Posted on 01/14/2014 2:04:00 PM PST by centurion316
A 43-year-old father was shot dead by a retired cop in a Florida cinema after a row about him texting his three-year-old daughter as they waited for the movie to start, witnesses said.
Chad Oulson was shot in front of his wife and horrified movie-goers during an argument with 71-year-old Curtis Reeves.
The victim's wife, Nicole, was injured in the shooting after holding her hands out to try to shield Mr Oulson during the confrontation at a movie theater near Tampa on Monday.
After Reeves fired at his chest the victim was heard saying: 'I can't believe I got shot', according to Fox News.
Reeves, who is facing life in prison if found guilty, has been charged with second-degree murder. During a hearing on Tuesday he appeared via video link, wearing a green suicide smock - a fire resistant outfit that can't be torn or turned into a noose.
The judge ruled he should be held without bond because of the severity of the charges, but the no bond ruling can't be confirmed until a live hearing with Reeves.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Of course the ex-cop felt threatened; they (and current cops) feel threatened by everything.
That's the ticket, let's shoot everyone who annoys us. And while were at it, let's shoot everyone whom we suspect of voting for Obama, and everyone who wears nose jewelry and has tattoos. And don't even get me started about people who don't use their turn signals.
If murdering people is your idea of how we get to an agreeable society, I'd just like to remind you that it's been tried before and the experiment was terminated on May 8th, 1945.
You are quite right, although I did not know the specific law in Florida or what the policy of this private property owner was in this case. However, in certain states, the retired LEO could be legally packing and everyone else would be disarmed unless they decided to flaunt the law.
Texting babysitter of three year old. See up-thread.
“Maybe the victim threw the popcorn as an “Oh S**T” reaction when he saw the gun?”
It is possible the witness saw the popcorn fly up in response to being shot. It can be hard to tell when things are happening fast. I hope there is a video in the theatre.
And if he won't, it's OK to murder him? Are you serious?
The next time a cop stops you get three feet in front of him, jump at him, start screaming at him and then through a big container of popcorn in his face all at the same time and see just how many times he shoots you. My educated guess is that he will stop shooting when you hit the ground.
That is what cops are trained to do, stop a threat and they only have to believe that it is a threat of great bodily harm or death to them. That decision will be made in a fifth of a heartbeat.
I'm not saying what this retired cop did was right but the situation leading up to it put him in a reactionary situation/position. I would not be surprised if he walks.
Moral: don’t text in movies, a precedent has been set.
We have a new HEB grocery store here, and there is always a person who directs shoppers ready to check out to the most available lane. When we were ready to check out just before Christmas, the lady signaled us to go to the "express lane" even though we had an almost full cart. They work hard to get shoppers checked out.
I feel the same way when driving. Time get a machine gun mounted on my car; about time to REALLY deal with those slow people in the left lane; they are probably texting anyway.
Yeah that's the ticket; no more mean or belligerent people will mess with me.
Would you pull out your cell phone and record that particular altercation?
In most of America’s history, if some coarse character uttered a bit of profanity in public within an earshot of a woman, he was expected to immediately apologize. Or, the surrounding men would grab him by the collar, beat the snot out of him, and toss him into the street.
Who said I endorsed this shooter’s action? I’m just looking on the positive side of it. If some doofus in a theater this evening is about to start talking on their cell-phone in a crowded theater, I ‘want’ them to remember this little news story, and just consider the potentiality that there is some semi-psychotic gent nearby who’s at his breaking point when it comes to rude, impolite behavior. I want that notion to cross their mind.
A bad cop gets charged with the murder of a self aborbed bastard.
Two bad birds with one stone.
At least it looks like the bastard who got shot died doing what he loved best, pissing off other people.
I would think that the defendant would be taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment of his alleged injuries. I’m sure the the prosecutor will be happy to share that evidence with the defense.
So far it sounds like a clean self-defense shooting.
The other man threw something at the ex-cop, he felt that he was in danger and shot the man.
I'm not sure how this couldn't be self-defense, but I'm sure they'll crucify him.
he is guilty of murder.
After reading post 40 I can imagine now that the 70 year old men felt threatened.
Some years ago in Minnesota there was a story about an old, retired guy who had a cabin in the woods next to a lake. The old guy had his own boat ramp. Some people from the big city bought some land next to the old guy's property. The people had some young kids sub-teens or around that age. During the summer the kids took to playing on the old guy's dock. The old guy warned the family to stay off his dock. The kids kept playing on the dock even after repeated warnings.
Well, one time after catching the kids playing on his dock, the old guy went out and shot the kids and then went and shot their parents. Apparently many old people have a much shorter snapping point than younger people.
The management failed here if the man complained and they did nothing.
Let me get the gist of your argument. If some guy is an a..hole, you get to shoot him?
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