Woman Doubted Man Was Threat Before Ga. Shooting

[SecularMotion]

Source: Associated Press

ATLANTA — The girlfriend of the man who mistakenly killed a disoriented Alzheimer's patient said she had doubts the stranger at her home was a threat just before the shooting.

The woman described the events leading to the shooting of 72-year-old Ronald Westbrook in documents released to The Associated Press under Georgia's open records law.

Westbrook suffered from dementia and wandered away from his home early Nov. 27.

He walked to the home where Joe Hendrix was staying with his then-girlfriend, rang the doorbell and tried opening the door. The woman called 911. Hendrix ultimately went outside and shot the man.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/03/07/us/ap-us-alzheimers-fatal-shooting.html?hp

[DesertDiamond]

1. Wow! Reading this just after viewing the trailer here on DU for "The Mask We Wear"...

It looks clear to me that this guy was trying to "be a man." Don't wait for the police to arrive - Real Men take care of these things thelmselves.

I could be wrong, but that's what it looks like to me.

[salib]

2. So true

[AtheistCrusader]

3. Probably a factor.

[riverwalker]

4. no criminal charges

The woman said that she did not consider the stranger "a big deal" and warned Hendrix that he appeared to be an old man.

Should be second degree murder, instead, he will be charged with nothing. There was a time when people came to your door for car trouble, to sell Avon and Girl Scout cookies, hysterical domestic violence victims, borrow a cup of sugar, lost dog owners, is this your kitten?
Do it now and you are target practice for these dickless morons.

[billh58]

6. You can thank the NRA,

and your local Second Amendment absolutists who swallow the NRA's "they're coming to get your guns" never-ending slogan as if it were gospel, for this sorry state-of-affairs in our country. Our gun death rate is 20 times higher than any other "civilized" nation in the world, and Second Amendment absolutists are very proud of that fact.

[cosmicone]

10. Don't forget ALEC and "stand your ground" n/t

[YOHABLO]

5. The intelligence level down here in GA is not too high .. just one of thousands who live here.

[ashling]

7. The women in the lives of these guys

seem to know that something is not right with them, but must be in denial . . . until the unthinkable happens
to somebody else . . . or to them.

I just don't understand . . . I don't understand . . .

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. Notice in the clip ...

the woman that was commenting is described as the shooter's "EX-girlfriend."

I think she got the hint or to an action point that may have saved HER life..

[ashling]

14. I didn't notice that

maybe he was her ex after he murdered the poor man

Just like the rap killer - she is now his ex . . . I hope.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. Why no charges???? I don't get this at all. This country is SUCH a right wing extremist mess. nt

[ReRe]

9. So sad...

... if the dude had just tucked that gun in the back of his pants, instead of shooting first. This happens often... where old folks wander away from home, or usually a nursing home. My dear grandpa did the same thing...wondered away from the nursing home... in the middle of winter. Went to the park and sat on the bench and fed the birds bread crumbs. He died several days later with pneumonia in the hospital.

[valerief]

11. If people are afraid of being shot after ringing someone's doorbell, they're not likely to do it to

voters to register.

Funny how everything terrible helps the right wing.

[fbc]

13. Chances are the cops would have shot him anyway

Calling the cops isn't really much of an alternative these days, although maybe they would have just beat him up.