Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Man indited for shooting 12-year-old boy calls it a "tragic accident"

56-year-old Michael Bishop said he was awakened from a deep sleep thinking someone was breaking into his house. So he grabbed his shotgun and stepped out onto his porch and just before 9 pm fired a shot at a group of young boys who were running away. 12-year-old Jacob Eberle was struck in the back.
Police said the boys were playing a game known as "Ding-Dong-Ditch", ringing doorbells and then running away, when the shooting occurred. Bishop's attorney told the court, "I don't believe Mr. Bishop intended to hurt anyone," and added, "He's going through a very difficult time right now, as is the boy's family." He also noted that Bishop was a law abiding citizen with no criminal record "We're talking about a man in his mid-50s who has never even had a speeding ticket in his entire life. And...this snapshot he's been arrested and charged with attempted murder."
But Jacob's uncle sees things differently. "This wasn't an accidental firing at Jacob," he told reporters, "We believe he was aimed at under the circumstances. The medical evaluation shows he has 92 pellets in his back alone and the shotgun was loaded with 200 pellets."
Bishop has been indited on charges of first-degree assault, first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.

1 comment:

  1. What does it say about our society that a home owner lives in such fear?

    Instead of focusing on the single homeowner; why not discuss the fact that home invasion robberies exist and in many areas are on the rise.

    How about talking about the appalling rate in which crimes -- especially property crimes, are solved?

    Approximately 20% is the rate of clearance for property crimes.

    Why not talk about the fact that 70% of all rapes occur during a home invasion style robbery.

    That many home owner are assaulted during home invasion robberies.

    The home owner broke the law and will face the consequences for his actions.

    But that isn't enough for you is it?

    So, again...what is your solution ban firearms?

    Severely restrict who owns them?

    Gun owners have never claimed to be 100% law abiding, that is your straw man argument.

    So how do you stop a person like this from making a criminal mistake?

    ReplyDelete