Bernell Benn
Posted on 08/18/2012 3:01:59 PM PDT by marktwain
Bernell Benn said he was simply in line at a Rite Aid pharmacy Thursday afternoon to pick up his medicine.
He was chatting on the phone with his mother when he noticed that a man had cut in front of him. What happened next at the store in the 3600 block of Tidewater Drive is in dispute. Benn, in a jailhouse interview, said he was defending himself when he fatally shot that man in a gunfight.
"I came to the store just to get my medicine," said Benn, who was crying as he was led into the interview at Norfolk City Jail.
But police say evidence warranted his arrest. Police charged Benn, 41, of the 8100 block of Ridgefield Drive, with second-degree murder and felonious use of a firearm in the killing of Ramon P. Colorado Jr.
Colorado, 42, was a former Norfolk deputy sheriff and auxiliary deputy in Chesapeake who was known for his online persona "Norfolk Dirt."
After he noticed another man had gotten in line in front him, Benn said he told the other man, "Excuse me, sir. I'm in line."
After the man became hostile, Benn said, "I moved out of the way and let him have the spot."
Benn said he continued talking to his mother when he was hit by pepper spray and heard the other man say, "I got more for you, bro."
(Excerpt) Read more at hamptonroads.com ...
Colorado sounds like a real jerk who liked to power trip under color of authority. There’s no info on Benn’s past. However, it seems like Colorado pepper-sprayed him for little or no reason; it seems very believable that he was the aggressor.
Watch the store security tapes Detectives,then tell Internal Affairs and the DA to go to HADES.
Obviously more info is needed, but right now I am leaning towards believing Benn.
There’s a jail interview at the link w/ Benn. And other videos on Colorado’s Face-Butt page.
I don’t understand how Benn was shot in the back if, as cops claim, he was approaching Colorado w/ drawn gun? No other witness interviews or accounts? Or do the cops prohibit that w/ TV crews until they get taped statements for heir case against Benn? Something ‘smells’.
From the article, "Benn has a concealed handgun permit and has no criminal convictions, according to a 2009 renewal of his permit".
Also from the article...
Benn's statement is at odds with information released by police, who gave the following account: Benn accused Colorado of cutting in front of him and they began arguing just after 2 p.m. Colorado sprayed Benn with pepper spray. Benn then drew a handgun and approached Colorado, firing at him. Colorado drew a handgun, returned fire and collapsed.
Even if the police version is true, it still sounds like self defense to me.
Me, too. I caught the sentence about Benn, but thought that the info it contained wasn't detailed enough to infer anything about his character one way or the other.
There probably WAS video since those areas are almost certainly covered by security cameras.
I’d wager the evidence gets lost if it shows this guys story is accurate.
The police version has Colorado initiating the argument by cutting in line and then pepper-spraying Benn. But, it also has Benn drawing first and advancing on Colorado, which would undermine the self defense argument. Benn says he drew after Colorado started to go for his gun.
No disrespect intended to the police, but they may be erring on the side of arrest because the initial info is that Colorado had some minor law enforcement association.
The cop sounds like a real prick, but it won’t matter that a judge revoked his concealed weapon permit or why he was fired. He was an excop, so that guy is screwed.
You’d expect there to be at least several cameras that would be focused on the pharmacy area.
This sounds like cops blindly defending a cop. Union brotherhood trumps justice.
If Benn drew first then he is guilty.
That's a matter of opinion. If he was blinded by pepper spray and in fear of further assault (and why wouldn't he be?), he may have advanced to make sure he hit Colorado, and not a bystander.
I bet that guy never cuts in line again.
If you are attacked with pepper spray, you don’t have a right to draw your gun to defend yourself?
Is pepperspray considered a ‘deadly weapon”? Just curious.
If they were standing in line to be served, there has to be witnesses. Probably video as well. I am certain that the ex cop was an a-hole , one who was carrying pepper spray AND a firearm. Still: Being shot in the back makes for some confusion here.
Guess we will have to wait until the jury decides.
It does appear Benn was in the right or, at least, mostly right. Colorado cut in front of him, probably because Benn was busy on the phone. Benn objected, perhaps not vulgarly, but probably in a snotty tone. The easily offended Colorado took offense, pepper sprayed him and the shooting began. I m have a feeling they’re just charging him as a deterrence to give any future shooters pause.
I see idiots texting and walking right into counters, shelves, displays and other people, all the time. I periodically yell, “Snake!” and that shakes ‘em up enough to stop (for about 60secs) doing that stupid texting-while-walking crap. A-holes.
I’ll take that bet ... oh wait ... nevermind. ;-)
I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to this guy. Even more if the surveillance video somehow goes missing, which seems to happen way too often in police shootings.
Sounds like it’s getting dangerous to be a bullying thug cop.
Wow! Way to miss the whole point.
He doesn’t seem to have harmed his case as far as I can tell. It’s important to establish early on that you were in reasonable fear for your life. If his story contradicts the videotape or testimony, it could be problematic though.
What was that quote again? "An armed society is a polite society."
Bernell Benn
People who are talking or texting on their cell while they’re at the checkout counter paying for their purchases, should be fair game to be legally shot.
“The police version has Colorado initiating the argument by cutting in line and then pepper-spraying Benn. But, it also has Benn drawing first and advancing on Colorado, which would undermine the self defense argument. Benn says he drew after Colorado started to go for his gun.”
I don’t know about Virgina, but here in Texas, it’s probably not a good idea to shoot pepper spray at someone carrying, since he can probably make a strong case for self defense, after being hit.
The goal is to tell your story only once, with your lawyer present in front of the jury.
Prosecution can use (twist) anything you do or say before that point in time.
Any good cc instructor worth his/her salt will teach this.
and?
People who bitch about people on the phone should be shot.
LOL. At least with a squirtgun full of *warm spit*.
That criteria would remove a lot of algae from the gene pool...
And nothing smart ass. It is a picture of the shooter and the next post is a picture of the shooter and the dead guy. You are the one trying to make it something.
Some people “in line” get distracted when they are chatting on their cell phone and “the line” continues to move as they stand still. I suspect a big gap developed in “the line” and it was filled by the dude with the pepper spray. Then the slacker wakes up and claims, “Oh, I was in line here”, to which the pepper spray dude says, “Yeah - you WERE in line”, and an argument ensues.
After all the lynchmob nonsense we see here in my area against George Zimmerman, and he was in the right, I will always side with the person defending themselves
Pepper Spray is supposed to be used as a DEFENSIVE WEAPON....if it was used in an initial attack...that is an assault....and Benn would be entitled to defend himself...especially if he was blinded and affected by the spray
Benn has a concealed handgun permit and has no criminal convictions, according to a 2009 renewal of his permit. Colorado had a concealed handgun permit in Norfolk, but a judge revoked it in September 2008 because of a voluntary commitment in Chesapeake, according to court records. Details about what prompted a Chesapeake judge to issue the commitment order were unavailable, and the District Court clerk’s office said they are sealed.
Colorado was a Norfolk deputy sheriff from April 1994 to May 1996, when he was terminated, said Paula Miller, a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman. He later worked as an auxiliary deputy in Chesapeake. He was promoted to auxiliary sergeant in Chesapeake in 1998 and stayed with the office until 2008, according to a sheriff’s spokesman and court records.
Colorado was known in online communities under his Twitter and Facebook handle “Norfolk Dirt.”
And he was just arrested this spring for harrassing a woman.
I’d set bail for Mr. Benn at $1.00...
VA Ping!
If you want on/off the VA Ping List, please freepmail me. Thanks!
I certainly hope the jury/grand jury gets to see ALL
of the evidence...especially ALL of the video that
almost certainly does exist as most stores have multiple
surveillance cameras. It’s quite obvious that the general
public will probably not have access to all of the evidence.
No, I was asking what your point was as you didnt seem to have one.
You’re just jealous because nobody wants to talk to you.
If you spray me down with pepper spray, I will kill you dead. I call self defense.
That's all you need to know. It's clear who is going to get screwed here.
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.