Posted on 05/21/2023 3:37:24 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
Attorneys pored over surveillance-camera footage in court this month, slowing it down and blowing it up day after day so jurors could scrutinize the decision Brandon Cowins said he had only moments to make when a gunman opened fire outside his home.
Egged on by his girlfriend — or to protect others in his Greenacres neighborhood from the bullets — Cowins reversed his car out of the driveway and raced down the street to where 20-year-old Anthony Esquivel fled after he stopped pulling the trigger. Cowins swerved into Esquivel as he ran, striking him with his car and throwing him 40 feet. He died instantly.
Deputies charged Cowins with premeditated murder on July 24, 2021. He fought the charge at trial last week, leaving jurors to decide whether he killed Esquivel in a fit of rage or to prevent what he believed was imminent danger. The jury landed somewhere in between.
They didn't believe Cowins plotted to kill Esquivel, but they didn't think he was justified in killing him, either. Jurors convicted the 27-year-old man of second-degree murder Friday, sparing him an automatic life sentence and leaving his fate to the discretion of Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss.
Family dispute in Greenacres neighborhood interrupted by gunfire An argument between Esquivel and his mother's boyfriend precipitated the shooting along Urquhart Street, just south of Lake Worth Road. Witnesses testified that the men fought loudly over Esquivel's decision to spend the previous night with a woman. The dispute woke Cowins and his girlfriend, asleep next door.
Cowins' girlfriend walked to the yard they shared with the Esquivel family to act as a mediator... Cowins was more interested in replacing the air filter in his car. He stood in the driveway with his car keys in hand when Esquivel fired his gun feet away.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Greenacres is no longer the place to be ...
Innocent. how does anyone know the man wasnt getting another mag or gun to continue shooting, or had a pistol on him and would shoot him. His crime is not backing over the dirtbag a few times.
Well, it depends on many factors, but if a pal or family member had been shot unjustly, too bad for the deceased.
Slowing down a video can really distort the reality of what happened. It's probably better to view it at full speed over and over again to get an accurate picture. There are exceptions of course.
Esquivel shot at his own family (Cowins’ neighbors) in an argument, and Cowins’ girlfriend was standing there at the time. Cowin was standing near his car.
I haven’t been able to find any information about what they all think. Not much information out there on this story.
"The Law" is only what people are willing to obey. As the laws deteriorate logically and morally, fewer people are left willing to obey them.
"The Law" is - until it isn't.
Police can and do shoot fleeing gunmen. They are supposed to do that and are not normally prosecuted for such actions (unless perhaps, the officer is white, and the gunman is black).
It is not unreasonable for a citizen to do whatever is necessary to stop a fleeing gunman.
You are supposed to call the cops and let them pursue the bad guy.
That would be great if it actually worked. But the cops are not coming. You are on your own.
Yeah, I couldn’t find much on this either.
I say We the People must protect each other on the street AND IN THE COURTROOM.
If LEOS took him out, this wouldn’t be an issue
So man A fires his gun attempting to kill innocents
Man A flees the scene
Man B runs him over, preventing man A from killing anyone.
Man B charged with murder.
Man B should be awarded a medal!
The propaganda narrative here is “don’t you DARE defend yourself,.your loved ones, or society from the entitled murderer class”
What say you?
This is so poorly written that the author should be fired.
“I haven’t been able to find any information about what they all think.”
“Cowins was more interested in replacing the air filter in his car.”
The blood flow of his brain was oriented towards that task. That sounds like diminished capacity to me.
“raced down the street”
That demands focusing on driving.
The high level decision to take out the shooter by car was made in the driveway.
All other decisions were done to support that objective.
Once the decision to start law school is made that decision is not revisited every second. Instead the law student focuses on each case in each casebook.
Do police stop shooting when the target stops shooting?
Thank you, ALL, for the good discussion on this thread
(and for the Green Acres references).
I hope this young man doesn’t end up with a long sentence.
It took me a long time to finally admit to myself that arguing with some people, trying to convince them, t is a total waste of time.
Therefore I no longer waste time with them. I tell them the way it is and they can take it or leave it.
So my only comment is that almost every week there is someone with your idea that the law will not be enforced against you....n the way to prison.
The question is simply this:
In the heat of a gunfight, how does one tell the difference between "turning away and retreating," and running for cover to reload?
Is it supposed to be Marquess of Queensberry rules for gunfights? If someone runs out of bullets, everybody has to pause for the antagonist to reload or it stops being a "fair fight?"
-PJ
Good analysis in both your posts #13 and #33.
Obviously you do not understand the problem.
The problem will be, if you follow your theory, that he judge and the jury do not care one bit for your opinion. In fact, you will not be the one who argues your case to the jury. The prosecutor will push for strict compliance with the law and your defense attorney will try to show that you did follow the law. Or had life threatening extenuating circumstances.
In short, een though you may be correct, the court has no interest in your opinion...other than to use it to hang you.
I remind everyone reading these comments to remember the name Nifong. He is not the only bloodthirsty prosecutor. At the time he was being exposed there were two other prosecutors at opposite ends of the state who were aso investigated for illegal tactics.
To avoid losing your case to prosecutors who are more interested in convictions than justice, you need to go to court with every detail of the law on your side.
In this case the accused had no business leaving his property in pursuit. Pursuits are difficult, dangerous and even experienced cops get hurt while pursuing.
That fact alone will make it very difficult for his lawyer to keep him out of jail.
Obviously you do not understand the problem.
See? Simplistic remarks like this work both ways.
-PJ
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