Posted on 03/27/2025 9:43:36 PM PDT by Red Badger
0:32 VIDEO of a STREET shooting.
Was it justified or not?
Warning BAD LANGUAGE.................
Another big man with a gun
Ping!...................
Nit enough info. Do they know each other? What preceeded the gun being drawn?
Good shoot.
L
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJBGkbehCQE&t=6s&ab_channel=ActiveSelfProtection
more on this shooting
Looks like a fat gamer nerd forgot that he was in real life..
Completely.
Unknown preceding actions...............
Another big mouth with fists...which kill far more people than guns. Anyone that wants to fight after seeing a gun is a menace. F’ed A, FO.
The wailer was the bigger man, and not just physically. He was such a big man that he was going to assault a man wielding a gun.
The shooter really needed pepper spray or better yet, a pepper ball gun. After giving him a faceful of capsaicin, he could have then blasted him in the nuts so that he'd never forget.
Self defense. Needs to be seen more often.
Yep. Fat dude had a knife in his waistband and the shooter had got an order of protection against him but it hadn’t been served yet. The dude was coming fast and had a knife - no brainer, good shoot.
This was in Arizona. He was found not guilty.
Good shooting: Assuming Grok’s commentary is correct, this took place in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 24, 2021 and shows a confrontation between Benjamin Backus, the shooter, and Michael Montanarella, the aggressor. Arizona’s Stand Your Ground law applies. See more info in Grok’s commentary giving a more full history.
Based on the details you’ve provided, it seems you’re referring to a widely discussed self-defense incident that occurred in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 24, 2021. The video, which has circulated online, shows a confrontation between two men: Benjamin Backus, the shooter, and Michael Montanarella, the aggressor. Here’s the broader context and story behind this event.
The incident took place around 5:30 a.m. near Greenway Road and 28th Street. Backus, then 31, stepped outside his home and was confronted by Montanarella, a 32-year-old former neighbor. The two had a history—once friends, their relationship deteriorated due to Montanarella’s struggles with addiction, possibly alcohol or drugs, and escalating tensions. Reports suggest Montanarella had become paranoid, believing Backus was stalking or plotting against him, which led to prior threats and a restraining order against Montanarella.
In the viral video, Montanarella is seen aggressively approaching Backus, taunting him with phrases like “scrap like a man, bitch” (sometimes misheard or rephrased as “strap like a man, bitch” in online discussions), daring him to fight. Backus, legally armed and carrying a concealed firearm, repeatedly warns Montanarella to stop and get down, backing away as the aggressor closes in. Montanarella ignores the commands, continuing to advance and reportedly reaching toward his waistband—where Backus knew he had previously kept weapons, like a Sig pistol or a .40 Smith & Wesson. Fearing for his life, Backus fires a single shot, striking Montanarella in the leg or lower body. Montanarella collapses, screaming in pain—“ow, ow, ow”—as captured in the footage.
Backus later recounted the event on a podcast with Active Self Protection (ASP), explaining that he only shot when he believed Montanarella was reaching for a weapon, a fear heightened by their history and Montanarella’s erratic behavior. The video shows a knife in Montanarella’s waistband, though it’s unclear if he was actually going for it. Montanarella died at the scene from the gunshot wound.
Phoenix police investigated and deemed the shooting justified self-defense under Arizona’s “stand your ground” laws, which allow individuals to use deadly force if they reasonably believe their life is in imminent danger. No charges were filed against Backus. However, the aftermath was far from simple for him—he reportedly lost his job, faced ostracism from friends and family, and incurred significant legal costs preparing a defense, despite not being prosecuted.
The video has sparked debate online. Some view it as a clear case of self-defense, arguing Backus had no duty to fight or retreat and acted only when threatened. Others question whether lethal force was necessary, suggesting he could have fled indoors, though Arizona law didn’t require him to. The audio of Montanarella’s pained cries after being shot adds an emotional layer, often highlighted in discussions for its raw intensity—sometimes likened to “a cat in heat” on platforms like Reddit.
This incident reflects broader themes of self-defense, escalating confrontations, and the personal toll of such events, even when legally justified. The phrase “strap like a man, bitch” has since been echoed in memes and commentary, amplifying the video’s reach, but the core story is one of a tragic fallout between two men whose past friendship couldn’t withstand addiction and paranoia
Er...This was in Arizona, he was not charged.
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