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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| East Texas homeowner shoots man vandalizing his car |
| 2007-05-09 |
| Then the story gets strange. A Shelby County, Texas, homeowner is free on personal-recognizance bond after fatally shooting a man he found vandalizing his car. The shooting happened early Sunday afternoon outside a house on Highway 96 North near Center. Sheriff's officials said Buster Wayne Ford, 71, shot 50-year-old Reginald Paul Fountain of Shelby County. Fountain, described by a relative as mentally unstable, was kicking the car when Ford shot him, authorities said. Fountain had been arrested in the past for chewing on his dog. Shelby County Sheriff Newton Johnson said Ford was arrested without incident after a 911 call was made to the Sheriff's Department about 12:15 p.m. Sunday He was booked into the county jail on a murder charge and later released on a personal-recognizance bond. The case will be presented to a grand jury later this month. Its members will decide whether to file charges or rule the shooting justified. Charges could range from assault to murder. |
| Posted by:Thromoger Unatch2124 |
| #10 Dunno about this one. Normally I am all in favor of whacking goblins, but this one needs to be looked at carefully. The victim was not threatening the shooter; he was just damaging property - not even stealing it. The shooter could have called the cops first, instead of shooting first and asking questions later. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-05-09 14:58 |
| #9 If this happened in France you would have a lot of dead vandals. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-05-09 13:13 |
| #8 Two guys are watching a dog that is licking its balls. One of the guys says "I wish I could do that".. The other says "That dog will bite you!" |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-05-09 07:53 |
| #7 "jury trial, please" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-05-09 07:37 |
| #6 Buster is in deep trouble: If Reginald Fountain had been caught vandalizing Buster and Violet Ford's car seven hours earlier, or eight hours later, Buster might not now be charged with murder in connection with the shooting of the 50-year-old man. But the 71-year-old homeowner, who said Fountain was beating in the windshield of the couple's car outside their home near Center, is now facing homicide charges because Ford allegedly shot Fountain in broad daylight, not at night. It was a little after noon Sunday when the Fords heard a ruckus outside their home U.S. Hwy. 96 just north of Center. According to Shelby County officials, Buster Ford went outside to find a man on top of the hood of the couple's vehicle, beating in the windshield. No one knows why Fountain behaved the way he did Sunday afternoon, but authorities suspect his actions may have been drug-related, and Fountain has a criminal history of erratic behavior. "I don't know that he was under the influence of any drugs that day," Shelby County District Attorney Linda K. Russell said, "but he has tested positive in the past." Fountain made headlines a few months back when he was arrested by the Center Police Department, after he was found walking down the street, repeatedly biting a dog he was carrying in his arms. "He chewed the ears off of a puppy," Russell said. "He just kept biting this puppy, and it turned out he was on a mixture of PCP and cocaine, at that time." According to Section 9.42 of the Texas Penal Code, a person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or property to prevent arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft or criminal mischief during the nighttime. "That means you have the right to defend your property at night with deadly force, but not in broad open daylight," Russell said. "Now, if an intruder is in your home, you can shoot them whether it's daylight or dark," she said. "But according to the law, property is not as valuable as human life." |
| Posted by: Steve 2007-05-09 07:30 |
| #5 "I can speak for every guy in this room here tonight. Guys, if you could blow yourselves, ladies, you'd be in this room alone right now. Watching an empty stage." Bill Hicks |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles in Blairistan 2007-05-09 05:44 |
| #4 Had Fountain chewed on his own dog or Ford's dog? There could be mitigating circumstances here if it were Ford's dog and not his own. Why does a dog lick its balls? Because it can. |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-05-09 04:59 |
| #3 Well, Bunyip, if "chewing his dog" is a euphemism, we probably don't want to know what it really means. I am not a Texas lawyer either. I do denounce them in print and on radio, however, so I'll give it a shot. Dog-chewing (canine crunching) is definitely a crime in Texas unless you are another dog. Even there, we have exceptions. As with people, there are protected groups. Rottweilers, for instance, are not allowed to chew on poodles. It is considered a doggie hate crime, punishable by an extra year in the pound or deportation to a tamale factory. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2007-05-09 04:14 |
| #2 Fountain had been arrested in the past for chewing on his dog. I have a few questions. Does "Chewing on his dog" litterally mean what it seems to mean...He was biting his beast, masticating his mutt, feeding on Fido...or is it some kind of euphemism? I am not a lawyer trained in Texas law, so I am wondering, how badly do you need to chew a dog before you get arrested? Is nibbling OK? Does ownership provide any special dog chewing privileges not available to a non-owner? Which reminds me of a story...Two guys are watching a dog that is licking its balls. One of the guys says "I wish I could do that".. The other says "Why don't you...Its your dog". |
| Posted by: Bunyip 2007-05-09 00:58 |
| #1 Fountain had been arrested in the past for chewing on his dog. If it ain't a hot dog, it's gotta be a chilly dog! |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-05-09 00:24 |