WELL, SHOOT... JUST SHOOT

[ramseycat]

The jury considered him guilty.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks for the update, rams. I'm happy for Renisha's parents (pictured below).



In addition to the second degree murder conviction, the jury also convicted Wafer of voluntary manslaughter and a felony firearm charge.

Wafer's sentencing is scheduled for August 21^st.

Story: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/08/07/t...-shooting/

[Duchess]

I was ready to fry him before I heard him speak this morning. The Today Show aired a clip of him on the stand. He is soft spoken and he sounded so remorseful. He was quite emotional when expressing how sorry he is. I'm such a sucka.

[ramseycat]

I felt that way when I saw him too. So stones the law doesn't take into account a person making a horrible mistake.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's sad for Wafer -- he didn't go looking for trouble.

But, he chose to shoot in the face and take the life of what turned out to be an unarmed teen. It's beyond a terrible mistake, IMO.

So, as sad as it is for Wafer, who's probably not a terrible person, it's justice for Renisha and her family. And, it's important for other gun owners to see that pulling the trigger as the first course of action -- without making any effort to ascertain who you're shooting at or why -- not only violates the code of responsible gun ownership, but is also against the law for very good reasons.

[HairOfTheDog]

ANOTHER IDIOT SHOOTS AS A FIRST COURSE OF ACTION

This time, it's a Florida grandma.

Grandma Linda Maddox was sleeping with her two grandsons while their father was working. Granny was armed and had a chair up against the door.

Well, 7-year-old Tyler Maddox got up to go pee, or get something to drink, or whatever. But, when grandma heard the chair being moved, she assumed it was someone trying to get in. Granny grabbed her gun and shot into the dark, hitting Tyler.

Tyler Maddox is in critical condition at St. Joseph's Hospital near Tampa. He's reportedly stable this morning.

Story: http://www.wptv.com/news/state/linda-mad...d-grandson
----------------------------------------------

No report on whether Linda Maddox faces any charges yet. I think she should.

(I'm picturing Oscar Pistorius sitting in his uncle's mansion, reading the American news -- screaming in his girl voice, "see it happens! it happens!".)

[Duchess]

(I'm picturing Oscar Pistorius sitting in his uncle's mansion, reading the American news -- screaming in his girl voice, "see it happens! it happens!".)

Yes, Granny should be charged. One of the very first things one is taught when learning to shoot is to always have a visual of what you are shooting. You must see what you are aiming for, there is no room for error, there shall be no guessing. Jesus.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

(I'm picturing Oscar Pistorius sitting in his uncle's mansion, reading the American news -- screaming in his girl voice, "see it happens! it happens!".)

Yes, Granny should be charged. One of the very first things one is taught when learning to shoot is to always have a visual of what you are shooting. You must see what you are aiming for, there is no room for error, there shall be no guessing. Jesus.

Agreed, there is no reason whatever to be shooting in the dark.

[Duchess]

I bet that Granny died a little when she realized it was her grandson. As bad as that is, it is even worse that a grandmother has to sleep with her grandchildren, a gun and a chair under the doorknob in order to feel some semblance of safety. That's just so sad and awful :(

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm sure Linda Maddox feels awful about shooting her grandson.

But, she was right next to the kids. All she had to do was say her grandsons' names when she heard the chair move and it all could have been avoided. It's so terribly negligent that she didn't and just started shooting in the dark instead.

I'm glad that Tyler is expected to pull through, in any case.


^ Linda Maddox, 63; Tyler Maddox, 7 (left); and Tyler's twin brother (right).

[HairOfTheDog]

^ Florida police say they will not likely charge grandma Linda Maddox.

Snip:
Authorities say the Tampa woman who shot her 7-year-old grandson after mistaking him for an intruder probably won't face charges. Hillsborough County Sheriff's officials told the Tampa Bay Times the Tuesday shooting has been labeled an accident.

"She thought there was an intruder. She had no way of knowing [it] was only her grandson, so I think the decision not to press charges is justified," Tampa criminal defense lawyer Bryant Camareno - who is not connected to the case - told the Times. "The fact that she just fired into the darkness, that in and of itself is not a crime."

The paper reports there was also no crime in Maddox's leaving the loaded .22-caliber pistol within reach of her grandkids. In Florida, adults can only be charged with culpable negligence for storing a loaded gun near children if a minor uses it to hurt himself or someone else.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-florida...e-charges/
-------------------------------------

Yet, a woman who fired a warning shot against an abusive husband without hurting anyone was sentenced to 20 years in Florida and now Angela Corey wants to put her away for 60 years (consecutive instead of concurrent sentences for 3 charges) if she's convicted at her retrial.

[Duchess]

I didn't really want to see Granny sent to the slammer but there is some serious discrepancy going on here in how their law is applied. I don't know the law but surely that grandmother is on par with the woman HotD referenced. C'mon!

Some of this stuff is maddening.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

To be fair the little fucker was probably hard to see in the dark

[Duchess]

That made me snort.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, it's hard to see much of anything in the dark, that's true. That's why you don't just point and shoot in the direction of a noise you hear in the dark.

"She thought there was an intruder. She had no way of knowing [it] was only her grandson" -- I completely disagree with this statement made by, naturally, a criminal defense attorney.

Of course she had a way of knowing. She was sleeping with the kids, FFS. She coulda felt around or said, "dat you Tyler, dat you TylerTwin?" And Tyler would have had the opportunity to say, "yeah, grams, I'm bout ready to pee my pants if I can't get this chair up out the way".

If she'd done that instead of being reckless and negligent, she wouldn't have shot him that night and he wouldn't be in critical condition in a hospital bed.

[Duchess]

She coulda felt around or said, "dat you Tyler, dat you TylerTwin"?.

Hahaha!

I'm as taken aback as when you say fuck.

[HairOfTheDog]

^ I blame grandma Linda! She got inside my head.

[RJs-Ex]

To be fair the little fucker was probably hard to see in the dark

I just got a little twinge of guilt for laughing :-p

[blueberryhill]

[quote='HairOfTheDog' pid='372079' dateline='1408820785']
Well, it's hard to see much of anything in the dark, that's true. That's why you don't just point and shoot in the direction of a noise you hear in the dark.

"She thought there was an intruder. She had no way of knowing [it] was only her grandson" -- I completely disagree with this statement made by, naturally, a criminal defense attorney.

Of course she had a way of knowing. She was sleeping with the kids, FFS. She coulda felt around or said, "dat you Tyler, dat you TylerTwin?" And Tyler would have had the opportunity to say, "yeah, grams, I'm bout ready to pee my pants if I can't get this chair up out the way".

I agree with this, maybe she had taken sleeping pills or was high, who knows, but I find it strange that you would shoot automatically before checking on kids. That is why I feel that this 2^nd amendment thing has gotten out of hand. Everyone and their brother has a gun, the crazies, kids, (not talking about responsible gun ownership), criminals, etc. Open carry here where I live. When I walk into a store, and someone is packin', how do I know he/she isn't going to kill me dead. Some bars post no guns, but remember the old fashioned bar fights, now they are gun fights. We should go right back to Wild West if all these macho men (no offense again to you responsible gun owners and you know who you are) who carry guns openly because it makes them feel powerful for the first time in their lives. They get off on seeing fear in eyes of people. I didn't mean to babble on and on, but I think some of our lawmakers (o.k., all of them) have lost their minds. Back to grandmother, surely, one of the kids had gotten up in the night to pee, get glass of water, whatever.

[HairOfTheDog]

CASE CLOSED -- THEODORE WAFER SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS FOR THE SECOND-DEGREE MURDER OF RENISHA MCBRIDE


Before sentencing, the 55-year-old Dearborn Heights man told the young woman's parents he was sorry for what happened during the early morning hours of Nov. 2.

Prosecutors recommended at least 17 years in prison for Wafer, including two years for unlawful use of a gun. During trial, he said he shot the 19-year-old because he feared for his life, but a jury rejected Wafer's claim of self-defense. Defense attorney Cheryl Carpenter had asked for as few as six years in prison.

Full story: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-por...a-mcbride/