UPDATE: Ahmaud Arbery's 3 murderers all found guilty. Sentenced to LIFE in prison.

I see where you're coming from but I would argue blocking the road (with another guy coming up from behind) and pulling out a shotgun was initiating an attack. These guys didn't have to confront the guy but chose to. The guy running had his fight or flight kick in and his brain chose fight for reasons we will never be able to understand since none of us have likely been in this situation. Had they been cops then yes, this would make sense as they have the authority to command a citizen to stop at gunpoint. These were average Joes and scared the hell out of the guy. Maybe they'll get off due to that dumbass citizens arrest law but anyone in their right mind can see they never should have initiated this confrontation.

 

Edit, you can see that he initially tries to pass on the left, but the guy blocks him, so he goes around to the right, where the guy has moved to the front of the truck again to presumably block/confront him.

 

So in your mind, “stand your ground” even extends to armed ambushes and illegitimate roadblocks? Interesting.

 

well he was standing on the ground!!!! /sarcasm

 

In Florida any citizen can make an arrest if they “witness” a felony being committed.

On top of it, they can use more force than a trained officer, who must use the least amount of force possible (in theory) to make an arrest.

Since citizens are not trained on use of force, the minimum force necessary requirement is not applied, except in extreme cases.

Where did I get that info? From an attorney in the police academy who specializes in use of force scenarios. He pretty much said a citizen can use any means necessary to stop the felony or hold the perpetrator until the police arrive.

 

Not sure what your talking about here.

Maybe im missing something. He seems to have an escape route to the right--away from anyone, where the trucks would have to change cousre to pursue--but instead, goes due left, straight at the guy with the shot gun, and apperently, for the SG.

 

What felony did he commit? He reportedly stopped and looked in window of a house that is under construction ... something I've done dozens of time my self. Other than that, he was jogging.

 

It’s basically how most of us envisioned the Treyvonn Martin deal went down. He very likely “jumped” Zimmerman, who was stalking him.

In that case there was no video, and it was 1 on 1 and Martin was likely unaware of the gun(though we have no way to know what he saw or was thinking). So it was all a bit murky. In this case there is a clear video of an armed ambush and the jogger clearly freaks out. Same characters still ok with it even with the benefit of video? Sick.

 

He did change course, clearly, when the armed man in the road made it clear he was going to pursue him no matter which way he went, then what? Get shot in the back running away?

 

Jogging while black is a crime in Georgia, I guess, and allows for white citizens to stop and kill someone lawfully. The jogger first went right and suddenly turned back left to confront a man holding a shotgun. We'll never know why, but we don't know what the man saw when he turned right. Could have been nothing but houses and no escape route. And as someone else pointed out, when he turned left, you can possibly hear the cocking of the shot gun. Perhaps the jogger thought he had a better chance to live if he fought rather than getting shot in the back as he attempted to flee?

Bottom line is the jogger committed no felony crime. Even if looking into a house under construction is a crime, it's misdemenaor trespassing. The guys in the truck had no right to follow and attempt to confront this guy, and he's dead, not because of anything he did, but he was murdered by white folks who thought a black man looked like somebody who might be breaking into houses.

 

Confronted?

Seems they were still well in the pursuit stage, when the decedent chose to engage despite the odds of prevailing, and still having options to elude.

 

Yes confronted. The man who shot was already out of the truck holding a shotgun. How is that considered pursuit and not confrontation?

 

Pursuit of what exactly? We are jumping over the fact that they have no rights here to act as they did.

 

You might be right--but first you have to rebutt 2 claims:

1--that there were no crimes committed prior (they claimed there were); and

2--that the decedent wasnt the guy responsible, which the dad ckaimed he recognized him as.

 

That is only if they witness the felony in progress, and I’m quite ok with that. I fully believe in castle doctrine.

Doesn’t give them the right to ambush people days or weeks later because they “think” its the guy. It might just be some random jogger. Georgia has some wacked laws, but if “armed roadblocks” by vigilante thugs are legal this country is more far gone than I thought.

 

See my reply to AZ.

That's what was cited as the basis for pursuit.

If all that is made up BS, that would certsinly cast the case in a different light, but as it stands, imo, it tilts the scales in favor of self defense/JH.

 

Because they were good old boys and he was a negro, obviously.

 

But that's not the law. You don't get to chase someone down because you thought they may looked like someone who may have committed a crime a few days ago. You have to have witnessed a felony being committed or have immediate knowledge of it taking place. They had neither and have said as much in the police report.