Summary

At a Lafayette, Indiana anti-Trump rally Saturday, a man pulled an assault-style rifle after clashing with protesters who blocked his truck at a Third Street intersection.

Video shows the man in a MAGA hat yelling at protesters, prompting another man—angered by the confrontation with women—to intervene.

The two exchanged shouts before the protester headbutted the man. He returned to his truck, retrieved a rifle, and reentered the crowd.

Police detained but released him, citing self-defense. The “Hands Off!” rally drew nearly 1,000 people and ended early amid safety concerns.

  • Baphomet_The_Blasphemer@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Self-defense requires there to be an ongoing threat to your or someone else’s immediate safety. If he was able to leave the altercation, head to his truck to retrieve his rifle, and then return to the situation that’s not self-defense, its premeditation.

    • Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      I fucking love you guys. Like your head in a book being like awksuelly…

      Reality is that guy could have killed that protestor and charges would be dropped. If not, trump would pardon him. There are no consequences

      Stop trying to be correct. Just fucking win for a change. Being correct is not a win in today’s world. Way too many people that are wrong who keep winning.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Stand your ground laws have completely wrecked the premise surrounding threats and threat avoidance. Now it’s people being assholes and escalating the assholery until someone gets pissed and throws a punch and then the shooting starts. Doesn’t matter if it’s road rage or fighting over a parking space. No consideration that anyone involved could have walked away at any point before things got bad.

      The duty to retreat and use a firearm as a last resort is dying a quick death in most red states. Even in NY where shooting someone in self defense was often a trip straight to jail now ends up with people not being charged.

      Basically, you need to Han Solo the thing most times these days. Shoot first and you’re not guilty.

    • ubergeek@lemmy.today
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      8 days ago

      It’s self defense, because the cops are on the same side as the guy…

      Same reason you never see Miley Cyrus and Hanna Montana in the same room at the same time.

    • hopesdead@startrek.website
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      8 days ago

      He’s probably white and identifies as CIS male. In today’s reality, that qualifies as self-defense to police.