Posted on 02/25/2022 6:19:36 PM PST by NautiNurse
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Curtis Reeves, the man who shot and killed Chad Oulson at a Wesley Chapel movie theater in 2014 was found not guilty on all charges Friday night.
After over three hours of deliberation, a six-person jury returned to the courtroom Friday evening and delivered its verdict. Reeves was found not guilty of the counts of second-degree murder and aggravated batter
Reeves has never denied shooting Oulson, but has maintained that he was acting in self defense.
The retired police captain spent several hours on the witness stand Thursday, telling a Pasco County jury about what he says happened the day he shot Oulson in the theater.
He also testified about his career in law enforcement. Reeves helped establish the SWAT team for the Tampa Police Department and ended his career as the head of security for Busch Gardens.
He told the jury he had never drawn his weapon and shot anyone in his years of service as a police officer and says he never encountered rage from anyone the way he did from Oulson the day of the shooting.
I’ve followed this story rather closely. Reeves said he shot the younger man because he, Reeves, felt that he was about to be attacked. If we are to buy that, then we must accept preventative shootings of unarmed people.
Yes, I get that there was a disparity of force. The younger man was angry, and stronger. But he was only one man. This was not a mob scene. And Reeves was only hit with popcorn and maybe a cell phone. Not a hunk of concrete, or anything like that. Bottom line: I would have voted Reeves guilty.
” If he was shot for just throwing popcorn “
He wasn’t.
Another case of prosecution overreach?
Why not charge him with manslaughter? Murder seems a bit much. Tempers flared, chaos ensued, he said he was in fear, and he shot him. Heat of the moment, manslaughter.
The person who lost control was shot when he repeatedly assaulted Curtis Reeves. Those are the simple facts.
“after instigating a conflict with an unarmed man.”
He didn’t initiate the conflict.
i think you have the answer. the jury was more concerned with the age and previous employment of the shooter. no one said the jury has to able to read or reason.
I still say he got off cause of his LE background, where a regular citizen would be in lockup.
shooter made first contact and continued to escalate the situation
I’m live in the same county. What happens in LE comes to my home and knocks at night saying ‘Police’
How do I know its really true police or a bad guy. I don’t drop my gun and get killed dead.
I am suppose to feel good that the local county jury will give the LEO freedom over my death rather than guilty of murder.
I don't have confirmation, but I believe that 5 of the 6 jurors have concealed weapons permits. One is a competitive shooter.
Tomorrow, Curtis Reeves will walk his daughter down the aisle for her wedding.
Could you please provide the defendant’s side of the story. I have not been following this case.
“Tomorrow, Curtis Reeves will walk his daughter down the aisle for her wedding.”
If he’s 70, his daughter is likely on second marriage. Whoopie.
The dead guy’s wife is still without a husband, with children.
just curious, who will walk the victims daughter down the aisle?
It must really suck to be you.
“shooter made first contact and continued to escalate the situation”
ROTFLMAO!
That is the essence of self defense in Florida. There is no duty to retreat, and shooting someone because of fear of the threat is justified in law.
The daughter is ten years old now. You can ask her in a few years.
This is a joke… judge should be disbarred for this farce.
This was murder, no doubt about it… perp played that I did good things with my life so I shouldn’t go to jail.
Coward and a murderer
Scariest thing in your life was being hit with popcorn in your face?
BS..
And it took eight years to finally put a jury in a room.
> The dead guy’s wife is still without a husband, with children. <
She is also without at least one working finger because Reeves’ bullet almost severed one of her fingers before hitting her husband.
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