FL Retired cop, shoots texting wanker

[speeder]

I don't think you could hurt a newborn baby by throwing popcorn at it. Not like a 5 lb. burrito or something.

[Rot 911]

Thank goodness they were all white!

[Rick Lee]

thank goodness they were all white!

qft

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by RWebb

was either one an engineer?

We make bombs, remember? Engineer = terrorist.

[patz]

Well he was booked for murder. Wonder if they will decline to prosecute or indict?

[fintstone]

The older man claims he was stuck by the younger man with an unknown object. Sounds like another test of Florida's "stand your ground" law.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I can't understand having an important call at the movies because my phone would be off. Ditto for texts. If you can't live for two hours without being on your phone, you should wait for the dvd to come out. To throw your food at an elderly man for making a very legitimate complaint is asking for trouble. Not that he deserved to die for it, but it was easily avoidable.

Totally agree...

A few years back I vacationed in Kauai for a week... for the first four days I had my cell phone off... my friends thought I had fallen off the face of the planet.

Sunday I was at church (with phone off), wife left early and I stayed to chat with some people after the service. I get in the car and turn on the phone and get hit with "WHERE ARE YOU?!?"

[Baz]

Originally Posted by foxpaws

The old man could have just walked away - it doesn't matter how ill mannered someone is, you don't shoot them for it Baz. ---snip---

I'm only saying the shooting happened in part....because of something the other guy did....why else would he have been so pissed off enough to shoot the dude?

Thus.....there is responsibility on both sides for what happened.

I'm not saying - nor have I ever said - the shooting was justified.

I don't know how anyone can misinterpret my posts. I go out of my way to carefully structure my thoughts and to spread out my comments into separate paragraphs.

So it can be read and understood...by (almost) everyone.

[fintstone]

Gotta say... The older dude looks anything but frail. He could pass for 60 or less.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by 74-911

Admittedly this was many years ago but for several years back in the day I played slow-pitch softball in the San Antonio City Leagues with a team that at any given time had 5 or 6 SA cops. After the games we usually ended up at local bars for a few cold ones. To a man, every cop that i met while playing on that team had a real "dont even think about f$^&ing with me" attitude and I left one more than one occasion when things were getting a bit out of hand.

Lesson: don't even think about screwing around with cops and it appears even more so in todays world where the norm all to often seems to be shoot first and ask questions later.

I'm sure the guy who got killed had no idea the old man was an ex-cop and armed... until it was to late...

Now there is some helpful insight.

We all know the type A personality.

Perhaps both of these men were of the same personality?

Quote from Rusty's link:

Voices were raised. Oulson threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves, according to a police report, and then the former police officer took out a .380 semi-automatic handgun and shot Oulson.

Oulson's wife Nicole raised her hand just before the shot was fired and the bullet went through her hand and into her husband's chest, authorities said.

As Oulson staggered and fell, "He said, 'I can't believe I got shot," the younger Cummings recounted. "Blood started coming out of his mouth. I was trying to hold him up. He just fell down."

Nicole Oulson suffered a non-life threatening wound. Her husband died after being taken to the hospital.

During an interview with Reeves with his arrest, and after the former cop was read his Miranda rights, Reeves admitted to firing his weapon at the victim because "he was in fear of being attacked," according to the police report.

Reeves told police that Oulson had hit him with what the police report describes as an "unknown object."

I stand up for myself but I would never throw an object at someone - because I don't know how they would retaliate....for one.

Not justifying the shooting.....just explaining that both parties screwed up...basically.

[foxpaws]

Originally Posted by Baz

I'm only saying the shooting happened in part....because of something the other guy did....why else would he have been so pissed off enough to shoot the dude?

Thus.....there is responsibility on both sides for what happened.

I'm not saying - nor have I ever said - the shooting was justified.

I don't know how anyone can misinterpret my posts. I go out of my way to carefully structure my thoughts and to spread out my comments into separate paragraphs.

So it can be read and understood...by (almost) everyone.

You appeared to say that it was justified in one of your previous posts - that by annoying someone, the young father who was texting before the movie ever started, should be expected to reap the 'consequences' of his action - i.e. texting in a theater even before the feature film has started, is reason enough to expect to die.

Originally Posted by Baz

The guy who (in your words) annoyed the other guy - received a degree of "annoyance" back.

Some would call it "consequences".

Others would call it other things - but the fact remains if he hadn't "annoyed" another person - he wouldn't be dead.

Is this right?

It depends on how you feel about respecting others, I think.

I happen to place great value on the concept of respect.

Others don't, obviously. Sometimes there are consequences when respect is ignored.

I'm not taking sides - I wasn't there.

But when you "annoy" someone....there are usually consequences, as the texting guy found out.

I apologize if I misunderstood this post - but to me it certainly reads as though you think that annoying texting before a movie starts is a reason for justifiable homicide.

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by slakjaw

Help with what?

this>


If you really mean it, you need help. If not, might suggest to restrain yourself as everything today could come back on you in an unexpected way. Suppose in the future you are in a similar tragic or shocking situation. Whether you meant it or not, prosecutors dig this stuff up.

Besides, there are fellow pelicans here who are law enforcement and your comment just comes off shoddy. Like many others, perhaps we have a friend or family member as a police officer and or worse might have lost a close one from a deranged individual. Of course we all have different personalities and opinions, but feeling good about shooting anyone, let alone a police officer comes off really bad.

[tweezers74]

Originally Posted by foxpaws

It is hard to believe that many here is in some form or the other is defending the older guy for shooting and killing a guy for throwing popcorn at his person (or so it appears). I would imaging that the older gentleman could have walked away, easily, without escalating this to a deadly encounter. A movie visit is never, ever worth killing someone over.

mreid - how difficult for you - what a terrible loss for your coworker and her and her husband's family, and how senseless.

+ a million... Squared.

Wow is all I can say after reading this thread.

My thoughts go out to the deceased and his family.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by foxpaws

You appeared to say that it was justified in one of your previous posts - that by annoying someone, the young father who was texting before the movie ever started, should be expected to reap the 'consequences' of his action - i.e. texting in a theater even before the feature film has started, is reason enough to expect to die.


I apologize if I misunderstood this post - but to me it certainly reads as though you think that annoying texting before a movie starts is a reason for justifiable homicide.

Thanks for your follow up and no worries FP.....I was just offering social commentary and analysis on the situation.

I can't imagine anyone saying the guy was justified to shoot the rude texter.

In just about every situation you can usually break it down and analyze why things happened the way they did.

Doesn't justify anything....just explains why it happened the way it did.

[slakjaw]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

this>


If you really mean it, you need help. If not, might suggest to restrain yourself as everything today could come back on you in an unexpected way. Suppose in the future you are in a similar tragic or shocking situation. Whether you meant it or not, prosecutors dig this stuff up.

Besides, there are fellow pelicans here who are law enforcement and your comment just comes off shoddy. Like many others, perhaps we have a friend or family member as a police officer and or worse might have lost a close one from a deranged individual. Of course we all have different personalities and opinions, but feeling good about shooting anyone, let alone a police officer comes off really bad.

Yeah I suppose it does come off pretty bad. I was at the movies a while back and had my phone shut off in my pocket. it somehow turned itself back on and it rang in the theater. it rang twice before I could get to it and some old dude gave me a really hard time about it. it was an accident and I just ignored him but people lately seem to be pretty low on patience.

I do not want to shoot him dead but I do hope he gets convicted of murder and attempted murder and spends a year or two locked in a cell with Bubba and then goes to the chair and cooks. That would be the happiest ending of this thing I can think of.

Is that any better than wanting to do it myself? I dunno.

[mreid]

I think many of you will be surprised when the facts come out. I will not share details, but there is more to the story.

Thanks Fox and others with a more restrained and rational response.

Been a tough week. Had a suicide today and three others had parents die suddenly. WTF?

[Baz]

Just reported it was the child's baby sitter he was texting with......not the child. That makes more sense.....

[johnsjmc]

I am at my winter home about 15 mi from the theatre. The shooter could have changed seats since there were only about 25 people in the place. if someone,s phone bothered me that much that's what I would do. Kids text all the time and I have learned to ignore it.
The guy was reported to be texting his daughter but it makes more sense that it was her baby sitter. It,s reported here the wife was reaching out to shield her husband but it also makes more sense she was trying to pull him back.
What I find suspicious is the shooter retired from the Tampa police at 51. I wonder if he had issues ,like anger management, alcohol etc.
I think this is already playing out as a TM/GZ like case BUT in this case both parties are white,adults and there are 25 witnesses.

[t-tom]

Its amazing how fast this forum will condemn someone with out any real facts. It will be fun too see what happens if the facts ever come out. Either way its sad and really should never have happened.

[speeder]

"If the facts ever come out"?

I'd say that several pertinent facts are out already and the rest are coming shortly. This is not a "who dunnit" or a "WTF happened"... it's a shooting in front of many eye witnesses.