Renisha McBride shot in Dearborn Hgts. while seeking help - 2nd Degree Murder charged

[Wesley Mouch]

I've never shot a firearm let alone a person but I'd agree that it might traumatic for the person who pulls the trigger but I'd have to imagine that it's probably 100 times more traumatic to the person who has had their face blown off.
I could care less about his emotional state after pulling the trigger, that shouldn't excuse his behavior afterwards.

I don't know enough to need to excuse his behavior. I sure don't know enough to judge him at this point. Certainly the girl here experienced far worse trauma. We're not comparing trauma. We're only trying to discuss whether there's a reason why he didn't call 911 right away. We just don't know. Maybe he injured himself. Maybe he fell to the ground and knocked himself out. Maybe he was crying with remorse. We don't know.

But until we know facts, assigning blame is premature. Its called prejudice.

[Al Publican]

I'm thinking: no one had a cell phone at the accident scene to call 911?

[jcole]

I'm thinking: no one had a cell phone at the accident scene to call 911?

From what I understand, the accident happened a couple hours earlier and in Detroit. That's part of the confusion about what happened. Why did it take so long for her to look for help.

Police put the timing of the crash at around 1:30 a.m. and the shooting around 3:40 a.m., according to the Detroit Free Press.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4242199.html

[Meddle]

I would have dialed the second I heard someone trying to 'break in' at 2 am.

And in Dearborn Heights, you would probably get a car fairly quickly. At least in the past, they would run DUI patrols along Telegraph which is only about a half mile or so from there.

[Meddle]

I'm thinking: no one had a cell phone at the accident scene to call 911?

One of the other stories I read said her phone was dead, but that there were witnesses to the accident who called right away. When they went to talk to her, she had disappeared, apparently having walked away on foot and they were unable to locate her again.


Why is anybody's guess at this point. Was she confused/disoriented from the accident? Was she intoxicated?

[softailrider]

It really is best to wait until there are some solid facts before labeling the guy a "murderer" or "racist". If the young woman was shot for doing nothing other than being black and seeking help from a stranger the shooter deserves to end up in prison. It's also a possibly that she was drunk or disorientated from the crash and trying to forcibly enter a strangers home at 3 in the morning. In that case I can understand the use of force by the homeowner.

If she was inside and she posed a threat. I think shooting somebody who's TRYING to enter your house will get you legal fees and a possible jail cell.

[Johnnny5]

If she was inside and she posed a threat. I think shooting somebody who's TRYING to enter your house will get you legal fees and a possible jail cell.

Those are risks anytime one chooses to use deadly force [[Justifiably or not). It really depends on what actually happened and obviously I can't say if this man was justified in using deadly force or not, but the castle doctrine laws in Michigan offer quite a bit of leeway to someone facing a serious threat in their home.

[Zacha341]

Autopsy leads to more questions in Dearborn Heights shooting

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131111/METRO01/311110095#ixzz2kQaE4CXp

New details emerge on Renisha McBride's accident in hours before her slaying

http://www.freep.com/article/2013111...Bridge-autopsy

[softailrider]

Those are risks anytime one chooses to use deadly force [[Justifiably or not). It really depends on what actually happened and obviously I can't say if this man was justified in using deadly force or not, but the castle doctrine laws in Michigan offer quite a bit of leeway to someone facing a serious threat in their home.

In their home not out of it. If someone was breaking in and you had some cause to show your life was in danger it still would be iffy. You can't shoot someone for knocking on your door or standing on your porch, even if you ask them to leave and they don't.

[Wesley Mouch]

In their home not out of it. If someone was breaking in and you had some cause to show your life was in danger it still would be iffy. You can't shoot someone for knocking on your door or standing on your porch, even if you ask them to leave and they don't.

Just read Michigan's Stand Your Ground law. It requires an imminent threat to your safety. Someone breaking in probably qualifies. Here's the core of the law:

The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual.

Death or great bodily harm. Honestly and reasonably believes. [[Note that it requires both honestly believe and reasonably believes. You need to be sincere -- and you need to have a reason to believe that you are preventing great bodily harm or death -- as this layman reads it. Knocking on the door or standing on the porch don't seem to quality. Breaking and entering probably does.

[Danny]

In some all white, all ethnic neighborhoods. If they see a black person wearing something that is inappropriate to them, or they look strange. They would do these things:

1. Give em' a warning?

2. Call the police!

3. Get a gun and shoot them out!

To Renisha McBride, she's was only looking for help in an all mostly white/Arab-American 'Dearbonistan' Heights. They don't have to shoot her out; thinking that she is black guy with a hoodie casing your well kept up area.

[softailrider]

Just read Michigan's Stand Your Ground law. It requires an imminent threat to your safety. Someone breaking in probably qualifies. Here's the core of the law:
Death or great bodily harm. Honestly and reasonably believes. [[Note that it requires both honestly believe and reasonably believes. You need to be sincere -- and you need to have a reason to believe that you are preventing great bodily harm or death -- as this layman reads it. Knocking on the door or standing on the porch don't seem to quality. Breaking and entering probably does. [/FONT][/COLOR]

If you pull a gun on somebody you better know what you're doing. If you pull the trigger you better really know what you're doing. Doing either because you're angry about something or want to prove a point or scare somebody could be a very bad career move.

[cjd]

I'd like to know why he didn't call 911 after the fact.

According to reports today, the dispatcher indicated that the homeowner DID call 911 to report the shooting, at 4:45am.

That's why, like some others have said, its not worth speculating on what happened until the investigation is complete, or at least some detailed statements are released. There is much more to this story than is presently in the public domain [[e.g. What happened during those 2 hours after the crash, how did she approach the house, why that house, was there any confrontation, did he open the door, did she try to force her way in?).

[mark.vandorn]

If I live right next to Detroit and someone is banging on my door at 3:00 or 4:00a I'm assuming it's an ambush and doing what I can to stop the threat. Feel sorry for both the homeowner and the woman. All of you Monday morning quarterbacking race hustlers make me sick. Maybe if Detroit wasn't the most violent city in America he could have answered the door and offered her tea. But it's 2013, not 1940.

[Gistok]

If I live right next to Detroit and someone is banging on my door at 3:00 or 4:00a I'm assuming it's an ambush and doing what I can to stop the threat. Feel sorry for both the homeowner and the woman. All of you Monday morning quarterbacking race hustlers make me sick. Maybe if Detroit wasn't the most violent city in America he could have answered the door and offered her tea. But it's 2013, not 1940.

Geeze... only been here 11 days and you can't stand it because someone else's differing point of view turns your stomach? There is a cure for that.....

[corktownyuppie]

If I live right next to Detroit and someone is banging on my door at 3:00 or 4:00a I'm assuming it's an ambush and doing what I can to stop the threat. Feel sorry for both the homeowner and the woman. All of you Monday morning quarterbacking race hustlers make me sick. Maybe if Detroit wasn't the most violent city in America he could have answered the door and offered her tea. But it's 2013, not 1940.

If you thought it were an ambush, which in my opinion is reasonable btw, would you have....

1) called the cops and left the front door closed?
2) not bothered to call the cops and open your front door?

i will tell you right now, white or black or brown, if someone is banging on my door at 3 am, first thing I do is call the cops. Second thing is I'd round up my family into a closet, where we would hide with whatever weapons we have while talking to 911.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but the bottom line is that a woman is dead. So the burden of proof now moves to the shooter to find a defense which affirms that their behavior was justified.

[SWMAP]

I have a little perspective. Ten years ago I heard a lit of banging and pounding in back of my house at 3 am. Half-asleep I thought first that one of my Mexican builder-neighbors was working. Then I realized that it was my house and that the back door reinforced with locks and meshed glass was being kicked in. Just as the guy came through, I escaped from the front door into the street and into my car. I had my cell phone, but honestly, I absolutely did not think of calling 911. I forgot there even was a 911. My shaking fingers speed dialed a few numbers as I tried to contact a policeman friend on the other side of town- who called 911. The guy? The neighbors had heard the pounding, turned on their lights and racked a shotgun. He ran off and no more trouble since like that.I often think about the fact that I did not remember 911 when faced with home invasion.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

If I live right next to Detroit and someone is banging on my door at 3:00 or 4:00a I'm assuming it's an ambush and doing what I can to stop the threat. Feel sorry for both the homeowner and the woman. All of you Monday morning quarterbacking race hustlers make me sick. Maybe if Detroit wasn't the most violent city in America he could have answered the door and offered her tea. But it's 2013, not 1940.

Your analogy is totally screwed because in 1940, the same thing would have happened, especially if you're black. No tea would be offered. Shoot first, ask questions later, and the white shooter won't be charged.

[Wesley Mouch]

I have a little perspective. Ten years ago I heard a lit of banging and pounding in back of my house at 3 am. Half-asleep I thought first that one of my Mexican builder-neighbors was working. Then I realized that it was my house and that the back door reinforced with locks and meshed glass was being kicked in. Just as the guy came through, I escaped from the front door into the street and into my car. I had my cell phone, but honestly, I absolutely did not think of calling 911. I forgot there even was a 911. My shaking fingers speed dialed a few numbers as I tried to contact a policeman friend on the other side of town- who called 911. The guy? The neighbors had heard the pounding, turned on their lights and racked a shotgun. He ran off and no more trouble since like that.I often think about the fact that I did not remember 911 when faced with home invasion.

Alarming story. Home invasion is very frightening. Its easy to Monday morning quarterback. At 3am when you're awakened from a deep sleep -- things aren't so easy to do by the book 100%.

[jt1]

I'm curious if the colors were reversed and this happened in Detroit if there would be so much concern about getting the facts. Would the local media insist that there must be more to the story.

My gut [[and history) tells me there would be a lot less sympathy for the shooter

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I'm curious if the colors were reversed and this happened in Detroit if there would be so much concern about getting the facts. Would the local media insist that there must be more to the story.

My gut [[and history) tells me there would be a lot less sympathy for the shooter

If it were a black person killing a white one, he would be arrested on the spot, not roaming free during the investigation like this instance and George Zimmerman.

[wvernon]

Shooter will be charged with at least manslaughter, no question. Just have to be patient so prosecution can nail him with certainty. And what he did was absurd, don't care what time it was.

[Johnnny5]

Shooter will be charged with at least manslaughter, no question. Just have to be patient so prosecution can nail him with certainty. And what he did was absurd, don't care what time it was.

You should call the Dearborn Heights Police. I doubt they are aware that they have an eye witness that saw everything exactly as it happened!

[mark.vandorn]

I'm curious if the colors were reversed and this happened in Detroit if there would be so much concern about getting the facts. Would the local media insist that there must be more to the story.

My gut [[and history) tells me there would be a lot less sympathy for the shooter

I believe a white victim who crashed his car at 1:00a, fled the scene, ended up shot dead a mile away at 4:00a would be labeled a dumb drunk/junkie that was in Detroit to score narcotics. We wouldn't have heard about that story, unless you follow the police blotters.

With that said, I don't think this was racially motivated. I believe it's an unfortunate situation that reminds us of the violent crime issues in the area. Everyone here is justifiably on edge and doesn't want to be a victim of the brutality in the region. Expecting a petrified homeowner to remain calm and cautious when he thinks his family is about to be robbed, raped, murdered is absurd. Let the police and prosecutor decide if what he did was legal. Further, bringing skin color into this is pure race hustling.

[wvernon]

You should call the Dearborn Heights Police. I doubt they are aware that they have a eye witness that saw everything exactly as it happened!

Feel free to crow if I'm proven wrong.