Gov. Urges Richard Sentence Review (NM-Iraq veteran shoots car thief)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 29, 2008 | T.J. Wilham And Scott Sandlin

[CedarDave]

I have to agree with the judge here -- I think the prison term is justified. This is in contrast to the Otereo County sheriff's officer who also received jail time after shooting the POS who shot and killed his partner in front of him after also killing a pregnant woman.

[wideawake]

If the guy killed someone after they had fled several blocks from his property, I don't see how he could legally escape jail time.

[Bulldawg Fan]

Link to that story about the officer killing his partners killer?

[CedarDave]

I’m hunt it up and get back to you.

[SeaHawkFan]

In the State of Washington and given these facts, you can do just that if you first tell a fleeing felon to stop or you will shoot. Ironically, a law enforcement officer cannot do the same.

[Waco]

Have to start storing the car in the house.

[ANGGAPO]

There is one thing for sure, that guy will never try to steal someone’s car again.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Are you nuts?

One is a heroic veteran.

The other was a scumbag thief who got exactly what he deserved.

The judge should be recalled immediately. Defense of private property is as sacred a right as self-defense.

[Emperor Palpatine]

It figures an authoritarian-statist JBT boot-licker like you would back up the authorities on this one.

[Sooth2222]

"...officer killing his partners killer?"

...while handcuffed. Not that many couldn't have done the same thing, under the same circumstances. But the prisoner was handcuffed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/national/17deputy.html

[Emmett McCarthy]

I wouldn’t presume to speak for the law or for others, but I personally wouldn’t want to to have to live with having shot someone who was fleeing. If I read this right, the attempted theft was foiled so the thief didn’t have any of the guy’s property. On the other hand, the guy was a victim when the thief came after his stuff.

[MGBGUN]

He’d do time in Texas too. If someone had actually stolen your vehicle (in Texas) AND you were in “fresh pursuit” AND you were reasonable certain you could not later recover you stolen moveable property THEN you could use deadly force.

[CedarDave]

Officer Convicted, but Still Seen as Hero After Videotaped Shooting

[wideawake]

It figures an authoritarian-statist JBT boot-licker like you would back up the authorities on this one.

That's not much of an argument in favor of Richard's position.

The law says you cannot chase after someone and then kill them blocks away from your property.

And the grounds of such a law are pretty rational.

Someone could get into an argument with someone else in a parking lot, shoot them, and then say; "I just chased this guy ten blocks from my house - I saw him casing my place!"

[Emperor Palpatine]

I’ll take the word of a heroic veteran.

[muawiyah]

THe man had been armed with a deadly weapon ~ who knew what else he might have had. It's necessary to track down a thief under these circumstances and detain him lest he return at a later time to kill you because you are an eye-witness.

The thief didn't wish to be detained; therefore it was OK to shoot him.

That's the way I see it. Self-defense, end to end.

Surprised they had a judge on this case who is unable to think like a crook ~

[CedarDave]

Are you nuts? One is a heroic veteran. The other was a scumbag thief who got exactly what he deserved. The judge should be recalled immediately. Defense of private property is as sacred a right as self-defense.

Then this part of the sentence, left out above because of excerpt limitations, will frost you too (and I disagree with the judge on this):

The judge also ordered Richard to pay Romero's family $500 a month in restitution for five years.

[muawiyah]

Who knows what that nutcase was capable of. Sheriff's alone, no back up, babies all over the place, kid crying, dead bodies up the yingyang, and it's time to secure the area.

First, shoot the camera.

[muawiyah]

The judge is mentally unstable. Time to remove him.

[CedarDave]

Albuquerque Journal reader poll:

Do you think 2 years in prison was enough in the Elton John Richard II case?