Aside from the fact that “he was coming at me” is entirely inconsistent with shooting someone in the back, I find it astonishing this man has internalized and is willing to admit out loud to an NYT reporter that he believes the words “I feel my life is in danger” are a magic incantation that absolves you of guilt when you shoot someone
“I said, ‘I feel my life is in danger.’ I said that ’cause I know that’s what they say,” Mr. Mathews told the officer. “And he went around the side of his car and started coming at me, and I shot him.”
Maybe I’m naive, but I really believe that had he said “I told them ‘I feel my life is in danger’ because I was afraid he would shoot me,” he’d have a stronger case. Ohio specifically requires “reasonable belief,” not simply pronouncing the words, and by acknowledging that he made the claim because “that’s what they say” rather than as a report of actual fact, I believe it will be harder for his defense attorney to rebut the prosecution’s inevitable assertion he did not act in self-defense. While knowing cops can help you avoid getting into the system following a crime, saying in an NYT article you think you should have the same protections as law enforcement because you play in their poker game is not a popular claim to make, even amongst the most dogmatic MAGAts, and I don’t think this is going to go as well for Mr. Matthews as he expects.
Aside from the fact that “he was coming at me” is entirely inconsistent with shooting someone in the back, I find it astonishing this man has internalized and is willing to admit out loud to an NYT reporter that he believes the words “I feel my life is in danger” are a magic incantation that absolves you of guilt when you shoot someone
In many states, they are.
Sure, as long as it’s even remotely true. When evidence says otherwise, straight to jail.
Maybe I’m naive, but I really believe that had he said “I told them ‘I feel my life is in danger’ because I was afraid he would shoot me,” he’d have a stronger case. Ohio specifically requires “reasonable belief,” not simply pronouncing the words, and by acknowledging that he made the claim because “that’s what they say” rather than as a report of actual fact, I believe it will be harder for his defense attorney to rebut the prosecution’s inevitable assertion he did not act in self-defense. While knowing cops can help you avoid getting into the system following a crime, saying in an NYT article you think you should have the same protections as law enforcement because you play in their poker game is not a popular claim to make, even amongst the most dogmatic MAGAts, and I don’t think this is going to go as well for Mr. Matthews as he expects.