Gay Firefighter Killed After Flirting With Straight Couple

[Behind the Aegis]

A Memphis man has confessed to the murder of an off-duty firefighter after claiming the man propositioned him and his girlfriend for sex, according to Fox 13 Memphis.

Carlton Wells, 25, told arresting police officers he shot and killed Mack Bond, 58, at Kennedy Park in Memphis last week because the firefighter’s flirtations made him feel uncomfortable. Wells faces charges of second-degree murder and a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Also arrested was his girlfriend, Danielle Mack, 39, for tampering with evidence.

"The Memphis Fire Department are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden and tragic off-duty death of firefighter Mack C. Bond," said Chief Gina Sweat in a statement. "Mack faithfully served as a member of this department for over twenty-one years and was a valued member of our MFD family. He will be greatly missed."

---snip---

Currently, there are no laws in effect in Tennessee that would prevent Wells from using the gay panic defense, which claims the victim's sexuality is to blame for triggering an asssailant's blind rage. The discredited legal tactic has been banned outright in 11 states according to The LGBT Bar.

more...

[Jamastiene]

1. There would be a lot of dead men if I could have used a "straight panic" defense in my younger

years. That would not have been right either. Of course, it would not be right, but if that shoe was on the other foot for straights, and they had to accept a "straight panic" defense, they'd think twice before trying to force lesbians so often like they do. Maybe getting "straight panic" on the books might make people realize how hideous "gay panic" really is as any kind of excuse. Courts usually do that. If there is one side on the books, they'll rule to add the other side. It would show how ridiculous it all is.

My stepbrother carries a pistol with him and considers himself great with gay people. The pistol is in case a gay man looks at him wrong. Oh, he says he is fine with gay people as long as one doesn't look at him the wrong way. If they do, he has his pistol to shoot them with. Because my entire family is that bad or worse, it keeps me in a depressed and hopeless mood about the whole thing.

I am so sick of people getting away with killing and raping and bashing and maiming GLBT people. The ridiculous lengths they will go through to justify their hatred is just acid in the wounds for the ones of us who survive their attacks.

[JI7]

3. It wouldn't make the bigots realize anything . They think they have a right to treat women as

property for their own personal use .

They would think it would be ok for them to assault a lesbian to "set them right" or some shit thing they would come up with.

These people are bigots and none of it based on logic or facts. IT's based on hatred .

[Behind the Aegis]

8. I wish there was something I could do other than give you a virtual hug.

You are correct in your assertion, if we started killing straight people who looked at us funny, there would be LOTS of dead straight people. Like you, I too am sick of the treatment of people like us and I am equally sickened by the lack of concern, unless it suits a particular narrative at the time. For all the talk of this systemic bigotry and that systemic bigotry, few ever talk about or even acknowledge the systemic bigotry of heterosexism and the hetero-supremacy which prevails to this very day!

BTW...here's a

[lame54]

9. The panic comes from...

Questioning their own sexuality

[Behind the Aegis]

10. That isn't necessarily true.

Frankly, I see that as nothing more than a tired trope used to excuse the bad behavior of straight people.

[lame54]

11. I stand by it

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Stand by it all you want.

It is still a trope used to excuse bad behavior of a majority group, by implying they are really part of the minority group enacting violence on its own kind. Do whites kill POC because they "fear" they may be a POC? Do non-Jews murder Jews because they "secretly crave to be a Jew"? Those sound absurd, don't they? yes, there are going to be some who act out because they may fear their own confusing feelings, but to pretend it is a factor in the majority of homophobic acts is nothing more than a tired excuse absolving straight people of their actions.

[lame54]

13. No absolving whatsoever...

Not excusing anything
A vile crime is a vile crime
Questioning ones sexuality does not necessarily mean they're gay
Straight people do it all the time
It can be quite healthy
But a homophobe who is challenged may act out irrationally
Sometimes violently
The outcome does not indicate if they are gay or straight
In your reply you admit it can happen

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Can you admit their violence may NOT have anything to do with qestioning their sexuality?

Can you admit that?! Can you admit that some may act out of pure hate or disgust and it has nothing to do with the offender's sexuality, one way or the other? If you can, then what is the point of suggesting the motivation was anything other than hate?

[lame54]

16. I can admit that...

But we are both just speculating

Either conclusion may be true

[JI7]

2. This is fucked up and i'm not sure I even believe what they accuse the firefighter of

but it still would not excuse what they did in any way.

[obamanut2012]

6. Yeah, also not believing it

[mercuryblues]

4. Not believing the defense

[LuvNewcastle]

5. So a 25 year old guy, while hanging out with his

39 year old girlfriend, kills a 58 year old man who tries to pick up the couple in a park. This story is all kinds of strange and is just not very believable. I hope authorities can get the truth out of these bastards before we spend a lot of money on a big trial.

[yardwork]

7. I'm disappointed that the headline promotes a defense theory that is unproven.

The victim is dead. His killers claim he was "flirting." Even if that were true it's no excuse to kill another person. But there's no evidence it is even true.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. +1

We have one side trying to find an excuse for killing someone over what is possibly a trivial matter.
No reason to believe that story.