Florida man fatally shoots neighbor in dispute over a cat

[left-of-center2012]

OCALA, Fla. -- A Florida man is accused of killing his neighbor in a dispute over a cat that wandered into his yard, sheriff's officials said. Clifford Anthony Bliss Jr., 58, became angry when the cat went into his yard Wednesday, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said.

He went to his neighbor's home in Umatilla, FL, and threatened to shoot the cat, officials said. James Arland Taylor Jr., 41, asked him not to shoot the cat, according to deputies. That's when Bliss shot Taylor, they said.

Deputies said they interviewed a woman who was at Taylor's home when Bliss knocked on the door. She said he was angry about the cat and that Taylor asked him not to shoot the cat, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. Taylor was shot at least once in the chest, officials said.

Bliss was arrested without incident. He is charged with second-degree murder and was being held without bond in the Marion County Jail. Court records did not list a lawyer for Bliss.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/deputies-man-fatally-shoots-neighbor-dispute-cat-80729881

[BlueJac]

1. Jail him

[greenjar_01]

2. Woke up in the morning free

Now he's going to spend the rest of his life in a Florida penitentiary.

Mr. Taylor woke up in the morning. Period. Now he's dead.

What a monumental waste.

[onecaliberal]

3. Throw away the key.

[rurallib]

4. Sounds like he took that "shoot your neighbor" law literally

[Hugh_Lebowski]

5. GUNZ FOR THE WIN!!! Am I right?!? (nt)

[Aristus]

6. Just like the NRA predicted: If everyone has a gun, we'll all be a lot more polite to one another.

[gratuitous]

7. It's so good that Mr. Bliss had a gun

Otherwise this incident might have ended with two neighbors being miffed at one another. Or they might have come to an understanding and headed over to the tavern for a beer. Or they might have had a fist fight, which wouldn't have settled anything. But because Bliss had a gun, he was able to ruin several lives, beginning with Mr. Taylor and Mr. Bliss, and rippling out into their respective circles.

God bless America.

[twin_ghost]

8. That certainly wasn't a Cat-holic thing to do

[Lunabell]

9. What do you want to bet he's a trumpster?

Looks like a magat.

[secondwind]

10. I hope the cat finds a good home.....

[Girard442]

11. Crazy people + guns equals dead people.

If you want more guns in the hands of more people you want more dead people.

[Haggard Celine]

12. But he looks like such a pleasant fellow.

[Delphinus]

13. Over a cat??!!

Holy hell ...

[rickyhall]

14. What about the cat? I bet he got away, scot free.

[jpak]

15. He a man

Not

[ZonkerHarris]

16. Some people are what the death penalty was created for. He's one of them. Such indifference to life

should be reciprocated.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

17. But, but did the cat meow at him in a threatening way?

.............

I can just hear how the wing nuts will spin this one into a stand your ground defense.....

RIP to the neighbor.......

KY