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Curtis Reeves,Retired Cop Who Fatally shot man in a Theater for Throwing Popcorn Acquitted

Posted on 12/6/22 at 11:40 pm
Posted by getyouinavacant
Member since Dec 2022
25 posts
Posted on 12/6/22 at 11:40 pm
Shooting happened in Tampa FL, in 2014 during movie attendance of Lone Survivor. They had an argument over Olson(victim) texting or having his phone on. Reeves complained to the manager but not much was done. He went back to the seat and kept arguing. Then it escalated and Olson guy got up and either threw his phone at the old timer and then tosses his popcorn at him.Reeves pulled out his 38 and fired at him, killing the guy and also nicking the wife in the hand.

8 years later, March of this year (and Reeves was on bond), he was acquitted of 2nd degree murder and aggravated assault/battery.

I don't know, I watch a video and I see rage killing old fcker got away with. Civil case got settled in 2015 and wife also settled with the cinema.

Dead guy may have been a giant douche, but you can't shoot someone for tossing popcorn at you. It's not 1800s any more. I'm thinking prosecution also tanked the case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31O82dqGfNM




This post was edited on 12/7/22 at 2:09 am
Posted by fallguy_1978
Best States #50
Member since Feb 2018
53032 posts
Posted on 12/6/22 at 11:45 pm to
Posted by rt3
now in the piney woods of Pineville
Member since Apr 2011
146233 posts
Posted on 12/6/22 at 11:49 pm to
This is Germans by... like... months

I think he was acquitted back in the summer or even spring

I watched a good portion of that trial with the Rekieta stream... old man was absolutely justified in the shooting

The popcorn didn't lead to the shooting... dude was puffing up against a cornered old man in a dark theater and the moment of the shooting was actually spurred by the dude throwing his cell phone in the old man's face

Nick Rekieta... a lawyer mind you... admits anytime he talks about that trial that his prediction pretrial would be guilty but as the trial went on he was swayed over to not guilty by the facts & evidence
Posted by getyouinavacant
Member since Dec 2022
25 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 12:48 am to
quote:

I watched a good portion of that trial with the Rekieta stream... old man was absolutely justified in the shooting

The popcorn didn't lead to the shooting... dude was puffing up against a cornered old man in a dark theater and the moment of the shooting was actually spurred by the dude throwing his cell phone in the old man's face

Nick Rekieta... a lawyer mind you... admits anytime he talks about that trial that his prediction pretrial would be guilty but as the trial went on he was swayed over to not guilty by the facts & evidence


I don't think anyone knew for sure if he threw a phone at him, that being said, after the phone toss, lets's just assume, there's a popcorn toss and only then did the old man pull out a gun and shoot.

Cornered old man had a family with him and bunch of other people in there who could have diffused the situation. I think it was ego of an old timer.

Personally, it's probably for the better that way wife can take him to the clearners in civil court. Proving old man's overreaction civilly will be much lower threshhold.

Posted by rt3
now in the piney woods of Pineville
Member since Apr 2011
146233 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:06 am to
quote:

I don't think anyone knew for sure if he threw a phone at him, that being said, after the phone toss, lets's just assume, there's a popcorn toss and only then did the old man pull out a gun and shoot.

The phone was absolutely thrown into the old man's face

1) Security camera footage played in court (the type of camera that works well in dimly lit environments) shows the phone screen was lit up when it traveled from dude's hand to old man's face

2) I believe it was entered into evidence the old man had a mark on his face from where the phone hit him

3) phone was recovered by where the old man was seated


Defense did a great job of painting the picture of...

A) dimly lit theater
B) theater screen to the dude's back causing a silhouette effect making it harder for the old man to see what's going on
C) just got hit in the face with a hard object
D) can't go backwards (up against the wall) and dude's big enough that left & right escape routes are essentially cut off for the old man
E) I believe it came out the family members he was with had left the room... they were not there at the moment

As soon as dude rears back for the popcorn toss... guy (rightfully) fears for his life b/c of all the above factors... he can't tell dude's just throwing popcorn... all he sees is he's rearing back to do something... potentially punch him in the face... and pulls the gun

It's Florida... stand your ground is in play

Once the video of the cell phone toss was in evidence... it was over
Posted by TheOcean
#honeyfriedchicken
Member since Aug 2004
45108 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:11 am to
I'm all for stand your ground and carry laws. But allowing a dude to waste another dude in a movie theatre because he was cornered and had popcorn/a phone thrown at him is insanity.
Posted by rt3
now in the piney woods of Pineville
Member since Apr 2011
146233 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:18 am to
quote:

I'm all for stand your ground and carry laws. But allowing a dude to waste another dude in a movie theatre because he was cornered and had popcorn/a phone thrown at him is insanity.

Again.. here are the factors in play

1) I'm in my seat and this dude is coming at me aggressively b/c I asked him to get off his cell phone since the movie is starting

2) I can't see well

3) I've just been hit in the face with a hard object

4) I can't get away... I'm an old man and boxed in

5) this guy looks to be preparing for another attack and I can't stop this guy... even just a punch could seriously hurt me
Posted by getyouinavacant
Member since Dec 2022
25 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:29 am to
quote:

Again.. here are the factors in play

1) I'm in my seat and this dude is coming at me aggressively b/c I asked him to get off his cell phone since the movie is starting

2) I can't see well

3) I've just been hit in the face with a hard object

4) I can't get away... I'm an old man and boxed in

5) this guy looks to be preparing for another attack and I can't stop this guy... even just a punch could seriously hurt me


Popcorn throwing is hardly a big escalation. Bruh, I watched the video. The old fricker was just pissed he got popcorn yeeted at him. If he was so scared of the guy, he probably wouldn't have been nagging him over the phone. Mind you, I loathe rude people, but cause the guy throws a phone and popocorn at you, you can't shoot someone over that over fear he'll do "something else". Drawing the gun alone should have been enough and asking to call police to report the "phone/popcorn" assault.

But no, old timer just lashed out. Like I said, hopefully wife can sue the living fck out of Reeves and his family civilly. It was a bad example of "stand your ground".

Perhaps the guy can skate criminally given his age and ambiguity, but he should lose a lot of his assets in civil court.
This post was edited on 12/7/22 at 1:32 am
Posted by rt3
now in the piney woods of Pineville
Member since Apr 2011
146233 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:33 am to
YouTube - Nick Rekieta explains why jury got it right

27+ minute video

Reminder that Rekieta... a lawyer... believed going into the case Reeves would be found guilty but his mind was changed while watching the trial
Posted by getyouinavacant
Member since Dec 2022
25 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:40 am to
quote:

I'm all for stand your ground and carry laws. But allowing a dude to waste another dude in a movie theatre because he was cornered and had popcorn/a phone thrown at him is insanity.



agree. Old man wasn't rocked and the guy wasn't reaching for him at that point. Just threw a tantrum and his phone/popcorn. He should have been charged and arrested, but that's it.
Posted by CovingtonTigre
In your head Werder
Member since Mar 2021
1459 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:48 am to
quote:

As soon as dude rears back for the popcorn toss... guy (rightfully) fears for his life
Posted by getyouinavacant
Member since Dec 2022
25 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 1:48 am to
quote:

YouTube - Nick Rekieta explains why jury got it right

27+ minute video

Reminder that Rekieta... a lawyer... believed going into the case Reeves would be found guilty but his mind was changed while watching the trial




Reeves settled in civil court with the widow and cinema also paid out. It's said he spent a million on defense.

Ironically, the guy you posted says prosecution and I quote "is the sole reason for not guilty verdict". I think they intentionally botched it. They didn't want to prosecute the old fart who was a retired cop.

Reeves lost Stand Your Ground hearings when trying to toss out the case. So he couldn't prove by a preponderance of evidence that it was justified. So bad prosecutors and burden now shifting to them to prove there was no self dense made Reeves walk on criminal charges.
This post was edited on 12/7/22 at 2:11 am
Posted by Hangit
The Green Swamp
Member since Aug 2014
45255 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 2:56 am to
quote:

you can't shoot someone for tossing popcorn at you.


Apparently, he threw it, and his phone a lot harder than "Tossing". Changing what he did to "just Blew a dandelion at him" is dishonest.

It was dark and the geezer did not know what was thrown at him by the angry giant that was escalating things. Their verbal altercation about the 6'8 man not following the rules was made physical by the behemoth. The old fogey did not know what he had been hit with. He knew he had been hit and that Jolly green was escalating, not jolly.

That is what the jury found. Oldster is home.
Posted by Hangit
The Green Swamp
Member since Aug 2014
45255 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 3:00 am to
quote:

Cornered old man had a family with him and bunch of other people in there who could have diffused the situation


He was with his wife, a little old lady. Are all these other people you speak of going to come up and attack the angry yelling giant? Link me to one thing where people jump in to stop a 6'8 man who has lost it. They don't. they mind their bidness.
Posted by BradBallard
Wilmington, Delaware
Member since Jun 2020
534 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 3:57 am to
quote:

Apparently, he threw it, and his phone a lot harder than "Tossing". Changing what he did to "just Blew a dandelion at him" is dishonest. It was dark and the geezer did not know what was thrown at him by the angry giant that was escalating things. Their verbal altercation about the 6'8 man not following the rules was made physical by the behemoth. The old fogey did not know what he had been hit with. He knew he had been hit and that Jolly green was escalating, not jolly.


Keep in mind physical violence against an elder has charging enhancements. Something that is a misdemeanor against a 25 year old is a felony against an elder.

It sounds like the defense did a good job of painting a picture that the old man was in the midst of a felony assault and battery by a much more physically imposing man.
Posted by LSUtoBOOT
Member since Aug 2012
19054 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 3:59 am to
Will they ever learn? Don’t let the salt and light butter fool you.

Posted by Nado Jenkins83
Land of the Free
Member since Nov 2012
64976 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 4:47 am to
Yea. I'm on team geezer
Posted by brass2mouth
NOLA
Member since Jul 2007
20414 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 5:06 am to
quote:

Cornered old man had a family with him and bunch of other people in there who could have diffused the situation. I think it was ego of an old timer.


Sounds like the ego of the douche bag not wanting to give in to the “old timer” and put his phone up got him killed.

Posted by coonass27
shreveport
Member since Mar 2008
3764 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 5:22 am to
quote:

Popcorn throwing is hardly a big escalation. Bruh, I watched the video. The old fricker was just pissed he got popcorn yeeted at him.


Are you just being difficult to be difficult or was the dead guy related to you? He was smoked in the face by a cell phone. Could not see the guy and his next move. Just a Shaddow. The popcorn was just another assault and Nolan popcorn was still acting towards the old man.

quote:

If he was so scared of the guy, he probably wouldn't have been nagging him over the phone


Didn’t say he was scared of the guy. He feared for his life after the guy was clearly the aggressor and had him backed into a corner with no exit and continuing to assault. There was no sign of retreat after the pop corn. You can not fear someone in a normal setting but fear for your own well-being when that somone becomes aggressive towards you

quote:

you can't shoot someone over that over fear he'll do "something else". Drawing the gun alone should have been enough and asking to call police to report the "phone/popcorn" assault.


No you can not. However your hands can be considered a deadly weapon and in this case the dude had already assaulted the old man twice, once causing injury with the phone and appeared to continue. This is your common Monday morning qb after the fact statements like the dems and didn do nuffins love to say, “he could have shot him in the arm”. I agree that on a summary it seems excessive however if you look at that facts and put yourself or your father in the old man’s position, what would you do? the guy didn’t back down after the gun was pulled and those actions are only seconds to decide. Hard enough to decide when there are no actions leading up to that point to decide what to do. Even harder when you’ve been attacked twice now.

Posted by Hangit
The Green Swamp
Member since Aug 2014
45255 posts
Posted on 12/7/22 at 5:26 am to
quote:

Sounds like the ego of the douche bag not wanting to give in to the “old timer” and put his phone up got him killed.


The big ego was a contributing factor. The aggravated battery while screaming, and trying to use his big size, to intimidte, is what got him kilt.

Putting her hand in front of the gun is what got his wife's hand shot. Why was the wife given anything civilly for her husband attacking an old dude and getting kilt for it?
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