Man sentenced - Shooting over an orange peel

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Aug 28, 2006 7:52 pm US/Mountain

Man Sentenced To Jail After Fight Over Orange Peel
(CBS) BALTIMORE A judge has sent a Baltimore man to prison for a shooting that started with a fight over a dropped orange peel.

William Staten, 60, had just swept his front steps and sidewalk on Stricker Street when 55-year-old Herbert Wyche was walking by Staten's house eating an orange. Wyche dropped the peels where Staten had just cleaned and when Staten asked him to pick the peels up, Wyche replied, "When I'm done." Court documents say a fight ensued, and after Staten struck Wyche with a bottle, Wyche pulled out a gun and shot Staten.

"He announced he had a gun and he was going to use it, he was angry. He said there was a bullet and then fired one shot into the torso of Mr. Staten," Prosecutor Lisa Phelps told WJZ's Suzanne Collins.

Wyche was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted murder. The sentence was bittersweet, however, for Staten's family. Staten died a year after the shooting due to complications from surgery apparently related to the shooting.

"I have a seven-year-old extremely close with my dad, extremely close. I had to tell her he was no longer here." said Jaquetta Roundtree, Staten's daughter.

The jury convicted Wyche of attempted murder because they weren't convinced the shooting led directly to Staten's death during surgery.

http://kutv.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_240235417.html

Video http://www.kutv.com/video/[email protected]
 
I suspect he didn't get shot for dropping a piece of fruit but got shot for assaulting the other guy with a deadly weapon. In America that would have been considered a lawful shoot.

Screw CBS and maryland in general. Maybe the judge needs a couple whacks over the head with a harmless bottle too.
 
orangelo said:
I suspect he didn't get shot for dropping a piece of fruit but got shot for assaulting the other guy with a deadly weapon.
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I don't think you understand. The guy who dropped the orange peel is the guy who did the shooting. He dropped the orange peel, the other guy got angry because he had just swept up that area, a fight ensued and the guy who dropped the peel shot the guy who wanted the peel picked up.

The guy who had been sweeping did use a bottle during the argument, but did not have another weapon.

Apparently, the gun was not being legally carried at the time, either.
 
Wow, the guy that was eating the orange shoot him? No wonder he say When Im done. He was where brave just beacause he had a gun. This kind of behaviour makes people ban guns. When crazy people walk armed on the streets and insult everyone and do what the helll they want just because they are armed.
 
So while you eat a banana is it ok if I come and brain you with a bottle of Jim Beam because I don't like where you put the peel? The shooter said he would pick them up after he was done eating. Doesn't sound that unreasonable.

Unreasonable is the deceased guy's actions. It never should have escalated past verbal complaints to the point of physical force. But the guy with the bottle decided to bump it up a notch to deadly force. Sucks to be him.
 
I guess he should have called the cops and reported him for littering?

Even though he did get attacked with a bottle, I would bet most states would expect him to retreat before shooting especially since he was just walking by or something. Sounded like he didn't just whip it out and shoot either.

"He announced he had a gun and he was going to use it, he was angry. He said there was a bullet and then fired one shot into the torso of Mr. Staten," Prosecutor Lisa Phelps told WJZ's Suzanne Collins.
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If he was backed into a corner or on his own property, I wouldn't normally see an issue with this. Since he was not, it is difficult to justify the shooting. He is lucky it was not murder, but maybe not much difference.
 
We obviously do not know all of the facts. Obviously the shooter carries some blame for escalating the incident. I personally would have apologized, picked up the peels and left.

Where it gets tricky is when the person who was shot picked up and swung the bottle. Bottles hurt...badly. That can be considered deadly force in and of itself. Depending on how severly the shooter was hurt, he may not have been able to retreat.

More facts are required before anyone on this board can make a desicion about this scenario.
 
This is the worst kind of peeing contest two people can get into, in my opinion. Jeez. In this case, wouldn't it have been better for either of these guys to just grin and bear it for a bit? What ever happened to personal responsibility, anyway? How about a "Oh, terribly sorry for having littered on your walkway," or "Sir, I just swept that patch, and you accidentally dropped some of your orange peel there," or even say nothing and sweep the few pieces up yourself? Now two men, who probably were never in trouble in their lives prior to this incident, are removed from their families and homes, and lives (literally and figuratively). If this isn't an obvious failure to use the High Road, I don't know what is.

Not like the orange-eating guy backed up a truck full of rotting orange peels and dumped it into the sweeping guy's yard.
 
two neighbors

of mine both ok guys got into aeguments about one guy burning brush. got the cops called ticket written.after cops left some shouting happened . 67 year old and 42 year old the older man met the young guy in the young guys driveway pulled out a 40 and shot him in the belly and drove away. fortunately hes gonna be ok. the guy got 5 years. and his thinking was so warped he expected the cops to arrest the guy he shot.the older guy will be 72 when he gets out.its a shame
 
to his credit

the guy shot said something wise in court and doesn't hold a grudge.
he said "what happened was two grown men got really stupid and something happened that didn't need to and will affect so many people". and he apologised for his role on what happened. i liked him before and respected him more after.
we all feel bad for jailed guys kid and wife
 
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