Man shot dead in Tampa movie theater - over texting (permit, alcohol)
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Once again, I agree. That salty popcorn in the face and eyes might have been far more harmful. The dead guy was a loud, inconsiderate bully and the old fella had no idea of what he might be capable. He had already proven himself to be a belligerent snot. Tossing unknown objects into someone's face is assault. Period.
The old fella will walk. As he should.
Nope, he won't walk. Deadly force for popcorn in the face ? Imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm ? No way.
Throwing popcorn and killing someone are two different things. Popcorn wouldn't hurt anyone. It might make you mad, but isn't that what is supposed to separate humans from animals? We are supposed to be able to control our anger, not act on it like a fool. The shooter took another person's life. How anyone can defend him is beyond me. If as an elderly man he has issues, then he shouldn't be out in public. He did not need a gun in a movie theater, and he definitely did not need to shoot someone.
Has anyone defended the shooting? Many just relate to his frustration with today's manner-less public....and I'm one of them.
Now you're just being deliberately obtuse because he did not pick the fight. The 70 year old initiated this fracas, left to find a manager, then returned. Feeling genuinely threatened, you don't leave your wife behind to go seek out a manager. You also don't show remarkable disregard for her feelings and well being by pulling your pistol out to service your lack of automatic respect deficit.
Cripes Tamajane I have no idea where you're coming from on this one. A guy is dead and another will very likely not see the light of day with his family for a whole bunch of years and you decide it's a simple little phobia of Reeves being anti-tech that others should automatically accommodate? I don't get this at all.
I've said it's tragic and don't defend him. I was just wondering if he has issues with technology, that is not trivializing, it would be a serious problem in today's world. Reeves clearly has issues.
Oulson had issues, maturity being one. He didn't deserve to die. How he handled this should not be defended, the guy was forty something and had a family. He didn't deserve to be shot dead for being an immature bully. But that is how he behaved and maybe we learn from it but only if we can admit it.
Throwing popcorn and killing someone are two different things. Popcorn wouldn't hurt anyone. It might make you mad, but isn't that what is supposed to separate humans from animals? We are supposed to be able to control our anger, not act on it like a fool. The shooter took another person's life. How anyone can defend him is beyond me. If as an elderly man he has issues, then he shouldn't be out in public. He did not need a gun in a movie theater, and he definitely did not need to shoot someone.
How did he know what was being tossed at him? It might have been something extremely dangerous. Something like acid. It's not up to the person being physically assaulted to determine the composition of the stuff.
Not only will the shooter probably get off, but depending on the proximity of his wife, he might even claim to be protecting her from the unknown substance.
It's obvious who the hot head was. It wasn't the shooter. He tried to resolve the problem in a civilized manner. When that didn't work, he sought help from management. But the dead guy showed absolutely zero control and zero consideration.
There's more to consider than that and he may, indeed, walk.
Unless shooter had a mental condition, Legally, what else is there to consider ? The guy used a gun, deadly force. I suppose the texter could have muttered, 'I'm going to kill you,' or moved to attack.' Sure, we'll know more over time, but it'd take much more than popcorn to turn this into a justifiable homicide.
Asking someone to not text is not picking a fight. Throwing popcorn into someone's face is.
Don't you feel silly now?
Not in the least!
Demanding (see the difference there?) someone desist from texting during the previews then having management tell you they will not address the issue BECAUSE the guy isn't breaking any rules then returning to pick up where you left off AFTER the management has given you that explanation to hear the guy explain he was simply texting his daughter and saying something so as to result in an this man throwing his bag of popcorn at you to then gun him down in cold blood is not only picking the fight but finishing it as well. He started it according to witnesses and he finished it as his behaviour and charges laid against him verify.
Just to be clear and fair, the eyewitness says he has no idea who threw the popcorn. It is premature (and wrong IMHO) to assume it was the victim. It could have even been others in the theater who wanted the commotion to stop.
At the very least, the witness says "front row" guy - Oulson, stood up first in the confrontation. When people are arguing and one stands up, that is the one who is putting forth the challenge. He also says the couples started arguing, the women got into it too?
If other people threw popcorn at them, please. You get the manager don't throw stuff. This all sounds nuts.
Texting BEFORE the movie starts is not prohibited, but guns are prohibited in the theater. So who was breaking the rules, the guy texting BEFORE the movie started, or the guy who had a gun in the theater?
Carries no weight of law in Florida. The only prohibition in taking guns anywhere is where it's statutorily prohibited, that does not include movie theaters.
However that said because of the type of movie theater it is, it is not inconceivable it could be considered a place that serves alcoholic drinks, that said, the statute is that the location must be primarily in business to serve drinks, and a movie auditorium isn't that, although the bar would be.
Look this isn't your local Regal Cinema, it's more upscale waiting staffed reserved seating only section of the cinema (admittedly in a balcony above the general unwashed for a $5 premium). People shouldn't be milling around and moving seats with reserved seating. The recommendation is that you arrive 30 minutes before showtime, so you can take advantage of seated dining and the waiting staff.
That's not to say that what happened is acceptable behavior, but, if someone is paying a premium for better service and more comfort, then it's not unexpected they have higher expectations on standards of behavior.
My overall opinion is that stupid stupidly shot stupid for being stupid.
Look you have some crazy old guy who is giving you stinkeye and complaining at you for texting, and you're going to argue back and be an idiot, you kind of deserve to removed from the gene pool. Crazy old guys have two common issues, they try to injure you, and they tend to die really easily, neither of which is worth the $15 entry fee for the movie, in the former you may be paying $15 as the entry fee for your own funeral (as is this case), in the latter you're paying $15 as the entry fee for at least a civil suit for hospital costs. Some things just aren't worth fighting about.
Now the crazy old guy, well he's likely either got a neurological degenerative condition, or is undergoing some form of mental duress because everyone is ignoring his "You will respect my Authoritah!" which he'd had as a cop, and probably for a number of years since until he began to reflect his age. That's complete speculation, but may not be far from the truth.
Now that out of the way, I hope that people understand that retired police officers are not put through the same system as civilians (including ex-military with the exception of certain MP's and Coast Guard), but apply under the provisions of HR218 LEOSA, this exempts active, off duty and retired police officers from the same regulations as civilians undergo, they're issued photo ID from their former Police Agency, and must be certified annually to local standards as being able to operate a firearm to police standards. This exempts them from both Background check requirements, and preempts concealed carry restriction is all 50 states except where state law permits concealed carry restrictions on private property that are enforced by law (not Florida), the GFZA, and Federal Restrictions in Federal buildings and properties. So to illustrate states with state or local prohibition of possessing firearms in bars, it will not apply to retired LEO's unless that state also permits private property owners from posting signs that prohibit firearm possession, that permission carries weight of law, and that the establishment has such signs.
So we're not necessarily talking about some old codger who was a civilian gun owner, and trying to use that as an example as to why we need to increase regulation, because you could be barking up the wrong tree.
I've said it's tragic and don't defend him. I was just wondering if he has issues with technology, that is not trivializing, it would be a serious problem in today's world. Reeves clearly has issues.
Oulson had issues, maturity being one. He didn't deserve to die. How he handled this should not be defended, the guy was forty something and had a family. He didn't deserve to be shot dead for being an immature bully. But that is how he behaved and maybe we learn from it but only if we can admit it.
How was he being a bully? By asserting his right to do something that is legal?
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