Curtis Reeves, a former Florida police captain, was acquitted of murdering a man in a movie theater eight years ago by a Florida jury. Reeves first pled not guilty and claimed self-defense, claiming he was worried he would be harmed if he and Chad Oulson got into an altercation. According to prior accounts, Oulson texted his little daughter’s babysitter during previews, and Reeves urged him to put his phone away.
Olson’s wife was hurt in the incident, but she survived. After a nine-day trial in which Oulson’s widow hoped for a guilty judgment, the jury started deliberations on February 25. During his closing statements, state prosecutor Scott Rosenwasser stated:
“Nobody ever has the right to be above the law. For no apparent reason, (Reeves) murdered another human being in a packed movie theater close to his wife.”
Curtis Reeves on the stand.
Asst. State Attorney:
“Did you kill him out of rage?”
“No.”
“Did you kill him out of blind fury?”
“No, sir. I killed him out of fear.”
“You didn’t just snap and kill him?”
“No.” pic.twitter.com/8AUXifzYOG— Erik Waxler (@erikwaxler) February 24, 2022
Defense attorney Richard Escobar encouraged jurors to imagine themselves in Reeves’ shoes at the time. Escobar was 71 years old and saw himself as a danger. His supporters described him as a “decorated law enforcement officer who received training in the use of force, gauging danger, and the dangers involved when we’re presented with a potentially violent interaction.”
The case gained great attention at the time of the murder. Part of the attention stemmed from Reeves’ self-defense claim under Florida’s “stand your ground” legislation, which was eventually rejected by a court.
The eight-year delay in the trial was caused by many motions, pretrial hearings, and COVID-19, according to WFTS. TJ Grimaldi, who represents Oulson’s wife, described the delays as “embarrassing” but added that they allowed Reeves to “be at home with his loved ones and spend time with his family.”
What happened To Curtis Reeves and Chad Oulson?
Reeves has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated violence in the death of Chad Oulson, 43, who was out on a movie date with his wife in 2014. Reeves claims he shot Oulson in self-defense following an altercation with his wife over Oulson allegedly sending SMS. During a showing of Lone Survivor in a cinema near Tampa, his wife claimed he was texting her babysitter. According to the criminal complaint, Curtis Reeves challenged Oulson about texting during the film’s previews.
According to the complaint, after their dispute, Oulson tossed a popcorn bag at Reeves, who then discharged a revolver, wounding Oulson in the chest. After being transferred to the hospital, Oulson died. His wife had a gunshot wound to the hand. According to the complaint, Curtis Reeves told authorities he was frightened of being assaulted. His lawyers contend that Oulson tossed a smartphone at the victim’s head while forcefully bending over the chair during the shooting. Prosecutors said that popcorn is not a weapon, and witnesses claimed they did not see Oulson toss his smartphone.
