Posted on 10/17/2021 7:28:31 AM PDT by Eddie01
A jury on Thursday found a Virginia man, accused of shooting his next-door neighbor, guilty of first-degree murder.
Michael Hetle, a 52-year-old former police officer and NASA executive, shot 24-year-old Javon Prather seven times, a video of which was caught by a Ring doorbell camera, local news outlet WTOP reported.
Hetle and Prather had feuded for years, arguing over mundane things like dog poop and loud music, according to local news outlets. Since 2016, Hetle has called the police to complain about barking dog noises coming from Prather's house, WTOP said.
Before the jury, Hetle's attorney argued that he acted in self-defense. Hetle said he believed Prather was armed and claimed to have been threatened by him multiple times ahead of the shooting.
Prosecutors, however, said it was "not self-defense, that it was murder in the first degree, which is murder with malice and murder with premeditation."
The video, according to local news reports, shows Hetle firing several rounds at Prather in March 2020 while other neighbors watched. Prather's wife was among the onlookers.
Prather had knocked on Hetle's door, and Hetle then fired six times at him while Prather tried to run off his doorstep, according to the Washington Post.
Prather collapsed on Hetle's driveway, and Hetle fired another time before turning to Prather's wife.
"You want it too?" he asked, according to the Post, pointing toward his gun.
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Lack of impulse control also manifesting itself as an inability to manage one’s finances?
Regardless of music choice, Prather sounds like a real dick. You are (were) neighbors, act like it. What, you never heard of wifi/bluetooth earphones? Can’t control your own mutt?
Must have migrated out of a place like NYC.
Oh come on!
My husband hates that song…at least that cover.
I love it. Better than Dolly.
But I don’t think I’d keep playing it over and over, much less loudly to bug others.
In the ‘80s I visited my cousins once in their rowhouse. Their neighbors drove them crazy because she’d play “Kiss” by Prince over and over when it came out. I heard it while there. BTW we were all teenagers.
Still like the song but never forget how they hated hearing it thanks to inconsiderate neighbor.
That has all the earmarks of an exceptionally bad shoot.
On the surface, bad shoot. Really bad shoot.
BUT, yes, “Javon”, 24 yo, probably the hood kind of perpetual teenager. Only thing going for him is at that age, to be married! I’d expect shack-up.
Probably not a model citizen, despite marriage. Also if only 24 I wonder just how many “years” this was going on?
Yup.
Take a drink!
no question
cold blooded murders what it was
the wife was lucky
Rot in hell Ja-Von.
Just another loser animal ahole neighbor from hell.
some people just need killin’
Picture....
Having to hear Michael Bolton’s entire catalog is one thing but at loud volume? No wonder there was friction.
“What kind of music? “
What kind of music would a ‘Javon’ like? Hmmmm.
You’re right; there has been no “renaissance” in urban areas in NJ unless there was wholesale expulsion of the gibsmedats (as along the Jersey City “Gold Coast”). The wealthy people there never rub elbows with the permanent underclass.
Attempts to gentrify other fallen areas (Newark, Asbury Park) have fallen flat - even when the “makers” are offered fortified compounds (for example, a “teachers village”/fort in downtown Newark). The potential residents know they are just hostages deep within enemy territory.
The hostage situation in Baltimore when the baseball fans were held in the stadium after the game ended because of widespread Mau Mauing in the city is a case in point.
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