Zimmerman charged

[chickened]

I dont think the fact that he was carrying a gun will be as much of a issue as you may think. Remember in Florida an all of the states that border it, about 10% of the population have pistol permits to carry on there person an I wont even guess what % of the population has guns in there home an cars. Carrying a gun to buy food is normal, doing the same to do neighborhood watch is not unusual.

I dont get this part. "must explain why there was a single fatal shot and not merely a wound." Shooting to wound is a movie thing, not reality. Usually people unload the whole gun. Mr Zs gun failed to eject the first round so he could not fire again. Why is an interesting question.


Is this news in Thailand?

I was thinking the same thing... CC holders have been trained and passed the exam set forth by the state.

I wonder if the gun jammed because someone was on top of it and it could not operate properly?

They will also take into consideration the fact that crime in that area was high and apparently there was a need for community policing.

You also have the right to make a citizen's arrest here.

If I were on neighborhood patrol I assure you I would be carrying a gun or two.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

There are also laws against false imprisonment and time limits as to how fast charges must be brought if an arrest is made.

No statute of limitations on Homicide cases. The double jeopardy rule applies though.

If you are involved in a shooting, there will always be the fear of charges. Seems to me that if it was self defense I would want a jury to go ahead at say it so I could get that behind me.

 

[thaiturkey]

Hi Rebelcowboy.

I know about guns in Florida, having been there several times. On my first trip, I was warned not to idly look at people in other cars whilst waiting at red lights or to get involved in road rage incidents!

I was trying to suggest that the general view might differ according to who was carrying a gun in an incident such as this. A self appointed guardian of the neighbourhood seems OK to some but I was doubting whether there would be the same view if the young man had carried a gun for self defence.

Also, I felt that if Z was being attacked and on the ground, he would be lucky to get in a single fatal shot rather than a wounding shot.

Guns in Thailand are quite common. Nationals can get a licence from the police and buy hand guns, shot guns and other similar weapons. Foreigners cannot have licences but can, for example, pick up their wife's gun to protect her against an intruder. Anyone on your property would be very fortunate to prove that injuries they sustained were undeserved. You are not allowed to carry a gun away from the home and to do so is likely to cause a quick end to your life if a policeman sees it and feels threatened.

My experience of this subject is really from Britain where the ownership of handguns was banned after the government became fed up with mass murders of school children. Getting a shotgun licence isn't easy. I admit that I struggle with any notion that it's OK to carry guns in the street but, I suppose, once it's done it's difficult to stop.

The UK equivalent of the incident we are discussing would be a call to the police by a concerned resident. The police, not carrying guns, would turn up in the hope of finding the suspect and questioning him. But then we wouldn't be expecting the guy to be armed with a gun. If a gun was evident, a special unit, similar to SWAT I suppose, would be called out.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I wonder if the gun jammed because someone was on top of it and it could not operate properly?

1 The shooter had a loose grip on the gun
or
2 The slide made contact with something
or
3 Someone was holding the slide

I could see any one of these 3 fitting the story

 

[Judy]

Thank you for your participation.