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View Full Version : Kid charged with murder because the police shot his friend




devil21
05-29-2011, 01:59 AM
Take another step down the path of police state tactics. I don't think the cops were unjustified in shooting the other kid but charging his FRIEND with murder??? Seems like another way to deflect responsibility from the cop and onto everyone else.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/brandon-ross-charged-with_n_868289.html



A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a Chicago police officer fatally shot his 15-year-old friend Wednesday on the South Side.
more at link

BamaAla
05-29-2011, 02:14 AM
If I'm not mistaken, this law is present in many states: commission of a felony someone is killed all parties are charged with the death. I've heard this law cited in cases where two or more people commit a felony and one of the offenders kills someone - everyone is charged with murder not just the trigger-man. This should be an interesting ruling.

Philhelm
05-29-2011, 02:24 AM
If I'm not mistaken, this law is present in many states: commission of a felony someone is killed all parties are charged with the death. I've heard this law cited in cases where two or more people commit a felony and one of the offenders kills someone - everyone is charged with murder not just the trigger-man. This should be an interesting ruling.

This is different though, since it wasn't a person taking the heat for a murder committed by his accomplice. In this case, the trigger-man was a cop, and the cop won't be charged with murder, so how could there be a murder that the accomplice is accountable for? I think this law is being stretched, but I don't know what the precedent in that state is.

kylejack
05-29-2011, 03:04 AM
This is different though, since it wasn't a person taking the heat for a murder committed by his accomplice. In this case, the trigger-man was a cop, and the cop won't be charged with murder, so how could there be a murder that the accomplice is accountable for? I think this law is being stretched, but I don't know what the precedent in that state is.
It's still the same felony murder statute. The idea is that committing felonies creates chaotic situations and that one is responsible for the chaotic situation.

It definitely looks a little weird, but I think they have a valid case here.

Warrior_of_Freedom
05-29-2011, 04:01 AM
wtf? LOL That's like charging the kid that got shot with shooting someone.

Diurdi
05-29-2011, 05:01 AM
Apparently also if you commit a felony and the responders (police/firedept./ambulance) die in an accident/crime with a third party on their way to the crime scene, the committer of the original felony can be charged with murder.

Wtf?

acptulsa
05-29-2011, 05:37 AM
Apparently also if you commit a felony and the responders (police/firedept./ambulance) die in an accident/crime with a third party on their way to the crime scene, the committer of the original felony can be charged with murder.

Wtf?

There was a police chase in Arizona where a couple of helicopters collided. One was a news crew, I don't remember if the other one was too or if it was a police helicopter. Either way, they collided and the speeder on the ground got this treatment.

In my opinion, that wasn't murder it was incompetence on the part of the pilots.

pcosmar
05-29-2011, 05:58 AM
It's Chicago.
There is your explanation.

jmdrake
05-29-2011, 05:59 AM
It's still the same felony murder statute. The idea is that committing felonies creates chaotic situations and that one is responsible for the chaotic situation.

It definitely looks a little weird, but I think they have a valid case here.

Yeah, that's correct. But what's ridiculous about this situation is that the boy being charged wasn't holding the gun. The one with the gun created the dangerous situation that led to his own death. Good case for jury nullification.

Diurdi
05-29-2011, 06:13 AM
There was a police chase in Arizona where a couple of helicopters collided. One was a news crew, I don't remember if the other one was too or if it was a police helicopter. Either way, they collided and the speeder on the ground got this treatment.

In my opinion, that wasn't murder it was incompetence on the part of the pilots. I can't see the logic behind this.

A person who commits a crime where he has no chance of killing anyone and no intent to either, can get charged of murder because of mistakes of others?

Im not a student of law but there has to be some fundamental principle of law that says a person cannot be responsible of a crime he did not commit or urge anyone to commit on his behalf.

How is it different that a person commits a crime and the police dies in an accident on the way, or that a person crashes his car by accident, calls 911 and the responding police dies in an accident on the way?

Have people in the US actually been convicted in these kind of cases, or just charged?

acptulsa
05-29-2011, 06:18 AM
I can't see the logic behind this.

A person who commits a crime where he has no chance of killing anyone and no intent to either, can get charged of murder because of mistakes of others?

Im not a student of law but there has to be some fundamental principle of law that says a person cannot be responsible of a crime he did not commit or urge anyone to commit.

Have people in the US actually been convicted in these kind of cases, or just charged?

I'm pretty sure there have been convictions.

And I agree. The theory says that if he hadn't been running from the cops, the various helicopters wouldn't have been in such close proximity over him, and this wouldn't have happened. Of course, if the agencies involved had hired competent chopper pilots, this would also have prevented the tragedy. Yet I don't see the HR department of any news agency being charged with murder.