Accused Movie Theater Shooter Said He Was 'In Fear of Being Attacked'

Yahoo News/Good Morning America ^ | STEVE OSUNSAMI, SENI TIENABESO and COLLEEN CURRY (GMA)

[Anton.Rutter]

The elderly man accused of shooting a movie theater patron in Florida after an argument over text messaging told police that he fired because he "was in fear of being attacked."

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said at a news conference today that the victim, Chad Oulson, 43, was texting his young daughter's babysitter when an argument erupted with Reeves over texting during previews before the movie "Lone Survivor."

[sport]

I think that he killed him in a fit of rage because the peasant had the gall to defy him, a lord of the universe, a/k/a cop, albeit, retired when he ordered him to stop texting.

As far as him being annoyed by the texting goes, all he had to do was move to another seat, but no, he wanted to demonstrate his authority like back when he was a policeman.

If the textor had violated any law[s] previously, there was an off duty Deputy in the audience with the authority to arrest him. He took no action. That, in and of itself, says that the victim violated no laws. Now the cover and getting him off begins.

[grania]

Who would ever sit behind a couple with a toddler in a movie theater? And a rude couple, no less, texting after the movie started.

He should've done what all movie goers have to do on occasion...change seats.

[mabarker1]

This is NOT even close to the “poor little st. trayvon” case.

This is MURDER.

Plain and simple.

I have not seen where the Manager confirms any contact.

This EX-PIG went to the car and got the gun, came back and Murdered this Man.

Good thing it was just the Previews and not the Movie or he might have brought back a LAWS Rocket!

[sport]

I agree.

[Age of Reason]

Never mind that he was a cop: whatever happened to respecting one’s elders?

[KeyLargo]

I would like to know the opinion of the past character of that shooter from officers that worked for or with him on the police department. I am sure that it would be very interesting.

I have not been to a movie theater in years since I have a big screen TV, Netflix, DISH and Amazon movies.

[MrB]

There’s really no reason to subject yourself to the “theater experience”.

[Anton.Rutter]

Imagine the wife. For the rest of her life she’s going to look at the scar from the bullet that passed through her hand and made her a widow. The little girl will grow up looking at the scar on her momma’s hand because that’s all she has to remember her father.

If the wife decides to carry, I want to contribute.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

For a moment, forget he was a cop. In ALL our training to get our concealed carry permit...we are continually warned about a "bad shoot" ...example, shooting at a bank robber shooting at you, but you miss and kill a child a block away...that's murder. When we carry, we also carry a grim responsibility and real accountability. Shooting in a theater could have easily set this guy up for that scenario. Maybe he was in danger of losing his life, or was it for losing his temper? (Proof?) This easily could have been a bad shoot and he should be prosecuted...and this written by a person who always carries concealed in a theater.

BTW...S308 is coming up for a vote in SC Senate ...if you are from SC, WRITE your senator for a YEAH vote. (Allows carry into restaurant serving alcohol)

[KeyLargo]

Prosecutors: This wasn’t the first blow-up for Florida theater shooter Curtis Reeves

By Ed Payne, CNN
updated 8:02 AM EST, Wed January 15, 2014

(CNN) — A few weeks before a texting dispute turned deadly inside a Florida theater, the suspect Curtis Reeves had another run-in with a moviegoer, prosecutors said.

During Reeves’ first court appearance on Tuesday, prosecutors said they have heard from another theater patron who said the 71-year-old former Tampa cop saw her texting and “glared at her the entire time throughout the movie” during a screening about three weeks ago.

When the woman got up to use the restroom, Reeves followed her and “made her very uncomfortable,” prosecutors said.

CNN affiliate WTSP later identified the woman as Jamira Dixon of Wesley Chapel, the Tampa suburb where Monday’s shooting took place.

“He became just upset about the whole situation and kept staring and kept giving us dirty looks,” Dixon told the station.

Dixon said she first heard about Monday’s shooting on the radio while she was driving.

“I had to pull over the car because ... it could have been us,” she said. “It was just so close to home. It really makes you think how things could have went.”

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/15/justice/florida-movie-theater-shooting/

[ThunderSleeps]

"I can't believe people would bring a pistol, a gun, to a movie," Cummings said. "I can't believe they would argue and fight and shoot one another over popcorn. Over a cellphone."

I can't believe people think it is odd to be armed. I'm armed everywhere, and I mean everywhere I legally can be armed.

As for shooting someone over popcorn or a cell phone, yeah, that's stupid. Shooting someone because you felt an altercation was escalating and your life was in imminent danger, that's another thing. Though I'd have a hard time getting to "my life is in danger" from some thrown popcorn. Sounds like the guy panic'd, over-reacted, and now someone's dead.

[ilovesarah2012]

I want to see Lone Survivor but I think I’ll wait til it comes out on DVD.

[sport]

I do. When I am around those who annoy me, I move on. Those cars and trucks with speakers you can hear for miles and the only thing the drivers play through them is F this and f that annoy the heck out of me but I don’t shoot the driver. And there are things about me that annoy other people, but, as of yet, no one has killed me.

[Maceman]

"If you remember back to the Trayvon Martin case, the defense didn't go forward with Stand Your Ground because the burden of proof was on them to show it was reasonable," Dekle said.

A flat-out lie. Zimmerman didn't go forward with Stand Your Ground because he was getting his head repeatedly pounded into the concrete sidewalk and had no way to retreat because Martin was sitting on his chest. In fact, Zimmerman was acquitted because his fear WAS reasonable.

[Anton.Rutter]

Never mind that he was a cop: whatever happened to respecting one’s elders?

You respect one who executes people for not kissing his senile nazi rump?

[Alas Babylon!]

Two things. The toddler was at the day care—not the movie house with her parents. The Dad was texting the babysitter.

The other thing is the movie hadn’t started. The old cop told him to stop texting during the previews.

[DeWalt]

“If you remember back to the Trayvon Martin case, the defense didn’t go forward with Stand Your Ground because the burden of proof was on them to show it was reasonable,” Dekle said. In the Zimmerman trial, he claimed self defense and did not invoke the stand your ground law.

That is a complete crock of $hit. Stand your ground was never a issue in that case. Zimmerman was pinned to the ground. It was clear Self Defense. Do these law professors even undersrand simple law.

[MattinNJ]

I was a huge supporter of police until the last few years. That savage beating to death of the homeless man in Fullerton was the last straw. I know there are good ones and I am thankful they are out there, but there are many bad ones looking for an excuse to exercise their authority.

[KeyLargo]

Yep,

Man charged in Florida movie theater shooting over texting had praiseworthy police career

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – A Florida sheriff says a retired Tampa police officer's praiseworthy career doesn't offset the severity of the charge that he shot and killed another man after an argument at a movie theater over texting.

"The sheriff said at a news conference that Reeves' son — who was off duty from his job as a Tampa officer — was walking into the theater when the shooting happened. Nocco said Reeves briefly struggled with an off-duty deputy but released the weapon. The gun was jammed and unable to fire again."

Curtis Reeves appears via video conference before Circuit Judge Lynn Tepper in Wesley Chapel, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014. Tepper ordered Reeves, 71, held without bond on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Chad Oulson on Monday. An argument over texting in a movie theater ended with Reeves, a retired police captain fatally shooting Oulson, authorities said. (AP Photo/The Tampa Bay Times, Brendan Fitterer) (The Associated Press)

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/15/man-charged-in-florida-movie-theater-shooting-over-texting-had-praiseworthy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fnational+%28Internal+-+US+Latest+-+Text%29

[grania]

Thank you. I didn’t realize the toddler was at the daycare; I did know the texting was during the previews. My statement stands though, that he should’ve done what all moviegoers have to do on occasion....change seats.