Posted on 01/13/2014 3:27:40 PM PST by Impala64ssa
An altercation between two couples at a Wesley Chapel movie theater Monday led to a shooting that left a man dead, authorities said.
The suspect was identified as Curtis Reeves, a retired Tampa police officer. He has been arrested on a charge of second-degree homicide.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Chad and Nichole Oulson got into an argument with Reeves and his wife, who were sitting behind them during previews for the 1:20 p.m. showing of the war movie Lone Survivor.
Argument started over cell phone
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said the argument began when Reeves became upset about noise the couple was making while texting on a cell phone. Nocco said Reeves asked Oulson to stop several times, and that at one point he got up and left the theater, then returned to his seat.
Nocco said Oulson then asked if Reeves had reported him to theater management for using his phone, and the two men began to argue.
At some point, Reeves shot Oulson in the chest, Nocco said. He said Nichole Oulson put her hand up to her husband's chest as the Reeves shot him, trying to stop the bullet.
Nocco said two off-duty nurses, who were also in the theater, began performing CPR and tried to save Oulson. Both victims were transported to local hospitals, but Chad Oulson died. His wife was treated for a gunshot wound to her hand, authorities said.
An off-duty Sumter County deputy was inside the theater at the time, Nocco said. Authorities said the deputy secured the gun and held Reeves until deputies arrived and took him into custody, authorities said. No other injuries were reported.
"The suspected decides to pull out a .380 (handgun), and he shoots the victim," Sheriff Chris Nocco said. "It's absolutely crazy that it would rise to this level of (violence) over somebody texting at a movie theater."
Theater evacuated after shooting
About 25 people were in the theater at the time of the shooting. The theater was evacuated, closed and cordoned off. Deputies and other law enforcement personnel converged on the scene.
Grove 16 is located off Interstate 75 and State Road 54 at 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd. It includes a restaurant theater called the CineBisto, but it isn't clear where in the building the shooting took place.
"Everybody is paranoid, scared, because a movie theater should be a safe place where people should be able to go out and enjoy themselves," Nocco said. "But what America has seen over the last couple of years is that movie theaters have become dangerous places where injuries occur."
According to Tampa Police, Reeves retired from the department on September 30, 1993 as a Captain. A TPD spokesperson said he was instrumental in establishing the department's first Tactical Response Team.
"We are not aware of any contact with the department since his departure more than 20 years ago," the statement said.
Unlike the mass shooting that occurred inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in 2012, this was an isolated incident stemming from an argument between two couples.
Cobb Theatres released the following statement Monday afternoon:
"We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred earlier today, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The theatre is currently closed, and we are actively working with the sheriff’s office on this investigation. This was an isolated altercation between two guests that escalated unexpectedly. The safety, security and comfort of our guests and team members are always our top priorities, and we are truly heartbroken by this incident."
bootlicker
But I predicted your weak response, before you even made it, because I can tell just what sort of person you are.
Thanks for proving me right
It wasn’t murder for a text as I see it.
It was murder for being a rude, self absorbed bastard.
He probably didn’t deserve to be killed, but he insisted on (essentially) running out into the freeway during rush hour. He was so self absorded that didn’t stop to realize that there were actually going to be drivers who would not swerve to avoid him.
Hard to me to feel sorry for him.Society is a tiny bit better off today.
Well golly you are just soooo smart. The world bows to your magnificence.
amazing how you’ll excuse the actions of the murderer just because he’s an ex cop.
You may have me confused with someone else.
I keep a computer file named 'Bad Cops' which contains stories gleaned from FR detailing the actions of an increasing number of out of control cops.
I'm glad the bastard is dead, even though he may not have deserved it. I'm also pleased some out of control cop is in jail for the crime. I'd like to be on the jury, as I'd push for a low voltage death sentence.
It is assumed that Reeves went to management.
He might have also gone to get his blaster...
It doesn't change my opinion about a self-absorbed social media addict assaulting a 71 year old man in a movie theater.
Why do you say this? The Pasco County Sheriff reported yesterday that Reeves left his seat to speak with theater employees about Texterrific Daddy.
A cop is supposed to be trained on how to handle incidents like these. So yeah they get the special treatment, they get the special standards.
You equate throwing popcorn to shooting someone. Fortunately the off duty cop also present had more sense.
Wrong again. You are projecting your own silly relativism onto others. It doesn't work. Back to my question--if Mr Reeves was a retired circus midget, what say you?
I’d say ANYONE shooting someone for throwing popcorn at them is a murderer.
EVEN if said person has been boorish.
BTW, what do you have against circus midgets? Do you hate little people?
probably a stupid question but what is the problem with texting during a film?
Good point about getting the “blaster. “ If the shooter did not talk to any employees and instead got his pistol, he could be charged with first degree murder.
Law Enfarcement is allowed to lie to the peasants without consequence.
Now, on the other hand - well, we could ask Martha Stewart about that...
Today's police are taught "Confrontation Uber Alles!". That goes double for SWAT police.
We can safely assume that Reeves was being Pavlovian in response to a peasant defying him.
See, a normal CCW holder would have left the scene. Not so with a Confrontation Boy. We can view the sad results of this misguided policy in this instance.
Heck yeah I would have left or at the very least moved. With only 23 other people the place wasn’t very crowded.
And what did management tell Reeves to do?
IF Reeves even spoke to management.I guess we are going to have to wait for the trial to find out.
71 or 17, the killers age does not excuse murder of this kind.
I was not there. I don't know what happened.
Nor do you.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that Reeves talked with a manager to complain about Oulson’s cell phone use, Detective Timothy Harris said.
“The manager said he was glad that he made him aware of it and (Reeves) returned to the theater,” Harris said. TBO.com
Previous incident involving the shooter
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/15/...ovie-theater-shooting/
During Reeves’ first court appearance on Tuesday, prosecutors said they have heard from another theater patron who said the 71-year-old former Tampa cop saw her texting and “glared at her the entire time throughout the movie” during a screening about three weeks ago.
When the woman got up to use the restroom, Reeves followed her and “made her very uncomfortable,” prosecutors said.
CNN affiliate WTSP later identified the woman as Jamira Dixon of Wesley Chapel, the Tampa suburb where Monday’s shooting took place.
“He became just upset about the whole situation and kept staring and kept giving us dirty looks,” Dixon told the station.
Dixon said she first heard about Monday’s shooting on the radio while she was driving.
“I had to pull over the car because ... it could have been us,” she said. “It was just so close to home. It really makes you think how things could have went.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.