Craig Sumner Elliott, 68, allegedly shot Antonio Garcia Avalos, 40, in incident in Orange county

A California jogger was charged this week in the killing of a homeless man who was blocking the sidewalk.

Craig Sumner Elliott, 68, was jogging with his two dogs and pushing a cart on 28 September when he came across Antonio Garcia Avalos, 40, who was sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk, prosecutors in Orange county, California, said.

Elliott allegedly tried to wake Avalos by nudging him with the pushcart, whereupon Avalos started yelling at Elliott to leave him alone.

Elliott, who allegedly filmed their encounter, then brought a handgun out of his cart, prosecutors charged, adding that when Avalos stood and threw a shoe at Elliott, he ducked and responded by shooting Avalos three times.

Avalos subsequently died from his injuries. Elliott, who does have an active concealed carry permit issued by the local sheriff’s office, was arrested on 17 November in the incident.

  • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    In the past few years I’ve had a homeless fellow break into our home pushing my wife down, had one scream at my wife and push my kid, had one follow my kid being abusive, had a crazy with a broken bottle make stabbing motions towards everyone that passes while giggling. We’ve made do with pepper spray and in my case fists but I can understand a 68 year old dude carrying a gun since he probably can’t physically protect himself. His mistake was believing that having a backup plan made it safe to escalate. This made escalation vastly more likely.

    • CmdrShepard@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      Doesn’t sound like any of those stories involve a sleeping homeless man on public property though.

      • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Public property means we can all use the sidewalk to get from A to B none of us is empowered to make exclusive use of it by blocking it with our tent, body, or homeless shit. It is perfectly justifiable to ask someone to move and it would have been perfectly justifiable to respond to a flying shoe with an ass kicking or better yet pepper spraying. Proportionality is important. Bringing a gun into it is nuts it immediately escalates it even if you don’t intend to fire. You’ve basically decided its going to be a murder or a suicide.

      • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m not sure if you just don’t believe the bad part of cities exists or the people there don’t have internet?

    • Herbal Gamer@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      In the past few years I’ve had a homeless fellow break into our home pushing my wife down, had one scream at my wife and push my kid, had one follow my kid being abusive, had a crazy with a broken bottle make stabbing motions towards everyone that passes while giggling.

      Maybe it’s time to take your meds?

      • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m not sure if you just don’t believe the bad part of cities exists or the people there don’t have internet?