Florida Man Is Shot to Death for Texting During Movie Previews

[WHAMPOM]

Again in Florida...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/u...-death-for-texting-during-movie-previews.html


"An argument over texting at the movies ended in a cellphone user’s death, when a retired police officer in the audience shot him at a theater near Tampa, Fla., on Monday afternoon, the authorities said.

Two couples were among patrons at a matinee of “Lone Survivor” at the Grove 16 movie theater in Wesley Chapel, about 20 miles northeast of Tampa, when one of the men, a retired Tampa police officer, got angry because the man in front of him was using his phone during the previews, despite being asked to stop several times, said Douglas Tobin, a Pasco County sheriff’s office spokesman.

A witness told local television stations that the offended man stormed out to get a manager, but returned without one. The man using the phone explained to the irritated man that he was simply texting his 3-year-old daughter, the witness, Charles Cummings, told Tampa’s FOX 13 television.

“Three seconds, four seconds later, the argument starts again,” Mr. Cummings told reporters outside the theater. “Their voices start going up; there seems to be almost a confrontation. Somebody throws popcorn, I’m not sure who threw the popcorn, and, bang, he was shot.”

A nurse in the audience tried performing CPR on the victim while an off-duty sheriff’s deputy from another county detained the gunman.

The victim was identified as Chad Oulson, 43, of Land O’ Lakes, Fla. His wife, Nicole, had placed her hand over her husband just as he was shot, and was wounded, Mr. Tobin said.

The gunman, Curtis Reeves, 71, was charged with second-degree murder."

Think I'll stay home from now, skip the expensive tickets and popcorn and live. I've thought Man.. I'd like to kill that fucker texting in front of me but wow, this guy went off deep and took the movie's name way too literally. What say the crowd... not thinking this one leans towards the good shoot category.

Or as in most cases an escalation over nothing. Texter getting mad over being reported to management. All right then, good shoot.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Putting the whole murder part aside, I too would much rather have someone in the theater texting during the movie than two people arguing over texting. The latter is definitely going to be more disruptive than the former.

What the guy should have actually done:

1) Waited for the previews to be over because no one gives a crap about talking or texting during the previews
2) If the guy is still texting right before or while the movie is stopping politely ask if he can stop
3) If he doesn't stop, don't keep nagging him, go and get management (actually waiting to have the chance to talk to them) and ask them to do something about the texter and give you a refund or a ticket to a later showing

You must be a great back seat driver. bet you have wonderful 20-20 hindsight.

 

[fskimospy]

There are thousands of things more rude and idiotic than texting in a theater. Or throwing popcorn at someone. If every insecure bully in Florida starts shooting people for any perceived sleight, then there won't be many people left in Florida. Which come to think of it, would be a great thing.

Considering his stance in this and other threads, has anyone tried to imagine what the world would look like if everyone took SA's attitude as to what constitutes conduct worthy of a gunfight? It's basically Grand Theft Auto.

 

[Exophase]

You must be a great back seat driver. bet you have wonderful 20-20 hindsight.

Yeah, whatever. This is what I would have done had I actually found the texting unbearable. I wouldn't have gotten into this heated argument with a stranger. Seems like common sense to me, didn't need to see the the thing end up in murder to deduce that.

 

[Geosurface]

Seems like common sense to me, didn't need to see the the thing end up in murder to deduce that.

Agreed.

I would have handled it the same way.

 

[schmuckley]

Judge denied bail,Cop is going to jail.
As he should.Thrown popcorn is not call for pulling a gun and shooting.
Ex-cop..probably thought he was above the law.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Considering his stance in this and other threads, has anyone tried to imagine what the world would look like if everyone took SA's attitude as to what constitutes conduct worthy of a gunfight? It's basically Grand Theft Auto.

Took my attitude?

My attitude matches our laws. I'm fairly happy with how society deals with these sorts of things. People like zimmerman got justice, and thugs generally end up in jail.


So, you're ok with young buck throwing popcorn in a 70 year old man's face?? For any reason at all?

Again... I'm not saying that the shooting is legally justified... But from a reality perspective, legal or not, if you're the type of person to behave like young buck you will likely end up dead. Even if guns were outlawed, you would likely end up dead.

 

[Pray To Jesus]

I have said on this board for years, we have a gun problem. The argument always is the protection against criminals, but 8 times or more out of 10, these are the kind of killings that are the result. People want to settle their disputes with a gun and its a problem.

A study comparing international gun laws shows that getting rid of firearms might not be the solution to reducing overall violence.

In an independent research paper titled “Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide?,” first published in Harvard’s Journal of Public Law and Policy, Don B. Kates, a criminologist and constitutional lawyer, and Gary Mauser, Ph.D., a Canadian criminologist and professor at Simon Fraser University, examined the correlation between gun laws and death rates.



While not new, as gun debates nationwide heat up, the paper has resurfaced in recent days, specifically with firearm advocates.“International evidence and comparisons have long been offered as proof of the mantra that more guns mean more deaths and that fewer guns, therefore, mean fewer deaths. Unfortunately, such discussions [have] all too often been afflicted by misconceptions and factual error and focus on comparisons that are unrepresentative,” the researchers wrote in their introduction of their findings.


In the 46-page study, which can be read in its entirety here, Kates and Mauser looked at and compared data from the U.S. and parts of Europe to show that stricter laws don’t mean there is less crime. As an example, when looking at “intentional deaths,” or murder, on an international scope, the U.S. falls behind Russia, Estonia, and four other countries, ranking it seventh. More specifically, data shows that in Russia, where guns are banned, the murder rate is significantly higher than in the U.S in comparison. “There is a compound assertion that guns are uniquely available in the United States compared with other modern developed nations, which is why the United States has by far the highest murder rate. Though these assertions have been endlessly repeated, [the latter] is, in fact, false and [the former] is substantially so,” the authors point out, based on their research.


Kates and Mauser clarify that they are not suggesting that gun control causes nations to have higher murder rates, rather, they “observed correlations that nations with stringent gun controls tend to have much higher murder rates than nations that allow guns.”

It's sad how you are wrong 8 times or more out of 10.

 

[ch33zw1z]

People behave like "young buck" everyday and don't wind up dead. Popcorn in the face is not a reason to draw a gun.

 

[fskimospy]

Took my attitude?

My attitude matches our laws. I'm fairly happy with how society deals with these sorts of things. People like zimmerman got justice, and thugs generally end up in jail.

So, you're ok with young buck throwing popcorn in a 70 year old man's face?? For any reason at all?

Again... I'm not saying that the shooting is legally justified... But from a reality perspective, legal or not, if you're the type of person to behave like young buck you will likely end up dead. Even if guns were outlawed, you would likely end up dead.

You would probably not end up dead for throwing popcorn in people's faces, no. What insane world do you live in.

No one is saying that throwing popcorn in old men's faces is a good thing. What we ARE saying is that shooting someone over that is an absolutely batshit insane response. The guy is fucking nuts, as is anyone who defends that sort of action.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Bottom line does anyone here believe the shooter could stand before Saint Peter and honestly state that he shot this man because he feared for his life? I bet the correct reason is he was really pissed off at him and his anger took over his actions.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

You would probably not end up dead for throwing popcorn in people's faces, no. What insane world do you live in.

No one is saying that throwing popcorn in old men's faces is a good thing. What we ARE saying is that shooting someone over that is an absolutely batshit insane response. The guy is fucking nuts, as is anyone who defends that sort of action.

I strongly disagree.

If you are the type of person who has no problem throwing popcorn and getting into altercations with 70 year old men then it's a matter of time before you piss off the wrong person. Whether they retaliate via gun, knife, bomb, whatever doesn't matter. Make guns illegal and these people will resort to other methods.

Sure, the guy is probably unstable. And society is always going to have mentally unstable people, which is why starting confrontations is a risky thing to do.


And, like I said before, one crazy with a gun does not outweigh the right to self defense....

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Bottom line does anyone here believe the shooter could stand before Saint Peter and honestly state that he shot this man because he feared for his life? I bet the correct reason is he was really pissed off at him and his anger took over his actions.

If that were the case he would've simply shot the guy, but that's not what happened.


The old man went out, let a manager know that some rude moron was ruining the movie, and was confronted when he returned to the seat. All evidence indicates that he was trying to de-escalate the situation, not resolve it himself.

 

[Incorruptible]

Do you see that question mark at the end of the sentence? Yeah it means something, you ignorant stupid piece of shit! Learn to fucking read!

First making assumptions and then resorting to insults. You didn't even bother to read my other posts in the thread.

You ignorant stupid piece of shit!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Many things could have happened personally I do not believe this guy could say that he was in fear of his life.

 

[Vic]

I agree. Freedom requires accountability. In order for me to defend my own right to concealed carry, I must denounce those who abuse that right.

Is this really that hard to understand?

 

[Retro Rob]

Again... I'm not saying that the shooting is legally justified... But from a reality perspective, legal or not, if you're the type of person to behave like young buck you will likely end up dead. Even if guns were outlawed, you would likely end up dead.

And if you're a trigger-happy loose cannon, you'd end up charged with 2nd degree murder....wait!, a trigger-happy loose was charge with 2nd degree murder.

Well, shiver me timbers!

 

[SpatiallyAware]

And if you're a trigger-happy loose cannon, you'd end up charged with 2nd degree murder....wait!, a trigger-happy loose was charge with 2nd degree murder.

Well, shiver me timbers!

Better than being dead for attacking a poor old man.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Do you see that question mark at the end of the sentence? Yeah it means something, you ignorant stupid piece of shit! Learn to fucking read!

See, it's unhinged modern progressives like this who end up starting fights with law-abiding gunowners and getting shot.

You need to control that temper before it comes around to bite you.

 

[Retro Rob]

Better than being dead for attacking a poor old man.

Death is better than being forced to grab your ankles for the next twenty-five to life.

 

[sze5003]

Better than being dead for attacking a poor old man.

You're pretty much dead with life in prison anyway. I dunno who would prefer being locked up forever.

See, it's unhinged modern progressives like this who end up starting fights with law-abiding gunowners and getting shot.

You need to control that temper before it comes around to bite you.

Sure he may have been a law abiding gun owner, but not exactly a right in the head gun owner.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Sure he may have been a law abiding gun owner, but not exactly a right in the head gun owner.

Being a gun owner doesn't have much to do with it. Plenty of people get killed via other methods.... Knives, bats, bombs, a crazy person will always find a way.

 

[Vic]

Better than being dead for attacking a poor old man.

I doubt any jury is going to believe that a poor old man was attacked here.
Just like no jury is likely to believe that a 43 year old father is a young buck.

 

[Vic]

Death is better than being forced to grab your ankles for the next twenty-five to life.

For Reeves, anything more than 10 will probably be life.

 

[bshole]

For Reeves, anything more than 10 will probably be life.

10 inches or 10 years? I think he may be on the receiving end of 10 inches but I doubt it will kill him. When 300 lb cons rape cops in prison, I am sure they are extra nice about it.

Golly gee I surely hope one of those cons don't throw popcorn in this badass's face.....ROFL