand.
When the intruder threatened him with a knife, Taylor warned him, then brought his .22 caliber pistol to bear and shot him right between the eyes.
That boy had the hardest head Ive ever seen, Taylor said after his trial. The bullet bounced right off. The impact knocked the would-be thief down momentarily. He crawled out of the room then got up and ran out the door and down the street. Knoxville police apprehended him a few blocks away and he now awaits trial in the Knox County jail.
The charges against Taylor were considered to be serious. He is a retired Special Forces Weapons Sergeant with extensive combat experience during the wars in Korea and Vietnam.
Charges were brought against him under the premise that he should have saved the county and taxpayers the expense of a trial, said Chapter XXXIII President Bill Long of Asheville. He could have used a .45 or .38. The .22 just wasnt big enough to get the job done.
Taylors defense attorney, another retired Weapons Sergeant, disagreed. He said Taylor had done the right thing in choosing to arm himself with a .22.
If hed used a .45 or something like that the round would have gone right through the perp, the wall, the neighbors wall and possibly injured some innocent child asleep in its bed, he said. I believe the evidence shows that Smokey Taylor exercised excellent judgment in his choice of weapons. He did nothing wrong, and clearly remains to this day an excellent weapons man.
Counsel for the defense then floated a theory as to why the bullet bounced off the perps forehead.
He was victimized by old ammunition, he said, just as he was in Korea and again in Vietnam, when his units were issued ammo left over from World War II.
Taylor said nothing in his own defense, choosing instead to allow his peers to debate the matter. After the trial he said the ammunition was indeed old and added the new information that the perp had soiled his pants as he crawled out of the house.
I would have had an even worse mess to clean up if it had gone through his forehead, Taylor said. It was good for both of us that it didnt.
Following testimony from both sides, Taylor was acquitted of the charges and was given a round of applause.
Meanwhile, back in Knox County, the word is out: Dont go messing with Smokey Taylor. He just bought a whole bunch of fresh ammo.
Tribune Editor Bill Fishburne is a member of the Larry Thorne Chapter XXXIII of the Special Forces Association.
The US Army Green Beret are not known for allowing their attackers to escape with insignificant wounds. They certainly don't want retired troops to start a trend that liberals could expect to carry over to the battlefield.
Before modern trauma units, it was powerful enough to ensure the well-shot perp would eventually die, but a light enough load to ensure they suffered for a long time before they did.
No good for a bad gator, but not much less than a 12 Ga. is.
Thanks for locating this research.
An adequate delay in calling the ‘authorities’ will guarantee the same results. I would understand if someone told me that they were “too stressed” to place a call immediately after a shooting.
A .22 cleaning wad fired through a Beeman Crow Magnum air rifle would have also given the perp cause to soil his pants.
How big was the Sturgeon? I thought Indians killed fish with knives.
Only in Tennessee (LOL)
I’ve seen some pretty mean gar here, we call them Smoky Mountain Sailfish.
The right to a trial by your peers exists all across America.
I don’t know the weight but it was about 4 feet long. He caught it with rod and reel...
Them’s the ones you use your .357 magnum on.
You’re right. I was just commenting on this great thread, and thanks for posting it, I’ve sent it to some special forces friends.
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