Passerby in domestic violence incident now facing murder charges

Reptile

Reptile

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SPOKANE, Wash. -
Proof things are not always as they seem. What appeared to be a good Samaritan stepping into stop an attack is now a much more complicated case that has a former soldier facing murder charges.

The shooting at Fifth and Altamont on Tuesday started when a passerby tried to break up a domestic violence attack.

The passerby, Edward Bushnell, shot the man witnesses say was beating a woman. However, it is what happened in the time between that now has Bushnell in Spokane County Jail facing first degree murder charges.

Spokane Police say they applaud Bushnell for coming to aid of a woman who was being bullied by her boyfriend on a Spokane sidewalk, even getting hurt in the process of helping her. However, they say Bushnell fired those fatal shots after the altercation was over, and at the moment, the use of deadly force was not justified.

Spokane Police responded to a shots fired call at Fifth and Altamont Tuesday morning and found William Poindexter laying in the grass. Bushnell, who was standing right next to victim at the time, admitted to shooting Poindexter in self defense.

Continues...

http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-ne...e-incident-now-facing-murder-charges/34305354

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Things started off good with Bushnell saving the woman but he then killed her attacker in cold blood after the threat was over.

Doesn't look good, but a jury may not find him guilty.

This will be one to follow.
 
“"The defendant retrieved a handgun from a backpack, made the decision to go after Poindexter, who had walked a short distance away, and fired three shots at Poindexter. Two of the rounds struck Poindexter in the back,” Wohl said."

Murder.

It's a rule. Never interfere in a domestic.
 
mibro said:
“"The defendant retrieved a handgun from a backpack, made the decision to go after Poindexter, who had walked a short distance away, and fired three shots at Poindexter. Two of the rounds struck Poindexter in the back,” Wohl said."

Murder.

It's a rule. Never interfere in a domestic.
Click to expand...

I agree.

Bushnell may have saved the girl but after getting beaten with the bat by Poindexter, Bushnell's emotions got the best of him and he killed Poindexter.

Not that I would ever interfere in a domestic, but I like to use my imagination after hearing all these details.

Would I be able to keep my emotions in check after the threat is gone?

I sure hope so or I would be charged with murder, too.

Put yourself in his place and use your imagination.

We all can learn from these tragedies and become better people as a result.
 
The only remote chance this guy has is to try and claim that the assault was still occurring upon the female ("Poindexter and the female walked away in an attempt to leave the area"). Even then I'm not sure about Washington law and the defense of others. Feasibly, Poindexter had a bat, showed his capability to use it on at least on one person, as well as showed intent at one point in harming the female. It's a really long shot but that's where I would try and hinge my defense. Even then you have to wait and see how the female responds. If she was truly a domestic violence victim, she will either be relieved at Poindexter's death and be willing to help out Bushnell being that Poindexter can no longer control her, or she is stuck in the "honeymoon" phase which would follow the domestic incident and she'll never progress on the circle of violence because he is no longer around to keep it moving.
 
crazymjb said:
So you guys really wouldnt step in if you saw some guy beating a woman?

Mike

Sent from my cell phone with a tiny keyboard and large thumbs...
Click to expand...

Not unless I knew the whole story.

What if they were in a car and a girl pulled a knife on the cop doing a sting.

A fight ensues.

Bystander interferes and things don't go well.

That happened before.

On thing about DV is that in court the woman usually goes back and takes the side of the man who was beating her.

He is da baby daddy and gots da $$$ 4 her.

You may have saved her life but you are still going to jail!
 
crazymjb said:
So you guys really wouldnt step in if you saw some guy beating a woman?
Click to expand...

Depends a lot on the circumstances involved. Do I know the woman? If the answer is "yes" then obviously things change considerably. Think of the epic grade bullshit that cops have to deal with on domestics and compared to us they almost get a blank check. Domestics blow chunks. You could have a situation where some guy is beating the **** out of some lady, and then you beat up (or shoot, whatever) the presumed BG and next thing you know crazy broad is either attacking you or making up stories when the cops come about how they "were just having an argument" and you came out of nowhere and assaulted her boyfriend. If those crazy broads pull that on cops all the time there's nothing stopping it from happening to another interloper. Take points away too if you stumble upon them mid encounter- for all you know the broad could have started it by hitting him.

Basically if it's a stranger you'd better be damned sure that she's probably going to die or get really ****ed up if you don't intervene. Anything less than that is putting yourself at gobs upon gobs of legal peril.

-Mike
 
crazymjb said:
So you guys really wouldnt step in if you saw some guy beating a woman?

Mike

Sent from my cell phone with a tiny keyboard and large thumbs...
Click to expand...

No good deed goes unpunished.

There was a time I would step in if I saw an injustice. But now, knowing what I think I know about people....the only people I am willing to defend and possibly go to jail for have to be related to me.

Strangers on the street? Not my business. I'll make the emergency call and grab a bag of popcorn and watch it all unfold. I may even be a witness in court but I will not intervene.

My guess is the woman will play it out like nothing was going on and this crazy dude started beating up her boyfriend.

In other news I think the guy kind of screwed himself a little by talking to the police before he spoke to a lawyer.
 
I heard a speaker in a defence class state, only interfere if you're willing to spend the rest of your life in jail for the person you are protecting.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk
 
crazymjb said:
So you guys really wouldnt step in if you saw some guy beating a woman?

Mike
Click to expand...
Sadly, I probably wouldn't, unless I knew the story. All the couple has to do is claim in court it was consensual and you're screwed.

Likely would call 911 and let the professionals sort it out.
 
crazymjb said:
So you guys really wouldnt step in if you saw some guy beating a woman?

Mike

Sent from my cell phone with a tiny keyboard and large thumbs...
Click to expand...

You've been watching way to many feminist superhero movies. Man beating a woman might be as simple as it looks, and it can also be a very complicated situation that ended up that way and you're just watching the climax of a shit story.

Your instincts might be great for nature, however - current, modern human society is anything but natural.
 
mibro said:
Nope. There's a good chance they will both turn on you.
Click to expand...

Many moons ago while in college I worked as a doorman at a big club in downtown St. Louis at the Landing. Closing time was always a sh!tshow, and it seemed like every other night at closing some d-bag was pissed enough at his old lady to start beating or at least roughing her up a bit. I was a slow learner, but after the biatches turned on me every single time; I would just yell 'knock it off, the cops are on the way and will be here in 30 seconds.'

Yes, if someone's life was in danger I probably would have tried to help anyway. Swear to God, even when I was trying to use some restraint when stopping a dude from roughing up his girl, without fail the girls would at the least be pulling on me and yelling in my face 'don't hurt him!'. Of course, much alcohol and who knows what else involved.

Don't miss that job- I always got stuck working when the Chitcago Cubs were in town. Word of advice to the younger NES'rs: NEVER hang around outside a club / bar at closing time.
 
I've interfered and I'd do it again.

I was driving down the road and saw a man and woman arguing. It looked like just a verbal argument but I swung back around to make sure. From across the street I watched for a minute or so and when he put his hands on her when she tried to leave I calmly asked if everything was okay. Of course the guy said "Yeah, just having an argument". "I was asking the lady" I replied. She said yeah and walked away. By the way they acted at that point I was comfortable with it just being two drunk people arguing.

I'm no vigilante. I sat in the comfort of my truck across a busy road. If either one came toward me I would have left and let the cops handle it. But I was not about to go home and let a woman get beaten. I honestly don't know what I would have done if he was hitting her; I'm no scrapper.
 
A guy on another forum I used to be on ended up dating a girl who had an extremely abusive ex boyfriend. One night they were at her place, and this giant guy shows up pounding on the door and screaming he was going to kill both of them. After a while he smashes he way through a window and climbs inside, still screaming that they were both dead. Being a castle state the forum fellow shoots and kills the lunatic. The instant that happened the girlfriend's nostalgia goggles kick in, and she testifies that the guy who saved her life actually murdered her ex in cold blood. He gets prison time on a manslaughter conviction.

I still probably would intervene if it looked serious enough, but the problem with domestic cases is that the victim usually has an unreasonable attachment to the abuser.
 
Machines said:
The instant that happened the girlfriend's nostalgia goggles kick in, and she testifies that the guy who saved her life actually murdered her ex in cold blood. He gets prison time on a manslaughter conviction.
Click to expand...

Well, of course. He ruined her game of "let's you and him fight."

Machines said:
I still probably would intervene if it looked serious enough, but the problem with domestic cases is that the victim usually has an unreasonable attachment to the abuser.
Click to expand...

She may even like it. It may be just how they relate.
 
Last edited:
I have. On 2 occasions.

One was as a bouncer years ago. In a parking lot. Dude was slapping his girl in the face, I grabbed dude, fellow bouncers came to assist, detain (NH) and local PD showed up. He's cuffed, stuffed. Girl leaves. Nashua cop tells me a week later she won't press charges, this has happened before.

Way before that, I was in college, guy pushing wife at a bar. I stepped in. Said to cool it or I'd deck him. WIFE punches me in the back of the head, allowing the husband enough time to swing on me....he missed, hit his wife again. I left. No, I am not making this up. I left and tended to my head, which was considerably scratched up by her white trash rings.

I was remarking to someone on NES yesterday about some advice I received as a young EMT from a fire LT - he was referring to threats we were involved with concerning abortion bomb threats back in those days, but it applies in many situations:

"No matter how tough you think you are, they are crazy and the only way to deal with crazy is to have the willingness to swim in their swamp...fellas, that's not a swamp you want to set foot in"


Not saying that I'd not do it again and I've stepped into other situations that earned me recognition from one LEO agency in MA, but that's a story for another time, but the point is, unless you know everything going in, have an exit strategy and nerves of steel enough to deal with the consequences, let it burn out because chances are, nothing you do is going to make a difference.


crazymjb said:
So you guys really wouldnt step in if you saw some guy beating a woman?

Mike

Sent from my cell phone with a tiny keyboard and large thumbs...
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
ToddDubya said:
I've interfered and I'd do it again.

I was driving down the road and saw a man and woman arguing. It looked like just a verbal argument but I swung back around to make sure. From across the street I watched for a minute or so and when he put his hands on her when she tried to leave I calmly asked if everything was okay. Of course the guy said "Yeah, just having an argument". "I was asking the lady" I replied. She said yeah and walked away. By the way they acted at that point I was comfortable with it just being two drunk people arguing.

I'm no vigilante. I sat in the comfort of my truck across a busy road. If either one came toward me I would have left and let the cops handle it. But I was not about to go home and let a woman get beaten. I honestly don't know what I would have done if he was hitting her; I'm no scrapper.
Click to expand...

I might do thay depending on the situation detaols but I would never get out of the car or involved further. Far too many negatives and few positives.
 
This is why I would never get involved in a domestic dispute. You don't know what's what or who's who. Your better off taking notes and being a good witness.

Sent from my C6522N using Tapatalk
 
I agree.

But something that even at the age of 39, I struggle with is the eternal question:

is it ****ing worth it?

you need to answer that question first before you commit to the fight. this applies everywhere and shit, again, I struggle with this even in interpersonal interactions that don't necessarily involve levels of danger. Is it ****ing worth it? is his life worth your freedom? Will your captain hero actions change or solve anything?

If the answer is "not sure" to any of the above, I can assure you, you'll be saying later on, probably in a cell, "probably ****ing not."


atilla said:
**** that guy anyway.
Click to expand...
 
i actually don't really care.

shitbag beating on a woman is now dead.

idiot who shot him when he was no longer a threat is goin' 'ta jail.

me? i'm just wondering where my next cup of coffee is gonna come from.
 
AngelKing said:
I agree.

But something that even at the age of 39, I struggle with is the eternal question:

is it ****ing worth it?
Click to expand...

When you're young, your ego is way too involved. Walking away feels like defeat.

The reality is, if you're not a scumbag you have too much to lose.
 

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