Thowing stuff at a victim is sometimes a technique to distract the victim's attention long enough for you to hit the victim with your fist or a weapon.
I'd think that since you and I are aware of that, a 71 year old retired cop would also be aware of that and still used better discretion than he did.
“Thowing stuff at a victim is sometimes a technique to distract the victim’s attention...”
Yes, that’s true, but (assuming the shooter really did feel that way) how about pulling your gun and not firing it immediately?
I think the one person here has a good point about the vic’s wife, that it is more likely she was restraining him (since I’m sure she knows she’s not Superwoman who can deflect speeding bullets with her bare hands); however in a situation like that one might make a gesture of protection without thinking about it.
However, I’m struck by what another person here said, did this man go to his car and get his gun? That would really paint him into a very bad corner.
There were a lot of other people in the theater, it seems the argument had not gotten so out of control that they noticed, at least until the popcorn was thrown. That’s a pretty quick escalation and not really the kind of behavior you expect to see from a trained person. It’s more like what would happen between some ghetto gangbangers.
Add to that the fact that there was likely NO REASON at all for this. The movie hadn’t even started! If he didn’t like who he was sitting near he & his wife should have just moved to different seats.
I hope they give the shooter a full medical workup, because it wouldn’t surprise me to find out he’s got some underlying issue, like a brain tumor or dementia, that made him behave in this irrational way.
You know, the texting guy might have been acting like a completely rude jerk, but you can’t kill people for that or the only 2 jobs left would be undertaker and grave digger.
This is a lesson for all. If an old man starts yelling at you, you have the right to yell back. But wisdom should kick in. You do not know the state of mind of a verbally abusive stranger. Best thing was to agree so you diffuse the situation and move yourself to a different location in the theater.
I had a crazy encounter once when I was in a check out line at Home Depot. A couple in front of me, the woman did not know that she dropped her keys on the floor. I drew her attention to the keys by pointing it out on the floor. She was about to get them, her boyfriend started yelling at me. I guess he was trying to impress her. Why do you force a lady to pick up her own keys, you should be doing that!!!??? The cashier and everyone in the check out line was surprised. I could have told him to drop dead, but to diffuse the situation I picked up the keys for her and told him he was right. The woman was more embarassed by her boyfriends antics. Her boyfriend was smug that he made me pick up the keys for her. Judging from the woman’s body language, he showed a side of his personality she does not seem to like. Guess who really lost in the incident.
Minutes later I was on my way home without an incident. If I told her boyfriend to drop dead, who knows how the incident would turn out. Arrest, serious injury or even death. That is the world we live in. Until it gets more civil, one must be smart to survive. After all according to the US Constitution I have the right to walk the streets of an inner city black neighborhood late at night, but one doesn t.
Yep, provides cover for a suckerpunch.
Maybe he should've just taken a beatdown as Trayvon's girfriend said about George Zimmerman.
according to he version, this 71 year old had time to reach into his pants, grab his weapon, and point it at the victim. If there was a sucker punch coming as a follow on to the popcorn, it would have happened by the time he had a gun pointed at the guy...