I think this deserved a thread...

[cigsandcoffee]

A very sad and interesting case, especially in light of the Zimmerman discussion. The person killed in this case was a 29-year old "white-Hispanic" male - apparently with a learning disability that gave him the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. It happened a while ago, and it doesn't appear the shooter is going to be charged.


http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/17717626/taco-bell-shooting-victim-was-holding-leash-not-weapon-04042012

About 7:30 p.m., a 22-year-old man and his girlfriend ordered food at the Taco Bell drive-thru and were told to pull up while their order was prepared.

At the same time, Adkins stepped around a corner into the path of the vehicle and angry words were exchanged between he and the driver.

They got into an altercation and Adkins was shot once by the driver. He died at the scene. The driver, a 22-year-old black male, called police but has not been arrested.

At first, the couple claimed that Adkins had a metal pipe that he swung at them -- but it turns out he was holding a dog leash with his yellow lab on the other end.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

1. The man was indicted last year

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Man-charged-in-shooting-death-at-Taco-Bell-drive-thru-164047046.html

Another "stand your ground" case from what I'm seeing. Who's idea were these laws again?

[cigsandcoffee]

2. My mistake - I searched and didn't find it.

It doesn't seem like they rushed in to arrest or charge him. These self-defense cases must be a real clusterfuck.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

3. Self defense used to be much harder for a murderer to prove.

These stand your ground laws muddy the water. There were clear criteria for self-defense already without these laws. Zimmerman, I believe, isn't using the stand your ground law, but simple self-defense. But the stand your ground law in FL still seems to have muddled that case, as it appears it did with this case as well.