Man Charged w/Murder After Being Robbed @Gunpoint and Killing Perp

[Bloodshot Scott]

I could swear I saw someone post a thread on this here, but I can't find, so here goes: http://news.aol.com/article/pharmac...news.aol.com/article/pharmacy-shooting/501310

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 29) - Confronted by two holdup men, pharmacist Jerome Ersland pulled a gun, shot one of them in the head and chased the other away. Then, in a scene recorded by the drugstore's security camera, he went behind the counter, got another gun, and pumped five more bullets into the wounded teenager as he lay on the floor.
Now Ersland has been charged with first-degree murder in a case that has stirred a furious debate over vigilante justice and self-defense and turned the pharmacist into something of a folk hero.

:glugglug:

The man is a PATRIOT! :hatsoff: The prosecutor is a disgrace and should be ashamed. He should resign immediatly.

 

[Hot Mega]

I could swear I saw someone post a thread on this here, but I can't find, so here goes: http://news.aol.com/article/pharmac...news.aol.com/article/pharmacy-shooting/501310



The man is a PATRIOT! The prosecutor is a disgrace and should be ashamed. He should resign immediatly.

He went from defending himself to murder. The sentence for robbery is not death. If our justice system doesn't sentence someone to death for robbery, regular citizens don't get to sentence people to death for it either.

If he's right with his decision he shouldn't have any problem accepting his punishment.

 

[Kingfisher]

While I agree, Lawyers are scum. It was the line he basically crossed. But shooting the wounded person on the ground.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

He went from defending himself to murder. The sentence for robbery is not death. If our justice system doesn't sentence someone to death for robbery, regular citizens don't get to sentence people to death for it either.

If he's right with his decision he shouldn't have any problem accepting his punishment.

He was shot at first, something that was conveniently left out of that uber-lib AOL article. BTW, 70 to 30: percent in favor of the patriot Erlsman on the AOL poll. These aren't rednecks here; they are people with broadband internet.... sophisticated patriots.

 

[Jagger69]

He went from defending himself to murder. The sentence for robbery is not death. If our justice system doesn't sentence someone to death for robbery, regular citizens don't get to sentence people to death for it either.

If he's right with his decision he shouldn't have any problem accepting his punishment.

Exactly. Shooting the teen to begin with was not a crime. Deliberately going behind the counter after the teen was incapacitated and pumping 5 more slugs into him is murder-1 any way you slice it.

Patriotic? Surely you jest, Scott. How is deliberately killing a defenseless human being a demonstration of patriotism? He had the perfect right to defend himself and his property. However, as HM stated, he does not have the right to serve as judge, jury and executioner of this individual. That's up to the courts.

He'll have a chance to present his side of things in his trial. The DA is doing what he is paid to do. Let the justice system work. If he's innocent, he has nothing to fear and he'll get a book deal out of it or something.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Exactly. Shooting the teen to begin with was not a crime. Deliberately going behind the counter after the teen was incapacitated and pumping 5 more slugs into him is murder-1 any way you slice it.

Patriotic? Surely you jest, Scott. How is deliberately killing a defenseless human being a demonstration of patriotism? He had the perfect right to defend himself and his property. However, as HM stated, he does not have the right to serve as judge, jury and executioner of this individual. That's up to the courts.

He'll have a chance to present his side of things in his trial. The DA is doing what he is paid to do. Let the justice system work. If he's innocent, he has nothing to fear and he'll get a book deal out of it or something.

What would you do if it was you? Better yet, what if he was in your house (that's a better comparison)? If someone entered my house and shot at me, I'm gonna empty the clip. Just happened it was this mans place of work. Not much different though, really. The young man was not defenseless; he chose to brandish a weapon, fire it at an innocent working man, and may or may not have still been a threat. I believe the article said the other perp who got away and two other cohorts are all charged with 1st degree murder as well. Only fitting. :2 cents:

 

[Legzman]

typical fucked up american "justice" system

 

[Mighty Nomad]

While I agree, Lawyers are scum. It was the line he basically crossed. But shooting the wounded person on the ground.

I'll agree with that, but I think they will have a hard time charging all three with first degree murder.

1. The other robber and the get a driver could be if a store employee or customer was killed because they intended to cause harm. They never intended to kill their friend.

2. It's agreed, even by the DA, that clerk/druggist was right to fire the first shot for self-defense and the "Make My Day" and "Stand Your Ground" laws that Oklahoma has on the books. The clerk/druggist was not in a normal frame of mind during the robbery. He wasn't thinking clearly and was probably hopped up on adrenaline. At best, the DA might be able to argue second-degree murder or manslaughter, but the clerk/druggist could argue temporary insanity.

Bottomline, it was fucked up, but you have to give people put in that situation the benefit of the doubt. It's sad for the mother of the teen that got killed, but he holds the most responsibility for what happened.

All in all the guy should go free. No jury will convict him, it's a waste of taxpayer's money and the court's time to hear the case, and it sets a very good example for those that would risk robbing or harming an individual.

 

[Namreg]

it depends on whether the wounded guy was still waving a gun in the pharmacist's face, or whether he was unconscious/incapacitated. if it is the latter, then i'd say "murder", if it is the former then i'd have shot him again as well.

my guess is he'll use a temporary insanity defense, he just got carried away and was fearing for his life. i'd still call it murder if the injured man no longer posed a threat though. this is a tough call.

 

[Hot Mega]

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time...that goes for criminal and vigilante.

 

[afkallthetiem]

This.. this is economic justice.

 

[georges]

well you have two guys that are trying to rob you and that are armed, the best way is to shoot them in the knees or in the lugs and then call 911 and an ambulance for arresting them.

 

[Hot Mega]

well you have two guys that are trying to rob you and that are armed, the best way is to shoot them in the knees or in the lugs and then call 911 and an ambulance for arresting them.

If you're defending yourself with a firearm I would advise you to aim center mass, fire then let the chips fall where they may. If the person against whom you're defending yourself dies from that exchange, too bad...he/she should have made wiser decisions than armed robbery. If they don't, you don't go reload and pump 5 more rounds in them while they lay on the ground.

Unless you want to defend yourself against murder charges.

Again, no matter what our motives we don't get to pick and choose what laws apply to us. If you believe you can, you're not much better than the common criminal who thinks that.

 

[mrtrebus]

What would you do if it was you? Better yet, what if he was in your house (that's a better comparison)? If someone entered my house and shot at me, I'm gonna empty the clip. Just happened it was this mans place of work. Not much different though, really. The young man was not defenseless; he chose to brandish a weapon, fire it at an innocent working man, and may or may not have still been a threat. I believe the article said the other perp who got away and two other cohorts are all charged with 1st degree murder as well. Only fitting. :2 cents:

But it wasn't in his house was it, & so it is different though, really.
Shooting an incapacitated individual who is lying on the ground IS murder & the perpetrator should be subject to the full force of the legal system. To hold this guy up as a hero is to legitimise vigilante justice, something that is never justifiable.

 

[NavyBlue]

Killing the first guy was in self defense I don't think anybody would dispute that, but killing the second guy when the robber had no way of defending himself or threatening the store owner is NOT self defense no matter how you slice it. Calling the guy patriotic is not accurate either since that's not something he did for the country.

 

[Jagger69]

What would you do if it was you?....If someone entered my house and shot at me, I'm gonna empty the clip.

That's just it, Scott. He didn't "empty the clip" in the heat of the moment. He deliberately (premeditation) went back behind the counter, got another gun, walked back out to the subject and shot a defenseless teenager 5 times and killed him. Legally, that's murder-1. Sorry....it's the law.

 

[RoadRage76]

That's just it, Scott. He didn't "empty the clip" in the heat of the moment. He deliberately (premeditation) went back behind the counter, got another gun, walked back out to the subject and shot a defenseless teenager 5 times and killed him. Legally, that's murder-1. Sorry....it's the law.

He was shot in the head to begin with so I dunno maybe it was a mercy kill. If I was going to be screwed up for the rest of my life over a gunshot wound to the head then I prefer to die anyways.

 

[Skyraider22]

A fit of rage doomed him He had evry right to shoot him one he just got cared away seems:dunno:

 

[ThatRedWing]

If he was a better shot he would not have needed to get the other gun. He made the decision to go behind the counter to get another gun. Therefore it IS murder. He was perfectly justified in firing the FIRST shot.

 

[Jagger69]

He was shot in the head to begin with so I dunno maybe it was a mercy kill. If I was going to be screwed up for the rest of my life over a gunshot wound to the head then I prefer to die anyways.

I seriously doubt that mercy was in this guy's heart at the time and even if it was it certainly is not up to him to make that distinction. Who knows what the extent of the teen's injuries were before he unleaded 5 more rounds in him? Nobody.

I understand the emotion that was involved during the exchange but he really fucked up when he went and got that other gun.