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75-year-old man charged with fatally shooting boy, 13(WI)
jsonline.com ^ | 1 June, 2012 | Bruce Vielmetti

Posted on 06/11/2012 6:04:37 PM PDT by marktwain

Everyone around W. Arrow and S. 20th streets knew John H. Spooner, the older white man who had lived there for decades, much longer than his younger Hispanic and African-American neighbors, and who was always walking his dogs around the block.

And they knew he was upset about a break-in at his house earlier this week, when burglars took some expensive shotguns and other items.

He suspected his new next door neighbor.

According to a criminal complaint filed Friday:

As 13-year-old Darius Simmons was moving a garbage cart from the curb Thursday morning, Spooner, 75, confronted him and demanded the boy give back his stuff and the shotguns.

Darius told him he didn't have his stuff.

The boy's mother chimed in, telling Spooner he should just go back inside. Then suddenly, as the mother watched, Spooner raised a black handgun and shot Darius in the chest from five feet away.

Darius ran around the cor ner and collapsed on Comstock Ave., about 10 feet from a small play area marked "Children's Park." As he ran, Spooner fired a second shot that did not hit the boy.

When police arrived, Spooner was still on the sidewalk, holding the gun. When told to drop the weapon, he placed it on the ground and told police, "Yeah, I shot him."

A second witness, who had been across the street, also told police he saw the shooting.

Spooner is now charged with first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and faces life in prison if convicted.

The shooting occurred about 10 a.m.

(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: banglist; homicide; vigilante; wi; wisconsin
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To: marktwain

Spooner is now charged with first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and faces life in prison if convicted.


Has anyone ever been charged with “use of a harmless weapon?”


21 posted on 06/11/2012 6:33:22 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: mardi59

The ‘black community;? Let me ask you, if the video shows this 13 year old was robbing Spooners house, what do you think the ‘black community’ will do with that information? .... That’s right, they will ignore it and play their racists games ot the hilt. was Spooner committing 1st degree murder? Yes. I have no doubt. Was he justified? No, without any doubt. But let’s stop giving the ‘black community’ support for their racists crap. This was a crime. A kid was murdered. Race of the two involved is not the point. The point is murder int he first degree which is not a racial thing to be exploited by the race huslters like Jackson/Sharpton/Holder and Obama (even sounds like a bunch of sleazy lawyers!).


22 posted on 06/11/2012 6:33:22 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Being deceived can be cured.)
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To: marktwain

He called 911 15 times in three years, they took him to his limit!...
http://www.wisn.com/news/south-east-wisconsin/milwaukee/Man-75-charged-with-homicide-appears-in-court/-/10148890/14431932/-/item/0/-/3uk4o4z/-/index.html


23 posted on 06/11/2012 6:36:32 PM PDT by biggredd1
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To: mardi59
The black community has every right to be angered by this one.

Saddened? Absolutely.Angered? Maybe...maybe not.There are several "unknowns" here as far as I can see.

24 posted on 06/11/2012 6:37:44 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Bill Ayers Was *Not* "Just Some Guy In The Neighborhood")
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To: marktwain

25 posted on 06/11/2012 6:37:53 PM PDT by Signalman ( November, 2012-The End of an Error)
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To: MHGinTN
This was a crime. A kid was murdered. Race of the two involved is not the point.

If you go to the police, and they do nothing....which is apparently a very common scenerio in large cities, what is your next recourse? Most people just leave.....Mr. Spooner is 75 and a widower....where should he go?

26 posted on 06/11/2012 6:39:48 PM PDT by ScreamingFist (Quiet the Idiot)
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To: Tainan

The old man was wrong to kill the kid. But I wonder if the cops checked the kid’s house for the missing weapons.


27 posted on 06/11/2012 6:42:12 PM PDT by Terry Mross ("It happened. And we let it happen." - Peter Grifin, FAMILY GUY)
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To: Signalman

I’m amazed it took 25 posts.....


28 posted on 06/11/2012 6:42:33 PM PDT by ScreamingFist (Quiet the Idiot)
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To: mardi59

the black community? What about the white community that gets preyed upon? What do you think a person in the “black community” would do if they were repeatedly stolen from and the cops didnt do nuttin?


29 posted on 06/11/2012 6:42:33 PM PDT by biggredd1
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To: ScreamingFist

I agree, he was alone and trapped, feeling fear constantly and nowhere to go.


30 posted on 06/11/2012 6:45:34 PM PDT by biggredd1
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To: ScreamingFist

If he has video he goes to the courts. When we start winking at an old man for shooting a 13 year old kid because he bleieves the kid stole his stuff, we have indeed gone into the dark side of lawlessness which is the favored realm of thugs and criminals, and perhaps Mr. Spooner’s neighbors. Who knows? If he caught someone inside robbing him, well that’s a whole nother story. Drop them with extreme prejudice is my motto.


31 posted on 06/11/2012 6:48:55 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Being deceived can be cured.)
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To: mardi59

Spooner should go to prison for the rest of his life. If he thought he knew who took his guns he should have called the police.

__________________

He did call the police. As usual with burglry, they did nothing.


32 posted on 06/11/2012 6:49:24 PM PDT by Chickensoup (STOP The Great O-ppression)
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To: marktwain

I’ll withhold my outrage until I find out whether or not the kid stole from the old man.


33 posted on 06/11/2012 6:51:25 PM PDT by RightOnTheBorder
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To: biggredd1

All I’m saying is this black family has a legitimate reason to be angry.

This is different than the Martin case where the blacks had no legit reason to call for Zimmermans death or have Jackson and Sharpton preaching racial hatred.

This was a 13 year old boy taking something to the curb and he was confronted by a man with a gun. Yes, blacks murder and commit crimes against whites ALL THE TIME, but does that justify a white man killing a black kid....NO. We don’t need anymore hatred and anger, and this just adds one more nail to the coffin.

Mr Spooner killed this kid in cold blood, that’s all there is to it. He killed because his guns were taken, now he’ll pay for the very thing he killed for. White people “I HOPE” are better than this!!


34 posted on 06/11/2012 6:51:33 PM PDT by mardi59 (THE REBELLION IS ON!!!)
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To: marktwain

Hoo Boy! all heck is fixing to break loose!


35 posted on 06/11/2012 6:53:14 PM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: marktwain

Sounds like the script from Gran Torino.


36 posted on 06/11/2012 6:53:41 PM PDT by diverteach (If I find liberals in heaven after my death.....I WILL BE PISSED!!!)
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To: chessplayer

Only if you believe the facts as put forth in the article.


37 posted on 06/11/2012 6:53:41 PM PDT by donna (Mitt quote: ...gay couples raising kids. That's the American way...)
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To: mardi59
If he thought he knew who took his guns he should have called the police.

Try actually reading the article.

38 posted on 06/11/2012 6:58:06 PM PDT by Eaker (When somebody hands you your arse, don't give it back saying "This needs a little more tenderizing.")
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To: marktwain

I just don’t understand people who keep an array of valuable firearms in their house and won’t pay the tab for a substantial safe in which to keep them.


39 posted on 06/11/2012 6:59:03 PM PDT by OldPossum
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To: mardi59

The man was taken to his limit and that is unfortunate and tragic for sure. A person can only take so much and he will have a “mental” defense. He had called 911 many times, installed security cameras, but still breakins occurred as soon as he left his home for shopping etc. The police did nothing and he finally “cracked”. There was a situation in ohio a few years ago where a fireman with wife and two young children, were being bothered by teenagers setting off firecrackers past midnight just a few feet from his childrens bedroom window. Calling the cops did nothing, warning the kids did nothing, they continued to laugh and taunt. He finally went outside and blew two of them away. a person can only take so much, so sad.


40 posted on 06/11/2012 7:01:04 PM PDT by biggredd1
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