“Myers, who was armed with a registered semiautomatic pistol, told police he approached the teens with his gun out and told them to put their hands in the air, but no one complied,”
Not Guilty.
The shooter was an off-duty security guard who decided to play police officer. Stupid. And tragic.
Unfortunately, it’s something we see now and again. An armed (or even unarmed) citizen decides to set some stranger straight. That rarely ends well.
“Mr. Myers sincerely believed that he was witnessing the beginning of an armed robbery...”
I’m sure a King County jury will be all so sympathetic towards Mr. Myers.
This is a terribly tragic and sad story. No good endings here.
Based solely on what’s in the article, Mr Meyer may have stepped in it.
Race riot incoming, or was the victim white?
I'd look at any videos that might exist,listen to any eye witnesses there might be,and look at the shooter's...and the kid's...background if I was a juror in this case.
Step one: Check the “defective” airsoft gun and see if it’s actually defective.
A youth in my small Texas town did a drive by with a nonlethal ‘toy’ gun last week. There were at least three teenagers. The shooter was in the back seat. He rolled the window down and shot a family walking down the street. Mom, dad small daughter and baby in a stroller. If these kids end up dead the next time they pull that stunt, I won’t cry for them. Thankfully they only had minor wounds but were very shaken up.
Never believe the media. Never. Distrust then verify.
“Aaron Brown Myers, 51, told police he believed the 17-year-old victim ... was going to rob...”
Maybe he should have waited till the robbery was actually in progress.
Did the victim have a receipt for the intended exchange? Original packaging? Empty weapon? The answers might bolster or undercut some alibis.
Boy, is that guy living in the wrong state. That happened to the father of a childhood friend of mine who owned a small grocery store. A 16 year-old kid approached the counter waving a plastic gun in his face, and my friends’ father blew him away. He never even had to go downtown.
Myers is a loose cannon. This is not the 1st time he has involved himself in following and apprehending someone he thought was dangerous (who had no weapon or nefarious intent). The boys told him they were carrying bb guns, placed the gun on the ground. The available video contradicts aspects of Meyers’ story.
In some states, Airsoft guns are supposed to have orange caps on the end of the barrel to distinguish them from the real thing.
When the kids “didn’t comply”, did they grab at the gun? Or did the cop shoot for “non-compliance”? It will make a big difference I think as you don’t shoot people for “peacefully non-complying” if that is what happened. However, if a fight broke out, with the kids trying to get the gun, then yeah, that would change the situation somewhat
From the article:
” “There was an altercation that turned physical, and the suspect allegedly shot the victim multiple times.””
And
“The surveillance footage also shows Myers quickly approaching the teens in the parking lot, the filing said. After he forces one teen to the ground and straddles him, he points his gun at another, per the affidavit.
The teen with the gun pointed at him had his hands up but lowered one of his hands toward his waist, at which point Myers is seen firing his weapon multiple times, according to the filing”
Seems the shooter thought He kid was going for a gun, and the video backs up his claim that the kid was .ower8ng his hand towards his waistband
Not sure it’s a slam dunk prosecution of the shooter, but certainly a tragedy all the way around.
Very tragic story.
A few years ago, in California, some teenagers thought it would be hilarious to shoot paint balls out of cars at random people sitting at bus stops and then post it on social media. Every one of those hit saw what they thought was a real gun come out of a car window and were sure they were going to be killed.
Could it be argued the kids were illegally "open-carrying" their gun?
how about just put it in a paper bag, kids?
If the teen had placed the gun in a plastic bag before entering the store all would have been okay but being a teen thinking always comes last if at all.
“The two surviving teens said they previously used the airsoft guns to shoot in the woods and wanted help from the store with their replica firearms...”
firearmS Plural. So did the other kid have a gun in his waistband?
Did they actually purchase the gunS at THAT store? Or were they actually going to rob it?
The guy was wrong in most of what he did. I think he does have a defense and like everyone else will get to plea to a lesser charge and get probation. Maybe justifiably so.
Kid should have carried the airsoft pistol in the box or at the very lease, in a shopping bag. That being said, the off-duty security guard made a huge mistake that he will likely go to prison for.
