My very first thought.
Crocker was wrong in shooting the guy but sometimes I do wonder about people like the Dart guy. Dart was not very smart. It was obvious that Crocker was angry and the last thing you want to do is touch or approach an angry man.
The Dart guy probably watched too much tv. I don’t care if its the police or some random stranger. If someone has a gun and is angry...you either apologize for your action and retreat to defuse the situation or you run like hell. I dare anyone try and grab a cop’s arm and tell him to calm down..or grab armed robber’s arm and tell him to calm down.
Maybe Bruce Willis can do something like that in a movie but not in real life.
Situation would have avoided if those told to leave just left...even if they had the right to be there. The crazy azz dude has a gun. It changed the whole situation from being a simple dispute to a potential life and death situation. This is where you gotta be smart and don’t be a hero. Mr. Dartt paid the price for trying to be a hero.
The fact the Crocker did not go nuts and start shooting everyone could be big in a trial. He shot the guy who lunged at him and not some “innocent” person. Calling him nuts and crazy is not a sure thing here when he could control himself from just emptying his gun into everybody in sight.
Well, if you look at the picture in post 132, it appears the river is shallow at that point. So there may not have been a spot deep enough to submerge the foul deed. There was mixed company in the group, so it was not like they could whip it out and go right there. That might also disturb other people going past. The rivers can get pretty crowded on weekends. Even when the river is deep enough, you don't always want to jump in. Sometimes you just dried off and don't feel like getting wet again. There are lots of reasons why you might not just "pee in the river".