American Law Enforcement and Guns

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25726591

Ex-Florida cop shoots guy dead for texting in cinema.

Concealed carry is awesome, amiright?

[Beskar]

But if a teenager with a semi-automatic turned up, that ex-cop could have shot him to prevent more murder, nothing to do with the fact the instruments in both cases are extremely deadly, guns don't kill people, psychopaths with guns do.

[drone]

It's Florida, what can you do.

[Lemur]

Well, according to reports the man shot dead was white and a father, but I'm still waiting to hear about how he was a thug who had it coming.

[drone]

Well, according to reports the man shot dead was white and a father, but I'm still waiting to hear about how he was a thug who had it coming.

He was texting in a movie theatre. He definitely had it coming.

[BroskiDerpman]

Welcome to Flooooorrr--ehh-duuhhh.

What more can I say?

[Beskar]

He was texting in a movie theatre. He definitely had it coming.

Especially in the pre-movie adverts and when the movie has not started yet.

The gunman was protecting the constitutional freedom of corporations to make money by subjecting us, against our will, to visual images and sounds which are not part of the movie.

[Sarmatian]

Guns don't kill people, bullets kill people.

[Lemur]

STAND YORE GROUND.

I note this incident has made the #1 spot in Florida Man, which is no small achievement.

[drone]

Especially in the pre-movie adverts and when the movie has not started yet.

Someone's sarcasm detector need calibrating.

There is so much wrong in this incident it could only come from Florida. Starting with the need to text with a 3 year old.

[HoreTore]

It was a Mark Wahlberg picture. I too would have brought a gun, just in case.

[Pannonian]

It was a Mark Wahlberg picture. I too would have brought a gun, just in case.

What calibre?

[rajpoot]

Is this thing being blamed upon the gun or the man?

[Lemur]

Is this thing being blamed upon the gun or the man?

How can you even ask? GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE.

(They're just very efficient tools for killing people.)

[Sp4]

Is this thing being blamed upon the gun or the man?

The daughter of the victim.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Well, according to reports the man shot dead was white and a father, but I'm still waiting to hear about how he was a thug who had it coming.

Lemur plz. Don't fight with Uncle Whacker.

[HoreTore]

The daughter of the victim.

If she had put more clothes on, none of this would have happened.

[Montmorency]

If she had put more clothes on, none of this would have happened.

Dammit Amina, I told you your wanton attire would bring ills down upon our family!

Wait, wrong thread.

[The Lurker Below]

Ex-Florida cop

This is awful. But the correlation with the accompanied thread title is not justified. Why use the generalization American Law Enforcement and bring that into the discussion?

[Ironside]

This is awful. But the correlation with the accompanied thread title is not justified. Why use the generalization American Law Enforcement and bring that into the discussion?

Either we got a senile old ex-cop with a gun presumably gotten licenced through work (most probable) or an old ex-cop that shouldn't have been a cop in the first place.

[rvg]

The ex-cop's been charged though. What's the fuss? It's not like anyone is making excuses for the old coot or anything like that. If the shooter was anyone other than a cop/ex-cop, this would not have made the headlines. Before everyone starts yelling "Pawleece Brutalitay!!!!" let's have the due process run its course.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Either we got a senile old ex-cop with a gun presumably gotten licenced through work (most probable) or an old ex-cop that shouldn't have been a cop in the first place.

Or just - cops should know better. As in - cops should know what is and isn't murder

The ex-cop's been charged though. What's the fuss? It's not like anyone is making excuses for the old coot or anything like that. If the shooter was anyone other than a cop/ex-cop, this would not have made the headlines. Before everyone starts yelling "Pawleece Brutalitay!!!!" let's have the due process run its course.

What's the fuss?

Oh gee, maybe the dead guy and his wife with the hole in her hand - yeah - he shot the guy whilst his wife was holding him back, by the sounds of it.

The fact that he was charged immediately indicates this is pretty much just a thug-killing, whether the thug was a cop or no.

[drone]

If the shooter was anyone other than a cop/ex-cop, this would not have made the headlines.

This made the headlines because:

• It was a theatre shooting, page views benefit from Aurora
• It was a stand-your-ground type shooting in Florida, page views benefit from Zimmerman
• A movie theatre texter got shot, page views benefit from moviegoers' wishful thinking.

The fact that it was an ex-cop doesn't really come into play.

[Major Robert Dump]

As a cop he probably got away with murder before, and was longing for the old days when he could gun unarmed men down for giving him lip.

[Fisherking]

It will be interesting to see if he thought being hit with popcorn was assault with a deadly weapon.

Retired Police Captain sounds of big ego and demanding respect and obedience.

Texting with a three year old? Or maybe the babysitter?

The whole thing is crazy.

Florida

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Though I have yet to see it reported, I was given to understand that the shooter was not using concealed carry when he first went into the theatre, but got his gun and returned. This may be a rumor however. The wife usually gets details correct, but not always.

[Ronin]

I´m generally against guns.
but if the guy was using a cellphone in a movie theater, this somehow feels justified.

[Xiahou]

Though I have yet to see it reported, I was given to understand that the shooter was not using concealed carry when he first went into the theatre, but got his gun and returned. This may be a rumor however. The wife usually gets details correct, but not always.

That would make it seem pre-meditated.
They could upgrade him from Second to First Degree Murder.

The defendant is welcome to attempt a Stand Your Ground defense, but it will get laughed out of court. No jury is going to buy a self-defence claim when you pick a fight with a guy, are able to leave and return to continue the confrontation, then proceed to shoot the person.

[Beskar]

Someone's sarcasm detector need calibrating.

There is so much wrong in this incident it could only come from Florida. Starting with the need to text with a 3 year old.

@drone, all of my posts in this thread so far have been sarcastic. (except this)

[Lemur]

The defendant is welcome to attempt a Stand Your Ground defense, but it will get laughed out of court.

They always seem to try ...

Reeves told the detective that Oulson struck him in the face with an unknown object, and that's when he removed a .380 caliber gun from his pants pocket. The report said Reeves fired the gun and struck Oulson once in the chest and that he "was in fear of being attacked." [...]

"The alleged victim attacked him," Escobar said, adding that Oulson threw something, possibly popcorn, at Reeves. "At that point in time he has every right to defend himself."