That's just the problem, I don't see why anyone is questioning HIS judgement, it's not his fault that two idiots decided to rob the place at gunpoint. I'm sure there might be some regret that the kid was stupid enough to make him kill him, but, again, when you draw down on a vet you are essentially asking to die. I'd bet the person that is questioning their judgement is the kid that didn't get shot who is sitting in jail right now.
Let's not give excuses please. Let's not look outside all the time and always blame others. Someone doing something stupid doesn't mean your judgement can't be questioned. His judgement was definitely deserving of question like anyone else would that act in that way in that situation. Like many said, it could have easily go badly for him and all the people there OVER GAMES. Kids do stupid stuff, sometime very stupid like armed robbery. Most of them wise up. Some of them don't. Either way, I wouldn't said robbing games and xbox deserve death.
The vet could have easily called 911 and inform them about the assailant's characteristics and their car's information. He was right to shoot the guy since a gun was pointed at him. But, he didn't need to make everyone's life at risk. He could have done it the other way and he would still be a hero in my eyes for helping the cops capture the assailant. Like what I said, he is still a hero for standing up.
Again, preventing a robbery isn't using bad judgement....how in the world could you see things so backwards? The people using bad judgement was the fools that decided to rob a damn video game store at gunpoint. They risked their own lives along with the lives of everyone in and around the store OVER GAMES! The vet used his gun in a proper way, the jackass that is dead used his in an improper manner....and it lead to his death. When you have the ability to help people, you have a responsibility to do so. He's a trained soldier who was armed, he has a responsibility to help innocent people getting robbed. Had he sat by and done nothing, it would be the same as if someone who knew CPR didn't help someone who needed it. Innocent people get hurt during robberies all the time, even when they are complying with the criminal so for all we know, it could have gone wrong even if the vet hadn't gotten involved. Blaming the guy who stopped the robber is simply backwards thinking. Honestly the kid who lived should be charged in the death of his buddy. He died as a direct result of a felony that the kid was committing, if anyone is responsible, it's him.
Zoë: Do you know what the definition of a hero is? Someone who gets other people killed. You can look it up later. seems to apply in this case Rocket River
The moment he escalated . .. . all results are on him If the Criminals Shot someone .. . it would be because the guy escalated If a stray bullet kills someone .. . it would be because the guy escalated Rocket River as someone said . . . he was lucky no one else was hurt
Well, thanks you for that. It's very interesting that you think I see thing so backward. I, of course, think it's normal. My view is whatever we do is from us, within us and not from external sources. Outside of us is definitely part of the equation but how we react to that is purely on us and no one else. So, thus, in this situation my view is I have the ability to not escalate and put other people in danger, I have a judgement call if I want to do that or not. Over games, I think it's not worth it. This doesn't excuse what other does, but I don't focus on that... that belong to them. I focus on what I can control - my behavior.
My point is that he didn't "escalate" anything, the moron that raised his weapon at him "escalated" the situation. The armed robbers were already robbing the place at gunpoint.....How you then blame the guy who stopped them is beyond me. If a stray bullet kills someone......it would be because 2 morons decided to rob a store If the Criminals shot someone......it would be because 2 morons decided to rob a store Again, he had the ability and training to help innocents who were being robbed at gunpoint, if he does nothing, then anyone who gets hurt is on him. No one was "put" in danger because he stopped the robbery, they were "put" in danger because 2 morons decided to rob a store at gunpoint.
Sounds like the best summary of the whole situation. Much safer for innocent bystanders if the CHL citizen had followed this procedure. The guy's heart was in the right place, but his judgment was definitely lacking since this course of action explains there was a far safer way to handle the situation
Agreed, but contrary to what Rocket River and txtony and some others are posting, the people who "escalated" the situation are the criminals who brought and drew a gun. Bobbythegreat is right.
Not his job to use arm to help innocents. His training isn't for that. CHL and military training isn't cop training. A shoot out in public definitely put everyone there in danger. 2 morons decided to rob a store doesn't mean we confront them, how ever well trained we are, without any judgement of whether or not that make sense in that situation. In this case, over games it was poor judgement IMO. If the next time I see armed robbery going on (I have personal experience with this in my parent store) with lots of people around, I'm laying low unless absolutely necessary. The robbers is usually interested in robbing, not killing. Risking lives over property isn't something I want to do.
Well the robbers obviously started the whole thing by deciding to carry out a robbery. They escalated the situation when they took weapons with them when carrying out their crime. The CHL guy heightened the danger faced by innocent bystanders by his actions. Whether you want to call that an escalation as well, doesn't really matter. The robbers again escalated the situation by reacting the CHL guy by pointing a gun at him.
We know very little about what happened and people are acting like this guy is a fool. From the reports I read (and I guess you didn't read) he had the restaurant call 911 before he left. Then he felt a little unsafe with two guys sticking a gun in people's faces so he went and got his weapon. After that the details are sketchy at best.
You are wrong. What you are saying has NEVER been the law. If you have the right (which you do) to use deadly force when you are the victim of an armed robbery, then others have the right to do so on your behalf. The common law in almost every state for decades has had the right to defend third persons. How does anybody know that, once done loading up the game consoles, that he wasn't going back in for the cash? You don't. I don't. If they did go back in for the cash with a loaded gun...all bets are off. I find it amazing that people are defending a guy who chose to commit an armed robbery. WTF? If I am on the grand jury, this vet would get no billed in record time.
We do know. They were demanding cash from the people in the gamestop at gunpoint. It was in the report. One guy had a stack of XBONES and the other guy was fleecing everyone in the store.
That wasn't even stated on the source you posted in the first post. At the end of the day, I could have done my due diligence --- so that's on me.
This is a huge grey area here. Obviously we don't want rampant vigilantism in the streets. At the same time, who knows maybe this guy saved a life; he easily could have accidentally taken more lives though with that dumb shootout in a parking lot though. God forbid if this turned into a hostage situation with those people in the gamestop.
"Usually" interested. What happens when they aren't just interested in robbing the place? Tough luck? The point that you are failing to understand is that people were ALREADY in danger. A guy saw two guys threatening to kill an entire store full of people (that's what you are doing when you rob people at gunpoint BTW) and he decided to help them yet we're calling HIS judgement into question? IMO had he done nothing and one of the robbers decided to shoot someone, the blood would be on his hands because he had the ability to stop it and he chose not to.
Starting a shootout in public area is never a good idea. The situation is kinda murky, did he chase the robbers to the parking lot to get his gun, I mean I assume the robbers only pointed the gun at him because he approached their car during the getaway. It seems like the robbers are done and were ready to flee, I didn't see a point in doing anything other than stand back, call 9-11 give them the license and description.
