I thought so as well. I did not know there were two pranksters in is face. I would have certainly been uncomfortable and I am big guy. But that guy was very quick on the draw. He pulled and fired before anyone could have known he was packing. I think if had pulled and showed the gun at least…
No shit. If he had pulled out a gun and said, “BACK OFF,” do you think they would have persisted?
Frankly this is why I think his whole story is bullshit. He was angry and wanted to kill the guy for annoying him. That’s the only explanation that makes any sense.
Except that simply brandishing the gun at someone to scare them w/o being willing to use it is NOT recommended and may by itself still be armed assault. But we may want to keep at it in the Stupid Gun News thread.
But everyone would have walked away unharmed.
Even without the gun, just saying ‘BACK THE FUCK OFF ME’ loudly enough for people to look over, would likely have put an end to the whole situation.
One thing I’ve learned from experience in my job (retail can be brutal) is that loudly/sternly saying something like that is often enough to startle the other person and gives you a few seconds to walk away or tell them to leave or otherwise take control of the situation.
I’ve used that method quite a few times over the years and I assure you I’m not going to physically intimidate anyone.
I took some gun training a while back and they brought up the same thing.
Man who confronted child predators shot in argument. I agree with his desire to get them off the street, but not the way he was doing it. Very unsafe. This was inevitable IMHO.
I don’t think so. The prankers were aggressive and looking for a ‘youtube’ worthy reaction.
The shooter seems scared to me. Panicky, even. Scared and panicky and armed is not good.
I’m not sure. It sounds like this is the kind of reaction the prankers wanted to elicit.
I hate prankers (but I wouldn’t shoot them).
Canadian lawyer does an analysis. Worth the watch.
(He does specialize in firearms laws so I assume he’s pro-gun.)
Nope. If you watch any of this guy’s other videos, you’ll discover that’s exactly what he wants. He’s an asshole, but he doesn’t deserve to be shot. Walking away without a reaction is the best thing.
BTW, I do NOT recommend watching his videos.
I couldn’t disagree with anything he said. Although he did take a loong time to say it.
The main thing was ‘the prank was specifically to make the target fear that he as in imminent danger’.
If had been me, that is what I would have thought. The lawyer does state that is seems (according to the videos he has seen) the pranksters choose targets who are smaller, weaker or vulnerable positions. But then, so do criminals.
Granted we don’t know what sort of texts were shared, but if you’re going to go all vigilante like that, is it really critical that he go after someone who is two year old than the ersatz victim? Chrissakes, when I was 20 my girlfriend was 17. Same age difference as my parents … and same ages as when they got married. Would we all have been in this guy’s sites?
even if getting out of this “cheaply”, he still is in a world full of hurt on the civil-trial side of things …
True. It’s also possible the argument he was in that led to the shooting had nothing to do with his personal mission.
Are there any other stupid MF’s in the news lately? I grow weary of this story.
Hindsight being 20/20…
These comments work on the assumption that he knew the guy was just an obnoxious pranker trying to get a reaction. If he was aware of that, then shooting him wouldn’t be self-defense. OTOH, if he truly thought this guy was attempting to harm him, he wouldn’t be worried about whether or not his reaction would go viral.
Also, do we need to be worried that he was acquitted for using lethal force to defend himself against someone that was holding a phone?
How many of you would feel differently if the situation played out exactly as it did, except it was a cop instead of Colie? What if a cop shot someone that was holding a phone? Seems like we’ve been down that road before.
I certainly am not okay with that. It’s fucking stupid.
Your statement is incorrect, or I misunderstand it. I, in no way, said the shooter had such knowledge. I have said the opposite. It was reasonable for him to be in fear of violence.
Also, do we need to be worried that he was acquitted for using lethal force to defend himself against someone that was holding a phone ?
Not sure why you have the phone in italics. I have not alleged that the phone was weapon. But many, many people have been hurt, even killed by people who had no weapon at all. Plus, there were two of them. Three if you count the guy recording it. Maybe I misunderstand your point.
Did you watch the link a few posts up?
Plenty, but they are being talked about in Politics and Elections, not the Pit.
A tip for those thinking of kidnapping a child: don’t leave your fingerprints on the ransom note when you have previously been fingerprinted for a DUI arrest…
Or rather: please do leave your fingerprints on the note. And your DNA. Remember to sign it too.