Prosecutors contended that he pointed the shotgun at the police officers for "more than a second" and that he knew they were police. The defense was that he had the right to protect himself, his actions were reasonable and prudent, and he had immunity due to the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law. From nbcmiami.com:
A judge dropped charges Wednesday against a Miam-Dade Fire captain who was arrested for pointing a gun at a police officer.The entire process, from the incident to the judge dismissing the charges took nine months. Prosecutors had charged the fire captain with aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. The judge did not agree.
Nicholas Marian, 55, was granted Stand Your Ground immunity in a bizarre encounter with a Miami Shores police officer. Fellow firefighters who had been rallying behind Marian were at the courthouse celebrating the ruling.
Nicholas Marian said he was ready to go back to work.
Bringing a gun to the door is only prudent in numerous circumstances. It is difficult to know if someone at your door is a police officer or not. Many criminals facilitate their crimes by yelling "Police!" during home invasions.
In this case, it only took a few seconds for the fire captain to determine that the people at his door were police. When he did, he cooperated.
The idea that citizens have to disarm themselves because someone at the door might be a police officer is repugnant to the rule of law.
This case had a better outcome than the Gabriel Mobley case. Mobley was in the courts for six years before he was cleared. The original judge in that case, also in the Miami-Dade area, refused to grant Mobley immunity. There was video tape of the attack and defense, and Mobley was clearly justified.
That case went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court before Mobley was vindicated in 2014.
Perhaps the Judge in the Nicholas Marian case referenced the Supreme court case about Mobley.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch
Posts
1 comment:
Thanks for covering and exposing events that the media only reports on in a negative light. I (and my spouse of 47yrs.) live on a minor state highway in a rural area of Oregon, between two significant sized citys and we carry 24/7 and never answer the door without gun in hand period. We are reasonably descreet about it but can respond to a threat instantly. We also train both formally at a highly accredited training facility and informally on our property and as a bonus, all our neighbors are like-minded----not too many days pass that the sound of gunfire can be heard. Practice, pracrice, practice. Not paranoia, just the fact that there are a lot of home invasions in our general area (25 mile radius) and the majority end well for the homeowners. You are your own best protection at all times and situational awareness is vital in todays troubled society. Keep up the good work. Swede Johnson
Post a Comment