Retired firefighter who fired shotgun at black teen asking for directions gets up to 10 years

NBC ^ | Nov. 13, 2018 | Minyvonne Burke

[Blue Jays]

"...if he was seven..."

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The prevalence of GPS has changed “sense of direction” in a big way.
Young people have no idea how to get places. Zero memory about roads. As in totally zilch.

My teenaged nieces and nephews (who reside nearby) would never be able to find our home without Google Maps guiding them.
It would not surprise me in the least if that kid hasn’t the foggiest idea of where his school is located.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Yeah, and when the door isn’t answered, burglars assume no one’s home and break in, providing the opportunity for a good shoot and one less violent criminal.

[The Toll]

Horsesh*t. He rides the bus to school every day in the same direction. He is not an infant, even if he was, he would still be able to walk to school. Kids have done it for years.

If you believe he was “lost and asking for directions” then you would also believe it would be fine to let your 12 year old daughter hangout with her Muslim soccer coach. Nothing I can do for you.

[Blue Jays]

Yes, utilizing that more conservative approach would have prevented this moronic retired firefighter from earning himself a felony conviction.

You are correct. There is no good reason to eagerly open the door whenever the doorbell chimes.
The good news is that it is typically a salesperson, realtor, politician, or religious crew with pamphlets.

If unanswered, the vast majority will simply walk away.
Which is probably what this 14 y.o. boy would have likely done.

[Blue Jays]

"...He rides the bus to school everyday in the same direction..."

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You are not a contemporary teenager. They do not remember locations. At all.
My nieces and nephews have been driven to my home countless times with their parents. All of them are smart kids.
None of them would ever find this house again without Google Maps guiding them with turn-by-turn directions.

[The Toll]

Nope. When you belong to a demographic that is 3% of the population and commits over 50% of homicides, you forfeit your right to go knock on people’s doors. A first grader would know how to get to school.

[Blue Jays]

"...you are out of your mind..."

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The Toll, so after viewing the very clear video you truly feel that it is a perfectly reasonable shoot?

[The Toll]

Not at all. Totally retarded way to employ a firearm.

[The Toll]

But, the kid was there to break into the house.

[Blue Jays]

"...you forfeit your right to knock on doors [being black]..."

"...totally retarded way to employ a firearm..."

"...the kid was there to break into the house..."

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You seem conflicted with your responses.

[The Toll]

Not a single bit conflicted. The homeowners actions were not within the acceptable limits of self defence, and the prosecution’s fairy tale of what the kid was up to is complete bullshit.

[Blue Jays]

"...Not a single bit conflicted..."

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Yet you stated that the teenager had ”forfeited his right to knock on doors” in Post #166 above.

[The Toll]

Indeed. If you are Black between the ages of 15 and 35, people expect crime from you. It has been earned. You must behave accordingly.

[quasimodo_79]

WOW...

[quasimodo_79]

<<Indeed. If you are Black between the ages of 15 and 35, people expect crime from you. It has been earned. You must behave accordingly.

Again... WOW!

I can’t even fathom a response to the insanity of this response.

At least you wear your overt racism proudly on your shoulder...

[Blue Jays]

"...WOW!..."

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You ain’t kidding. This kid did nothing to warrant that response.

[DiogenesLamp]

I would assume he was offered some kind of plea deal and didn't take it. It's possible the DA didn't want to deal due to the previous case, as well as video evidence making it a slam dunk win. Agree (as I posted before) that the 4-10 years is a bit much. Seeing as no one was injured, 1 year in prison, 2-5 more years parole, and felony conviction resulting in loss of 2A rights probably would have sufficed.

I finally looked at the video. It seems to me that the man hesitated. He had a chance to fire immediately and did not, and when he did so you could not actually see where his shot went.

The kid looks completely harmless. He also looks like a young version of Denzel Washington.

I do not believe the man was trying to kill him, and I think the accusation of attempted murder is ridiculous. You are probably right about the plea deal. I can see the man thinking he wouldn't be convicted, but I can see he did not reckon with the emotional arguments that sway jurors.

Jurors are not always rational, and I can see them buying into all the accusations of attempted murder the prosecutor threw at them.

I think they made a point to make an example out of this guy, and I think he gambled wrong in not taking a plea deal of some sort.

I think from his perspective he didn't see himself as doing anything wrong at all, and certainly not sufficiently wrong to suffer the punishment they have given him. I think he thought he would win a trial, and then got the shock of his life when he didn't.

I think all his current contrition is an effort to plead for leniency in the future. He's now caught in the system, and that is a terrible place for anyone to be.

I have no personal experience with it myself (thank God) but I've known many who have. Prison wrecks a man's life, sometimes horribly.

[DiogenesLamp]

I saw the kid. He looks more like a nerdy time. More into books than into burglary. He looks harmless. I think the man's paranoia at having been burgled five times before had him overreacting.

Also from what was posted earlier, the guy seems to be excessively impulsive.

[DiogenesLamp]

Seems the detectives, DA, judge and jury disagree.

Not convincing proof in my opinion. I've seen judges juries and prosecutors go off the rails plenty of times. In a few cases in which I had personal knowledge of specific cases, the Juries got it absolutely wrong.

Juries, Judges and prosecutors are a crap shoot. I think *MOST* of the time they get it right, but when they get it wrong, it just makes me shake my head.

The innocence project is an example of literally hundreds of cases that Judges, Juries and Prosecutors got absolutely and completely wrong.

I watched the video. Attempted murder is not supported by the video evidence in my opinion. Reckless endangerment maybe. Illegally discharging a firearm. Sure. Murder? If he was going to murder the kid, he would have fired faster, and he wouldn't have missed. He would also have fired more than once if he did miss.

I think the jury was not objective. I think they were emotionally stampeded into giving this verdict.

[semimojo]

Attempted murder is not supported by the video evidence...

Maybe that's why they convicted him of assult and firearms offenses instead.