Dont take her pocky-book

[smstonypoint]

The problem with you is you're using common sense.

I did however see the interview on TV with the woman. Honestly, it's a walmart parking lot, and she seemed about as trashy as the guy she hit. I say we just make Walmart property it's own "land" and let the people do what they want. I've been to walmart a couple of times. Have you ever really observed people in Walmart? It's actually kind of scary for many reasons.

Judging people by their appearance -- rather an "elitist" attitude don't you think?

Anyone here going to be able to stop a thief, 6', 225 lbs without deadly force in their house or garage, what about at their car with a brand $400.00 chainsaw, fresh out of HD, you get ready to go home when this big guy grabs the saw, now he knows using deadly force to stop him is illegal so all anyone can do is wave by and call the cops and they will be right there to arrest the purse snatcher, but don't worry they'll be plenty of so called clear close up pictures of the thief to track him down, but just in case it's one of those very rare incidents of where the purse snatcher gets away, better go back in HD and buy another $400.00 chainsaw, after all it's only plastic............

This reminds me of a case of vigilante justice that occurred near my farm in NC. There is additional info in this thread (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/related-topics/335894-sorry-state-todays-journalism.html?highlight=), but here are the main points:

The 911 call:

"I am in pursuit of a vehicle who stole a chainsaw from Beasley Power Equipment," the caller tells the dispatcher.

The store owner's son goes on to tell the dispatcher that he showed the men a gun before firing.

"I did show them my pistol, they still took off in a vehicle. I did shoot the window out. One of them is hit," he can be heard telling the dispatcher.

He then describes the vehicle and the direction they are going. He tells dispatch that he is "about five car lengths behind them."

"Did they present a gun to you... or are you the owner of the store?" the dispatcher asks the caller.

"No," the caller replies, "I'm the owner. I saw them take off, I tried to catch them and they decided they wanted to run. They both saw it."

A link to a video of the shooting:

Employee charged for shooting suspected thief, police say | WSOC-TV

The outcome of the case:

A Taylorsville man who fired shots into an occupied vehicle after his family business suffered a theft entered a plea agreement in Alexander County Superior Court today. Christopher Alan Beasley age 28 of Taylorsville was given 36 months probation (18 months supervised) after he pleaded guilty to a charge of Felony Assault With a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. The charge of Discharging a Weapon on Occupied Property inflicting Serious Bodily Injury was dropped.

On April 23rd, 2015 a man entered Beasley Power Equipment on Highway 16 South of Taylorsville around 4:15pm. The subject spent a few moments in the store then fled with a chainsaw. He got into a vehicle occupied by the driver and another man. Beasley who is the son of the store's owners followed the man into the parking lot. Beasley as was shown on video firing two shots with a handgun into the getaway vehicle. One shot struck the steering wheel of the car, the other shot struck 33 year old Marshall Scott Evans of Morganton in the head. Evans was the driver of the vehicle. Evans was able to drive a short distance when one of the other occupants of the car took the wheel. The vehicle was stopped by Taylorsville Police a short while later near the store where the shooting had occurred.

Evans was airlifted to the Carolinas Regional Medical Center in Charlotte with severe head trauma from the gunshot. Evans was eventually transferred to a Rehabilitation Center.

Beasley was represented by Attorney Robert Campbell of Taylorsville.

***BREAKING NEWS*** Beasley Will Avoid Prison Time (Updated)

The defense attorney in this case is supposedly one of the best in the area. I suspect that the lady in the Wal-Mart incident will end up with a public defender if this goes to trial. I haven't spent that much time in Buncombe County, but I think the public defender would request a jury trial based on my limited knowledge of the citizenry. I wouldn't bet against an acquittal regardless of the facts and the law.

Steve

 

[rswyan]

Judging people by their appearance -- rather an "elitist" attitude don't you think?

Are you sure he's judging them by their appearance ... as opposed to his observations of their conduct ?

 

[smstonypoint]

Are you sure he's judging them by their appearance ... as opposed to his observations of their conduct ?

A fair point, but I suspect appearance enters the equation.

Steve

 

[rswyan]

This reminds me of a case of vigilante justice that occurred near my farm in NC. There is additional info in this thread (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/related-topics/335894-sorry-state-todays-journalism.html?highlight=), but here are the main points:

...

The outcome of the case:

So ... the individual avoided doing time by pleading guilty to a reduced charge - but still plead to a felony.

Basically, he forfeited his right to own a firearm - barring some mechanism to have that right restored - over the theft of a chainsaw.

I guess that's a tradeoff each individual has to consider for themselves ... personally though, I fail to see much in the way of an appealing cost-benefit ratio to recommend it.

 

[rswyan]

A fair point, but I suspect appearance enters the equation.

Also a fair point.

However, you're not suggesting that appearance entering the equation is always an elitist attitude are you ?

 

[smstonypoint]

So ... the individual avoided doing time by pleading guilty to a reduced charge - but still plead to a felony.

Basically, he forfeited his right to own a firearm - barring some mechanism to have that right restored - over the theft of a chainsaw.

I guess that's a tradeoff each individual has to consider for themselves ... personally though, I fail to see much in the way of an appealing cost-benefit ratio to recommend it.

I suspect that Beasley's ex ante calculation of that ratio differed from his ex post calculation.

Steve

 

[smstonypoint]

Also a fair point.

However, you're not suggesting that appearance entering the equation is always an elitist attitude are you ?

I suspect it is when folks make blanket statements about WM customers.

Steve

 

[rswyan]

I suspect that Beasley's ex ante calculation of that ratio differed from his ex post calculation.

I would imagine so ...

 

[rswyan]

I suspect it is when folks make blanket statements about WM customers.

Back when I was driving, I spent quite of bit of time in Walmart parking lots - basically because 1. there are a lot of them around (so usually relatively nearby), 2. and, generally speaking (but not always), they have a fairly welcoming policy towards truck drivers parking their rigs there to catch some rest.

I would guess their primary motivation is that they hope you will come in and spend some money - which, back then, I often did.

The Walmarts were located in a variety of places ... which ran the gamut from very good neighborhoods to places where they had hired security constantly patrolling the lots ... in a few instances, multiple security vehicles patrolling at the same time.

In the end, I guess one's views on their clientele, might be affected to some extent by which Walmarts one has been in and what one actually observed while there.

 

[Sigarms]

Judging people by their appearance -- rather an "elitist" attitude don't you think?

I was not judging by appearance alone. However, appearance always does play a variable.

The reality and truth is we all "judge" everything in our lives, including people, to some degree every single day.

There is truely only one Judge IMO. I figure he'll sort everything out when we're all 6', as we all have no clue how we got to be the people we are, and what sins are truely worth condeming for since we're all human.

As was point out previously in this thread, giving a interview to a reporter the same day you hit someone with your vehicle and you're making the news shows IMO that you aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the factory.

My only point is that if your life is NOT in danger, when you take action, your actions can have consequences, and the question becomes, are the potential consequences worth it? You mentioned the guy in Taylorsville who got off with a good lawyer due to his actions. How much do you think that lawer cost? Perhaps more than the chainsaw that was stolen?

I will however plead guilty as charged on the Walmart comment In Walmart's defense, after thinking about, the more stranger stuff was from one store in particular. Then again, keep in mind, this story came out of Asheville