Michigan homeowner charged in racially fraught fatal porch shooting

[cali]

A Michigan homeowner today was charged with murder in the racially fraught death of Renisha McBride, a 19-year-old black woman who was shot in the face on his porch.

Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said Friday that Theodore P. Wafer, 54, of Dearborn Heights, faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of McBride in the early morning hours of Nov. 2.

Wafer, who will also face a weapons charge, is expected to turn himself in to authorities and could be arraigned as early as Friday.

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http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-porch-killing-charges-20131115,0,1363707.story#axzz2kk0F8VzQ

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Sharpton is talking about this on his radio show right now.

I expect he'll get off and join the Zimmermans of the world.

[zazen]

2. Wafer gets prosecuted but cops who kill after profiling don't?

I'm sorry--the charges against Wafer are reasonable in any normal context, but when compared with the behavior of cops who are trained to respond in a crisis and should know better and have backup? How is it that an untrained citizen who was operating out the same ignorance and amped up fear behind racial profiling, who is in his home and maybe half-asleep when he lost it and assumed this poor woman was a criminal, gets pilloried, while those assholes who trump up charges of "resisting arrest" when they storm into people's homes or shoot them on the street for carrying toy guns walk free?

Jesus--Zimmerman was wandering around picking a fight. This guy was in his home. It's still tragic and f-d up, but people have been known to shoot their relatives in the middle of the night because they're disoriented and scared.

That's what burns me. Everyone will pile on this guy, most of it deserved, but then not only do those asshole cops who kill out of unnecessary self-defense get away with it, but they contribute to an atmosphere where Wafer would think his level of fear was justified.

[functioning_cog]

4. This is why having guns in your house is stupid. Very stupid.

You may overreact and kill someone ruining your life and taking theirs. You may shoot your own relative or friend thinking they are an intruder. You and mate may become involved in escalated conflict and there the gun is...a child may find the gun and accidentally shoot themselves or others. A person in your household may be battling depression, and in an instant of despair, take their own life rather than having time to co sider other options.

[functioning_cog]

3. As he should be. I heard the lawyer for the young woman's family.

She was 5'4 fresh-faced 19 yr old who hit a parked car and was bleeding from her head/face. She had called police and after hour and a half they still hadn't shown up. She started knocking on doors for help. This guy is in his locked house with a shotgun. He could have called 911. Instead, he opens the door and blows her head off with his shotgun.

When he called 911 to self report on his heinous crime, it tooK them only a few minutes to arrive. That is all he needed to do. This guy should go to prison foe a very long time. We need to let people know you don't shoot first and then engage brain later.