Night Guy
Member
Reference the discussion here...http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82654
Here's the latest story on how things are deveoping. It doesn't sound great for a self defense case.
http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/148662-1276-103.html
Autopsy: Shots hit man on ground
Most of 15 bullets fired hit the alleged would-be robber after he fell, official says.
By Terry Horne and John Tuohy
[email protected]
May 22, 2004
Preliminary autopsy results indicate that a pizza deliveryman, who claimed he killed a would-be robber in self-defense, may have fired many of the shots after his alleged assailant fell to the ground.
"It's believed the majority of those (bullets) may have gone into him while he was on the ground," Acting Chief Deputy Marion County Coroner John Linehan said Friday.
Linehan said Dr. Stephen Radentz has completed his autopsy but is reviewing his notes before submitting his findings to investigators and Marion County prosecutors.
Roger Rayl, a spokesman for Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, said prosecutors are waiting on additional information, which he declined to discuss, before deciding whether to file any charges.
The deliveryman, Ronald Honeycutt, 38, Carmel, told The Indianapolis Star he fired all 15 rounds of his 9 mm gun at close range when Jerome Brown-Dancler came toward him Monday night and raised a gun at him.
Honeycutt said he continued to fire his gun because Brown-Dancler just stood there. Honeycutt said he couldn't tell whether the bullets were even striking him.
Linehan said that would have been impossible.
"There's no way someone could be standing up after being shot so many times," he said.
Linehan said Radentz's examination has been unusually long because of the number of wounds Radentz had to examine. Linehan said the angles of entry led examiners to conclude that Honeycutt fired some of his shots after Brown-Dancler had fallen.
Brown-Dancler, of the 6200 block of East 11th Street, died a short time later at Methodist Hospital, according to authorities.
Honeycutt said he had just finished making a delivery about 11 p.m. Monday in the 3600 block of Long Wharf Drive on the Far Eastside when Brown-Dancler came at him briskly.
He said he was just getting into his van when Brown-Dancler appeared to go for a gun.
Friday, Honeycutt said the bullets entered Brown-Dancler's body at a downward angle because he was standing on the floorboard of the van when he fired.
"I'm 6-foot- 2, and I was elevated because I was halfway in the van," Honeycutt said. "I was maybe 7 {1frac2} feet up in the air, with my arm over the top of the door, shooting downward."
Honeycutt reiterated that all his bullets were spent before he even approached Brown-Dancler to grab the victim's gun. He said Brown-Dancler remained standing until the last bullet was fired.
"He fell down on his left side, and his arm was the last to hit the ground because his gun was pointed upward at me the whole time," Honeycutt said.
He said he was disappointed that the coroner had reached another conclusion.
"I thought that in this world in this day and age they would be able to figure this out," he said. "That is their opinion, but they are wrong."
Shaunika Jackson, Brown-Dancler's sister, concluded after hearing the corner's report: "He (Honeycutt) deliberately set out to murder my little brother."
"It isn't fair that he is at home with his family and my brother is in a coffin," Jackson said.
RaShaad Germany, Brown-Dancler's brother, said he thought it was "heinous" if Honeycutt shot his brother after he was down. "I'd call that flat-out murder."
Brown-Dancler's mother, Esther Birden-Jones, said she was hopeful that the new information leads to an arrest and conviction.
"Then at least my son would not have died in vain, and it wouldn't be like no one cares," she said.
Birden-Jones said Honeycutt, at the very least, should face charges for moving what he said was her son's gun from the scene of the crime. "You go to jail for leaving the scene of an accident."
Brown-Dancler, who dropped out of high school, was working on his general educational development certificate, she said. His favorite pastimes were basketball and home video games. "He was a big 20-year-old kid."
This spring, he and his brother, Germany, had started a lawn care business. They had about six to 10 customers, Germany said.
Birden-Jones said the hardest thing to understand is Honeycutt's apparent lack of sorrow about killing her son.
"My prayers go out to that family. Whether he's got any remorse or not, he's got to deal with God one day."
Call Star reporter Terry Horne at (317) 444-6082.
Here's the latest story on how things are deveoping. It doesn't sound great for a self defense case.
http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/148662-1276-103.html
Autopsy: Shots hit man on ground
Most of 15 bullets fired hit the alleged would-be robber after he fell, official says.
By Terry Horne and John Tuohy
[email protected]
May 22, 2004
Preliminary autopsy results indicate that a pizza deliveryman, who claimed he killed a would-be robber in self-defense, may have fired many of the shots after his alleged assailant fell to the ground.
"It's believed the majority of those (bullets) may have gone into him while he was on the ground," Acting Chief Deputy Marion County Coroner John Linehan said Friday.
Linehan said Dr. Stephen Radentz has completed his autopsy but is reviewing his notes before submitting his findings to investigators and Marion County prosecutors.
Roger Rayl, a spokesman for Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, said prosecutors are waiting on additional information, which he declined to discuss, before deciding whether to file any charges.
The deliveryman, Ronald Honeycutt, 38, Carmel, told The Indianapolis Star he fired all 15 rounds of his 9 mm gun at close range when Jerome Brown-Dancler came toward him Monday night and raised a gun at him.
Honeycutt said he continued to fire his gun because Brown-Dancler just stood there. Honeycutt said he couldn't tell whether the bullets were even striking him.
Linehan said that would have been impossible.
"There's no way someone could be standing up after being shot so many times," he said.
Linehan said Radentz's examination has been unusually long because of the number of wounds Radentz had to examine. Linehan said the angles of entry led examiners to conclude that Honeycutt fired some of his shots after Brown-Dancler had fallen.
Brown-Dancler, of the 6200 block of East 11th Street, died a short time later at Methodist Hospital, according to authorities.
Honeycutt said he had just finished making a delivery about 11 p.m. Monday in the 3600 block of Long Wharf Drive on the Far Eastside when Brown-Dancler came at him briskly.
He said he was just getting into his van when Brown-Dancler appeared to go for a gun.
Friday, Honeycutt said the bullets entered Brown-Dancler's body at a downward angle because he was standing on the floorboard of the van when he fired.
"I'm 6-foot- 2, and I was elevated because I was halfway in the van," Honeycutt said. "I was maybe 7 {1frac2} feet up in the air, with my arm over the top of the door, shooting downward."
Honeycutt reiterated that all his bullets were spent before he even approached Brown-Dancler to grab the victim's gun. He said Brown-Dancler remained standing until the last bullet was fired.
"He fell down on his left side, and his arm was the last to hit the ground because his gun was pointed upward at me the whole time," Honeycutt said.
He said he was disappointed that the coroner had reached another conclusion.
"I thought that in this world in this day and age they would be able to figure this out," he said. "That is their opinion, but they are wrong."
Shaunika Jackson, Brown-Dancler's sister, concluded after hearing the corner's report: "He (Honeycutt) deliberately set out to murder my little brother."
"It isn't fair that he is at home with his family and my brother is in a coffin," Jackson said.
RaShaad Germany, Brown-Dancler's brother, said he thought it was "heinous" if Honeycutt shot his brother after he was down. "I'd call that flat-out murder."
Brown-Dancler's mother, Esther Birden-Jones, said she was hopeful that the new information leads to an arrest and conviction.
"Then at least my son would not have died in vain, and it wouldn't be like no one cares," she said.
Birden-Jones said Honeycutt, at the very least, should face charges for moving what he said was her son's gun from the scene of the crime. "You go to jail for leaving the scene of an accident."
Brown-Dancler, who dropped out of high school, was working on his general educational development certificate, she said. His favorite pastimes were basketball and home video games. "He was a big 20-year-old kid."
This spring, he and his brother, Germany, had started a lawn care business. They had about six to 10 customers, Germany said.
Birden-Jones said the hardest thing to understand is Honeycutt's apparent lack of sorrow about killing her son.
"My prayers go out to that family. Whether he's got any remorse or not, he's got to deal with God one day."
Call Star reporter Terry Horne at (317) 444-6082.
. The "robber" was coming at him with a deadly weapon. The deadly threat was eliminated.
