Assume that any “fight” in public is going to barroom brawl/street fight tactics.
Both sides could’ve walked away at any time or backed down.
The popcorn was assault (or provocation).
Throw a bag of popcorn at an officer’s face at a protest and see if there is any charge or response.
I’m not arguing that the shooter was justified, go into the animal kingdom and see what happens if you throw popcorn at a hissing snake or bobcat.
Freshman sociology 101 taught the universal human reaction to someone stepping onto a crowded elevator who doesn't turn around to face the elevator doors as everyone always does. It results in a strikingly uncomfortable experience for the rest of the elevator passengers.
In a movie theater, the same human reaction occurs when someone stands and turns their back to the movie screen. Add aggressive stance, behavior, reaching over the back of the seat into the back row into another's personal space, snatching something out of someone's hand, then forcefully throwing it back in the face of person in back row.
Social norms have been thoroughly disrupted.
Reeves is a retired police captain, according to the article. The surveillance film damns his case.
No argument on the throwing popcorn/assault, but it doesn’t warrant a shooting. It warrants getting up, calling the police, and pressing charges.
I’ve been carrying since PA went shall issue. We have “Stand Your Ground” here too. But any jury seeing that surveillance film is going to put this guy in jail.
“...Both sides could’ve walked away at any time or backed down....”
True enough. And the man with the lethal force capability in his hand should have gotten up and called the police. He WAS a cop, after all, and ostensibly knows the laws he was supposed to be enforcing.
“...Throw a bag of popcorn at an officer’s face at a protest and see if there is any charge or response...”
The protestor would be pepper-sprayed and billy-clubbed, most likely. Not shot.
Again, though... none of us were there, so it’s is difficult to say what we “should” or “would” do. Anger is a powerful emotion, and some patsydumbf*ck throwing popcorn (and a cellphone too, allegedly) at you would piss anyone off. And it is indeed possible the older guy was “in fear for his life”. That may well be the case; 71 is no match for 31, 41, 51...
The film, however, as grainy and lousy as it is, is going to damage him.