This story is tough all the way around. I will just give my own commentary here and talk about how it relates to self defense. You can read the full story on the link above.
To make a long story short, Damesha Coleman's vehicle was stolen. She tracked the vehicle down and then armed herself. She brought a male friend, who was also armed, and found the vehicle at the gas station. Surveillance shows them locating the vehicle at a gas station, getting out of their vehicle, and opening fire on the car thief.
Damesha Coleman, 35, was charged on Thursday, December 22, with two counts of murder, one count of assault, and three counts of armed criminal action in relation to the shooting that claimed the lives of Darius Jackson, 19, and Joseph Farrar, 49, on Wednesday night at the St Louis Speedie Gas station. Another man was struck in the head by a stray bullet but her survived.
It was confirmed that Darius Jackson, 19, who was fatally shot was the primary thief. It is not confirmed that Joseph Farrar was part of it. Some reports/ stories kind of group in, and other stories say that he was getting flu medication for his 11 year old son.
It is easy for me to sit behind a computer and say this after the fact, but if someone steals your car and you locate it the best thing to do is to contact authorities and go through the proper channels. Even if she did not accidently strike two men that (allegedly) had nothing to do with it, she would still be in hot water for killing the 19 year old.
If it were a car jacking and she shot him while she was in danger then she would have a better case. The fact that she was not in immediate danger until she pursued and located her car.
She did not have a prior record or criminal history so she has much more to lose than a common criminal.
Comments