Woman kills man at gas station. Rifle vs knife.

[Beiruty]

And, apparently the cops have decided to punt, with the grand jury getting to make the call.

Isn't it the case that all violent homicides are referred to the Grand Jury in Texas?

Correct.

[bdickens]

Quanell the Tenth is a hypocrite, but then, you already knew that.

If you are black, you get to stand your ground and shoot a man dead while you pump gas.

The activist said the shooting was a case where Texas' self-defense and stand your ground laws were justified.

Quanell has led recent marches in Houston to protest the not-guilty verdict a Florida jury returned in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, but said McDonald cannot be compared to the man acquitted of killing the 17-year-old Martin.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... ?cmpid=htx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You even get to take pictures of your victim as he lies dead on the ground and then flee the scene.

McDonald can be seen grabbing her cell phone and taking a picture of Daniel.
http://www.khou.com/news/local/Woman-ac ... 76811.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Justice for Louis Daniel!

[Beiruty]

Let us make this thread the next 200 page record.

[E.Marquez]

Wait,, what?? She did not intend to shoot him now? It was just a warning shot gone wrong?

She told police that she grabbed a rifle from her car when the man continued to threaten her with the blade.

McDonald said she fired at the ground, hoping to scare the man off.

"She never intended to shoot directly at him," Quanell said. "She didn't know the bullet actually ricocheted and hit him."

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... ?cmpid=htx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tomneal]

Why the photo, just before she left?

Could be
- she was still concerned about her safety and felt like she needed to be somewhere else.
- She was concerned that evidence (the knife) would disappear if left unattended so she documented it with her camera.

pure speculation on my part.

[cbunt1]

Hmmm...either my connection is messed up, or the videos I've been able to ferret out are so chopped up that we can't really see the whole thing unfold...BUT....

1) Granted, her overall actions may not have been the SMARTEST way to handle it, and given that we can only guess at the dialogue, it LOOKS exactly like standing her ground--to the full effect of NOT BEING RUN OFF FROM WHAT SHE WAS DOING IN THE FIRST PLACE. That's the concept behind no duty to retreat, and it's usually the right way to stand up for yourself.

2) I'd like to know more about this pointing-at-the-ground stuff--was she intending to scare him off, fire a warning shot, etc.? Again, not the way I would handle it, but we can't really figure out the whole story-we can just try to fill in the blanks.

3) The fact that she drove off, after allegedly taking a picture, makes me really stop and say "HMMM?" She had to be chased-down by police rather than calling it in (Or having someone do it?) Something doesn't smell right about that.

4) The fact that Quanell X (Little Ralphie) is so adamant about stand-your-ground in THIS case, and also so adamant against stand-your-ground in the Zimmerman case makes me automatically suspicious.

5) From the "evidence" we can gather at this point (not that it's evidence, and not that it's complete by any stretch) it doesn't look like there's enough there to swing the burden of proof for a grand jury to decide that there is enough to submit a true-bill.

And...the teachable moment...

**Call it in. Be the "victim" in the system (first caller). Ask for aid (Call it in, request medical assistance, police, get to a safe location, and exercise your right to remain silent). And in considering "get to a safe location," this MIGHT mean leaving the scene if there are other potential perpetrators on-hand -- but be ready to explain your actions, and know why you do what you do. **

I'll be getting my popcorn and lawn chair out for this one. We clearly don't have the whole story, and it looks doubtful that we'll get all the way to the bottom of it.

[Tic Tac]

The activist said the shooting was a case where Texas' self-defense and stand your ground laws were justified.

Quanell has led recent marches in Houston to protest the not-guilty verdict a Florida jury returned in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, but said McDonald cannot be compared to the Hispanic man acquitted of killing the 17-year-old Martin because she's African American.

[E.Marquez]

2) I'd like to know more about this pointing-at-the-ground stuff--was she intending to scare him off, fire a warning shot, etc.? Again, not the way I would handle it, but we can't really figure out the whole story-we can just try to fill in the blanks.

Say again? The Shooter personally stated "fired at the ground, hoping to scare the man off" and was reported to have said things that indicate to others. "She never intended to shoot directly at him," "She didn't know the bullet actually ricocheted and hit him."

What more is there know? What more than self admission from the shooter would you like to hear that would sway your opinion that the shooter fired a warning shot, which proved to be fatal to the other person to be "warned"?

[G26ster]

2) I'd like to know more about this pointing-at-the-ground stuff--was she intending to scare him off, fire a warning shot, etc.? Again, not the way I would handle it, but we can't really figure out the whole story-we can just try to fill in the blanks.

Say again? The Shooter personally stated "fired at the ground, hoping to scare the man off" and was reported to have said things that indicate to others. "She never intended to shoot directly at him," "She didn't know the bullet actually ricocheted and hit him."

What more is there know? What more than self admission from the shooter would you like to hear that would sway your opinion that the shooter fired a warning shot, which proved to be fatal to the other person to be "warned"?

Because this is the internet, where every event is scrutinized, inspected, bisected, dissected, rejected, and mainly conspiratorial so that by the time you get to about 20 posts no one is sure what the conversation is about anymore. cbunt1, get a comfortable lawn chair, and the "big bucket" as I'm sure we'll be here for some time to come. Just be sure to check the OP occasionally so you can recall what the debate is all about

[philip964]

My understanding was first shot was fired at the ground, but I thought she fired four other times directly at him.

The other man in the video apparently said the man swung at her when she pulled the gun out of the trunk cause he was scared.

The discussions may have been about money not sex. She supposedly owed him $30.

She photographed the knife in his hand.

[The Count]

The discussions may have been about money not sex. She supposedly owed him $30.

It is the dead guys daughter who is now saying that "He was a smoker" (crack cocaine user slang) and he owed HER $30. My problem with this scenario is.... she wasn't confronting him in the video, he was confronting her. If she was out to get this guy for her $30, it sure doesn't look that way in the video.

IMO taking a picture of the knife in his possesion was smart. I can't imagine how many times weapons leave the scene of event's like this due to friends, relatives, etc.

I know that I wouldn't necessarily blame her for leaving if there were friends of the man hanging around the gas station. She supposedly went home and told her mom, who then called 911.

And obviously they are releasing an edited video where the actual shooting has been cut.

[EEllis]

Why the photo, just before she left?

Could be
- she was still concerned about her safety and felt like she needed to be somewhere else.
- She was concerned that evidence (the knife) would disappear if left unattended so she documented it with her camera.

pure speculation on my part.

She said she took a pic of the knife to prove later that he was armed and as far as running off she said she went to her mothers and immediately called 911. If that's true then I don't think too bad of her leaving as far as measuring her guilt goes.

[cbunt1]

Say again? The Shooter personally stated "fired at the ground, hoping to scare the man off" and was reported to have said things that indicate to others. "She never intended to shoot directly at him," "She didn't know the bullet actually ricocheted and hit him."

What more is there know? What more than self admission from the shooter would you like to hear that would sway your opinion that the shooter fired a warning shot, which proved to be fatal to the other person to be "warned"?

Well, I hadn't read every one of the stories yet (still haven't, honestly, but I've made it through a few) and didn't see the self-admission....and that's the part I was trying to figure out -- was it a ricochet or a first shot, followed by another that we didn't see in the (edited) video.

And don't misunderstand my critique--from the video (which is indisputable, even though it's incompete), it looks "good" regardless of what led up to it. And for what it's worth, I've never bought into the idea that engaging in non-life-threatening behaviors and activities, legal or otherwise, negated any rights to self-defense.

I just worry about the possibility of getting hammered for a negligent discharge or negligent round if she never intended to shoot directly at him--oddly enough it seems that very fact could complicate an otherwise "clean shoot."

If that is indeed the scenario, she could find herself fighting various negligence charges, when in fact, (as it appears) she had the right to shoot in her own defense, and in THAT case, his death would be incedental, rather than potentially negligent.....

[cbunt1]

2) I'd like to know more about this pointing-at-the-ground stuff--was she intending to scare him off, fire a warning shot, etc.? Again, not the way I would handle it, but we can't really figure out the whole story-we can just try to fill in the blanks.

Say again? The Shooter personally stated "fired at the ground, hoping to scare the man off" and was reported to have said things that indicate to others. "She never intended to shoot directly at him," "She didn't know the bullet actually ricocheted and hit him."

What more is there know? What more than self admission from the shooter would you like to hear that would sway your opinion that the shooter fired a warning shot, which proved to be fatal to the other person to be "warned"?

Because this is the internet, where every event is scrutinized, inspected, bisected, dissected, rejected, and mainly conspiratorial so that by the time you get to about 20 posts no one is sure what the conversation is about anymore. cbunt1, get a comfortable lawn chair, and the "big bucket" as I'm sure we'll be here for some time to come. Just be sure to check the OP occasionally so you can recall what the debate is all about

EXACTLY! That, and the fact that (I was on a bad connection this morning) and I couldn't tell wheter the video was so chopped up as to be jumpy, or if it was my connection.

Yes, I think my La-Z-Boy and the super-industrial-family-size-haul-it-in-on-a-cable-dump popcorn is in order. Especially if Little Ralphie's involved.

[bizarrenormality]

McDonald said she fired at the ground, hoping to scare the man off.

"She never intended to shoot directly at him," Quanell said. "She didn't know the bullet actually ricocheted and hit him."

That really sounds like a manslaughter confession. I wonder what the grand jury will say.