Louisiana man shoots Teen in back of head who was playing Hide and Seek on his property

Polds4OSU

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This is just getting insane. Who just starts shooting at shadows without know what is going on ?



A 14-year-old girl in Louisiana is expected to survive after a neighbor allegedly shot her in the back of head while she and other children played a game of hide-and-seek on his property.

David Doyle, 58, was arrested Sunday morning at his home in Starks, a rural town near the Texas border, after officers with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of shots fired.

When police arrived, they found the 14-year-old had been shot in the back of the head. The girl was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

Police said several children were playing hide-and-seek on Doyle’s property when the neighbor shot at them.

Doyle “stated he observed shadows outside his home, at which time he went inside and retrieved his firearm,” the news release said. “He then advised detectives he went back outside and observed people running away from his property, at which time he began shooting at them and unknowingly hit the girl.”

Doyle has been charged in Sunday’s shooting with aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal discharge of a firearm.

 
People on your property, shadows in the darkness, etc...are all reasons for concern, but I see no justification for shooting a gun at the shadows in such an event unless such shadows were known to be an imminent threat to loss of life. Kids playing hide and seek should not cause that level of concern.

There is either a lot more to this story, the guy was not using good judgment, or both.
 
People on your property, shadows in the darkness, etc...are all reasons for concern, but I see no justification for shooting a gun at the shadows in such an event unless such shadows were known to be an imminent threat to loss of life. Kids playing hide and seek should not cause that level of concern.

There is either a lot more to this story, the guy was not using good judgment, or both.
I went and read the Police Report they filed...unfortunately this is almost NOTHING to this story other than the guy saw shadows and shot at them.

This is word for word from the official police report
“stated he observed shadows outside his home, at which time he went inside and retrieved his firearm,” “He then advised detectives he went back outside and observed people running away from his property, at which time he began shooting at them and unknowingly hit the girl.”
 
I went and read the Police Report they filed...unfortunately this is almost NOTHING to this story other than the guy saw shadows and shot at them.

This is word for word from the official police report
“stated he observed shadows outside his home, at which time he went inside and retrieved his firearm,” “He then advised detectives he went back outside and observed people running away from his property, at which time he began shooting at them and unknowingly hit the girl.”
Context matters. We don't have the context. It could be that there have been past threats that presented similarly in this case, or maybe he was expecting a threat at the same time. Maybe he's mentally incapacitated. Maybe he's a war vet with PTSD.

None of those justify the shooting. I'm just wondering what would make a person just start shooting into the darkness.
 
Context matters. We don't have the context. It could be that there have been past threats that presented similarly in this case, or maybe he was expecting a threat at the same time. Maybe he's mentally incapacitated. Maybe he's a war vet with PTSD.

None of those justify the shooting. I'm just wondering what would make a person just start shooting into the darkness.
Happens more often than you might think.
 
Happens more often than you might think.
There was a similar (but slightly more understandable) case in the town where my mom lives where a kid broke into a house, and was shot and killed while running away from the house once the homeowner woke up. He was shot in the back. I don't recall the outcome of the trial, but I do recall thinking at the time that the shooter shouldn't have felt like his life was threatened while the intruder was running away. Obviously its much easier for me to judge that while sitting comfortably and securely at my computer in broad daylight, but that's why I believe gun ownership comes with MASSIVE responsibilities.

I support gun ownership, the 2A, grew up with a military/LEO dad, and shoot guns regularly. But I haven't gone through enough training to feel confident in my ability to use lethal force in high-stress, reactionary situations, so I don't carry, and I don't keep a locked and loaded gun in my house.
 
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There was a similar (but slightly more understandable) case in the town where my mom lives where a kid broke into a house, and was shot and killed while running away from the house once the homeowner woke up. He was shot in the back. I don't recall the outcome of the trial, but I do recall thinking at the time that the shooter shouldn't have felt like his life was threatened while the intruder was running away. Obviously its much easier for me to judge that while sitting comfortably and securely at my computer in broad daylight, but that's why I believe gun ownership comes with MASSIVE responsibilities.

I support gun ownership, the 2A, grew up with a military/LEO dad, and shoot guns regularly. But I haven't gone through enough training to feel confident in my ability to use lethal force in high-stress, reactionary situations, so I don't carry, and I don't keep a locked and loaded gun in my house.
There was a pretty well publicized incident in Florida I believe not too long ago where an intruder was rousted from a house and killed when he had opened up something like 50 yards. Details are hazy, but seem to recall he was acquitted which left me wondering how someone's life is in danger when the other is running off. The Shawnee?? pharmacist who killed a robber, was that not one of the reasons that lead to his conviction? And the insane case, again in Florida I believe, where the ADA Ken shot a guy in a convenience store parking lot after an argument about parking in a handicapped space?
 
There was a pretty well publicized incident in Florida I believe not too long ago where an intruder was rousted from a house and killed when he had opened up something like 50 yards. Details are hazy, but seem to recall he was acquitted which left me wondering how someone's life is in danger when the other is running off. The Shawnee?? pharmacist who killed a robber, was that not one of the reasons that lead to his conviction? And the insane case, again in Florida I believe, where the ADA Ken shot a guy in a convenience store parking lot after an argument about parking in a handicapped space?
Pharmacist case was in OKC, right? If that's the one you're referring to, I believe he was doomed by incapacitating someone, then going back relatively calmly to re-load to shoot more rounds into the wounded person.

Not sure on the others.

But again, its much easier for me to sit and judge these situations when I'm sitting calmly and securely at my computer. I just try to avoid it for myself by not carrying or arming myself in that way, because I think it would be too difficult for me to correctly use deadly force without a ton of training. Heck, its difficult enough for properly trained, professional LEOs.
 
Pharmacist case was in OKC, right? If that's the one you're referring to, I believe he was doomed by incapacitating someone, then going back relatively calmly to re-load to shoot more rounds into the wounded person.

Not sure on the others.

But again, its much easier for me to sit and judge these situations when I'm sitting calmly and securely at my computer. I just try to avoid it for myself by not carrying or arming myself in that way, because I think it would be too difficult for me to correctly use deadly force without a ton of training. Heck, its difficult enough for properly trained, professional LEOs.
That's the Ersland case.

He straight murdered that kid. Stepped over his body to get a new gun out of a drawer.

First shot was righteous as all get out. Killing shot was murder.
 
If I remember correctly, Ersland dropped the kid inside the pharmacy, then stepped out the door to fire more shots at the second robber (who ran out the door & down the street). Since he had spent the whole mag in the first pistol, he walked back in (as you said, over the incapacitated first robber) and retrieved a 2nd pistol and came back and executed him. A lot happened in that one, and fortunately it was mostly on camera. Pretty much (IMO) the first shot was the only part of that one that fits what should be expected in a self-defense case and everything after was excessive in various degrees.

TL;DR-I believe you are correct @CowboyJD
 
If I remember correctly, Ersland dropped the kid inside the pharmacy, then stepped out the door to fire more shots at the second robber (who ran out the door & down the street). Since he had spent the whole mag in the first pistol, he walked back in (as you said, over the incapacitated first robber) and retrieved a 2nd pistol and came back and executed him. A lot happened in that one, and fortunately it was mostly on camera. Pretty much (IMO) the first shot was the only part of that one that fits what should be expected in a self-defense case and everything after was excessive in various degrees.

TL;DR-I believe you are correct @CowboyJD
Yeah, I was incorrect in thinking there was a "shooting while the perp was running off" situation. Guess technically that would have applied to him running out of the store after the second guy, but that is small potatoes in the overall situation.
 
If I remember correctly, Ersland dropped the kid inside the pharmacy, then stepped out the door to fire more shots at the second robber (who ran out the door & down the street). Since he had spent the whole mag in the first pistol, he walked back in (as you said, over the incapacitated first robber) and retrieved a 2nd pistol and came back and executed him. A lot happened in that one, and fortunately it was mostly on camera. Pretty much (IMO) the first shot was the only part of that one that fits what should be expected in a self-defense case and everything after was excessive in various degrees.

TL;DR-I believe you are correct @CowboyJD
Well, I did read all the LEO reports and watched all the videos and assisted OK County DAs in the prosecution.

I’m pretty sure I’ve got it right…mostly at least,;)
 
Well, I did read all the LEO reports and watched all the videos and assisted OK County DAs in the prosecution.

I’m pretty sure I’ve got it right…mostly at least,;)
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Yeah, I was incorrect in thinking there was a "shooting while the perp was running off" situation. Guess technically that would have applied to him running out of the store after the second guy, but that is small potatoes in the overall situation.
Seems like the story of the corner grocer around Nw 5th and Classen that got robbed and shot and killed one of the perps running away. But DA Bob Macy declined to prosecute the grocer. Ended closing the store anyway.
 
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