Yeah, let’s be clear: trespassing does not get the death penalty. Burglary does not get the death penalty. I remain astonished that anyone is trying to defend vigilante “justice” enacted by two guys in a pickup truck who weren’t even the “victim” of supposed burglary/trespass https://twitter.com/faineg/status/1259520410988744709

The defense is “they were conducting a citizens’ arrest.” Oh okay, cool, so if any old asshole pulls a gun on me and tells me to do what they say, I should just obey them? Is that what they teach in self defense courses these days?

That’s the thing that’s blowing my mind here (not really, because I know the history of lynching and see exactly what’s happening, but still)—it wasn’t even their house! Castle doctrine applies to YOUR house, when YOU are in it and can reasonably believe you’re in danger! https://twitter.com/leprechngangstr/status/1259524167524900868

“Stand your ground” is reasonably more applicable here, but that’s supposed to apply to whoever did NOT start the fight. Artery would be the one who was standing his ground when he tried to get the gun away from the men threatening him.

You don’t get to claim self defense when YOU started it. God this whole thing fills me with rage

I’d also like to ask: if he’s supposed to have been “burglarizing” a house under construction, where’s the stuff he supposedly stole, guys? He’s in athletic shorts. Got nothing in his hands. No bag. Are houses under construction regularly full of like loose gemstones or something

It’s the weakest defense I’ve ever heard, and it’s only possible that they believed they were righteously hunting down and detaining a big scary burglar *if they were raging racists who think a Black man is a superhuman predator who can hide stolen power tools in his pockets*

And even if he’d been carrying a miter saw out of there or whatever, they’d have to also believe that deadly force was warranted for that and that THEY were the ones who could decide it was applicable. There is no way to make this justifiable. None.