There was a shooting somewhere between Cedar Park and Lago Vista on Monday afternoon, and the news stories about it are making me have thoughts and questions.
The timeline of events is as follows:
1. Man gets money out of a Cedar Park bank.
2. Man drives to Lago Vista and stops at a gas station.
3. Man goes into the gas station, leaving money in his car.
4. Two other men break into said car and steal the money.
5. First man calls 911 and informs them he is following the car of the other two men and intending to stop them.
6. First man pulls in front of the other car and stops it.
7. First man claims the people in the other car brandished a gun, so he pulls out his gun and shoots the driver in the mouth, and then fires a second time.
8. The suspects’ car drives away.
9. One suspect is arrested at the hospital, and the other is located in Houston after taking a Lyft.
The biggest question I have is has the “stand your ground” Castle Doctrine changed in Texas to make chasing down and shooting someone who stole from you okay? Nowhere have a read that the guy who had his money stolen was detained or is in custody.
My understanding of the situation in which one is allowed to attempt to murder someone else legally does not include following people and putting yourself in a situation where you fear for your life. I have found nothing in the law that seems to have changed recently, and I feel that following someone, even if they are thieves, pulling in front of them and stopping their car would fall under “provoking” which is very clearly listed as being a nullifying factor for standing your ground.
This story just contains a lot of weird and dumb, and I’m hoping it doesn’t fall off the news radar entirely, because I need to know more. Mostly what I need to know is that the guy who did the shooting receives some consequences. Right now it seems that someone who thinks it’s okay to chase people down, put himself into a dangerous situation, and then shoot his way out of it is apparently walking around free. If this is going to be considered an okay thing to do in Texas now, I feel like that should be bigger news.
I question why other news outlets aren’t digging into this a bit more. Here’s the link to the story all the others seem to use as reference for their own stories, and if I’ve not heard more about this in a week or so, I’m going to poke the news people to see if they wouldn’t like to follow up on it.
I’m thinking the issue is proportionality, and the problem begins with the “pull-over” instead of using a phone to give a lic plate and description to the recognized law-enforcers. My momma always told me, be careful from whom you steal, they may be more nut-bag crazy than you are. But, I should find an American source for a justice issue like this. My momma, while having lived in East Orange, NJ, for some time, did not pass the bar in that state Well, the best reference I can find is from North Dakota. I know, things may be different in Texas, I’m not confused about this.
However, ND did birth one of your nations greatest philosophers of justice, her name is Marge. In her Opus Magnum, she said, “…all “for a little bit of money.” “There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’t you know that? And, here yah are, and it’s a beautiful day.” (Fargo, 1999).
The accused, if he should become one, may argue that the principle of parsimony was in play, “I shot him in the mouth, your honour, so he’s dead before he slumps over, I got the money back and my friend bought me breakfast a the The House of Pancakes. I wanted pancakes. Bing, bang! Boom, pancakes!” It’s not like I used the grenade launcher in the truck or anything…
Yeah, I just don’t see that as a defence, but what do I know, I’m only qualified as an ADA on shows made in New York state. The word “heinous” comes to mind though, as in this was a heinous crime! I would quite agree, and furthermore, hitherto, I find it on the odious side of the odious or wicked distinction of that qualification.
I agree, the media has kinda glossed over some obvious parts that leave too many questions dangling, but the media is Oversville, Everywhere, Planet. Simple things like, were they breaking into every car that stopped for petrol/gas.gaz/gasoline, or did they know each other?
“Stand you ground” has such a nice ring to it-it would make a hellofa good song, like, Hey baby
There ain’t no easy way out (I won’t back down)
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down.
But that’s just some kinda poetry, so:
Don’t tell me what the poets are doing
On the street and the epitome of vague
Don’t tell me how the universe is altered
When you find out how he gets paid, alright.
We’ve wandered far into the absurd, but we were catapulted by absurdity and our desire to dis-believe and grieve all that-that makes this a tragedy, and the loss of lives, however lived, injures us all, we are part of it. It would be good to have a media that would follow this up and report further, we need to hear these things, wherever we are. Sadly, the follow-up just won;t buy advertising. Maybe NPR?