NC Homeowner Gets Life Imprisonment

[federali]

Homeowner, Chad Copley, called 911 to complain of "hoodlums" in his area. He told the 911 operator that he was locked and loaded and going outside to secure his neighborhood. Copley claimed to fear for his family's safety when he saw armed men leaving a nearby party. Copley fired his shotgun, killing an unarmed man.
The case also had racial overtones. The jury didn't buy his claim of self defense and he was convicted of first degree murder, for which he received a life sentence.

As many of us in the forum have said, many times, the laws change radically when you leave your residence to pursue or apprehend what you perceive to be an individual acting in an unlawful manner. Taking the fight to the bad guys outside your home will usually deny you the claim of self-defense.
Homeowner gets life sentence for shooting unarmed black man | Fox News

 

[ContinentalOp]

Similarly, living in a Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground state doesn't relieve you of the requirement to meet the standards for the justifiable use of force.

 

[Doug M.]

He was the ones' complement of a celibate intellectual and deserved what he got. We don't need that of moron representing gun owners.

 

[WCCPHD]

Most of us in the area thought him a hotheaded fool before the trial. He then took the stand and removed all doubt. Could have been a manslaughter conviction if he had listened to his attorney. Instead it was first degree murder with a life without the possibility of parole sentence.

Even a fish would stay out of trouble if he kept his mouth shut.

 

[Stevens]

Not long ago an idiot friend of a friend was bragging how a few nights before he had heard someone outside trying to break into his shed. He went outside armed with a handgun, the would be robber heard him and took off, and this guy unloaded on him as the robber ran away across a field. Fortunately for both of them this guy was a bad shot!
Steve W

 

[vigil617]

He didn't leave his property; he stood inside his garage and fired through a window, fatally wounding the victim who was standing in the guy's yard near the street.

As WCCPHD pointed out above, this guy was a moron. The back story was that he had had a huge fight with his wife and son earlier in the day, and was still in a frame of mind where he was not thinking clearly. He also told the police dispatcher that he was a member of his neighborhood's community watch, which was non-existent.

Fully deserved punishment for a terrible lapse of common sense and judgement.

 

[okiegtrider]

His words, "I am locked and loaded. I'm going outside to secure my neighborhood.".

 

[Targets Guy]

I hope I never get that stupid.

 

[GaryS]

No one ever got in trouble by keeping their mouth shut.

Or as Ron White said, "I had the right to remain silent, but I did not have the ability."

Most of us in the area thought him a hdotheaded fool before the trial. He then took the stand and removed all doubt. Could have been a manslaughter conviction if he had listened to his attorney. Instead it was first degree murder with a life without the possibility of parole sentence.

Even a fish would stay out of trouble if he kept his mouth shut.

 

[andy52]

What!, you are saying Gran Torino doesn't work?......

 

[Al W.]

Well, I'm getting ready to move down to NC.
Hope that guy stays locked up for a while.
He sounds like trouble to me.

 

[292]

Well, I'm getting ready to move down to NC.
Hope that guy stays locked up for a while.
He sounds like trouble to me.

Welcome, we ain't all stupid.

 

[vigil617]

To his credit, I suppose, there is no evidence that he remarked "Hold my beer and watch this" before firing his shotgun through the glass windowpane.

Still....

 

[Okie21]

This is why I attended a CCW seminar given by a county ADA 2 years ago. And I'll go again.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Al W.]

Welcome, we ain't all stupid.

Soon to be in north Buncombe Co.

 

[fdw]

What was he thinking, I mean really! How do you even do this?

 

[brucev]

Very sorry for the man who was murdered. Very sorry for the terrible loss suffered by his family. As well, sorry for the family of the man who committed the murder. Terrible thing all the way around for all of them. No indication that the murdered man was in any way at fault in any way at all. The murder was not taking a fight to anyone. He simply committed murder plain and simple. He'll have the rest of his life to think about what he did and how it hurt himself, his family and the family of the man he murdered. He is lucky. In some states he could have gotten a death sentence. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[PatAz]

Stupidity is never your best defense in any legal matter,

 

[292]

Soon to be in north Buncombe Co.

Wifey's brother lives in Hot Springs. I do some hunting and or falling down mountains in the Pisgah National Forrest.

 

[Doug M.]

Stupidity is never your best defense in any legal matter,

*
While true, it is far too often the default mental state.