February 11, 2015
By Mark Berman, Sarah Kaplan and Kevin Sullivan
Police said that they had arrested Craig Stephen Hicks, (click here) 46, and charged him with the shootings. Hicks turned himself in “without incident” to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in nearby Pittsboro after the shooting, Chatham County Sgt. Kevin Carey said Wednesday.
The shooting deaths of three Muslims prompted concerns that the violence was motivated by their religion, and leading Muslim civil rights advocates called for police to address that possible explanation. But the Chapel Hill Police Department said Wednesday that it appeared, at least initially, that the shooting centered on a parking argument.
“Our preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking,” the department said in a statement. “Hicks is cooperating with investigators and more information may be released at a later time.”
The father of the two women killed disputed the idea that it was simply an argument involving parking, saying Wednesday that one of his daughters had previously told her family about Hicks having a problem with the way she looked....
This is not the average frustration over a parking spot. I don't see a rash problem with violence over parking spots in the country.
There needs to be an investigation to the reason such intense hatred existed over a parking spot. The family of the victims aren't comfortable with the dismissal of hate crimes. The political environment in NC is horrible. It is victimizing. It is very difficult to believe a man simply "lost it" because of a parking spot. There are three, not one, dead. There is more here and the US Attorney needs to investigate the crime rather than dismiss it.
If the family believes the government is dismissing any hate crime, it needs to gather any witness information from people that had contact with any of the three victims and their reporting of problems with Mr. Hicks. If there was an understanding by those surrounding these three people there was hate fueling the conflict over a parking spot, they need to come forward.
The tone of law enforcement right now doesn't sound like they are looking to charge Mr. Hicks with murder. If the three victims are as responsible for the conflict, Mr. Hicks will be charged with three counts of aggravated manslaughter.
North Carolina has the Castle Doctrine.
By Mark Berman, Sarah Kaplan and Kevin Sullivan
Police said that they had arrested Craig Stephen Hicks, (click here) 46, and charged him with the shootings. Hicks turned himself in “without incident” to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in nearby Pittsboro after the shooting, Chatham County Sgt. Kevin Carey said Wednesday.
The shooting deaths of three Muslims prompted concerns that the violence was motivated by their religion, and leading Muslim civil rights advocates called for police to address that possible explanation. But the Chapel Hill Police Department said Wednesday that it appeared, at least initially, that the shooting centered on a parking argument.
“Our preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking,” the department said in a statement. “Hicks is cooperating with investigators and more information may be released at a later time.”
The father of the two women killed disputed the idea that it was simply an argument involving parking, saying Wednesday that one of his daughters had previously told her family about Hicks having a problem with the way she looked....
This is not the average frustration over a parking spot. I don't see a rash problem with violence over parking spots in the country.
There needs to be an investigation to the reason such intense hatred existed over a parking spot. The family of the victims aren't comfortable with the dismissal of hate crimes. The political environment in NC is horrible. It is victimizing. It is very difficult to believe a man simply "lost it" because of a parking spot. There are three, not one, dead. There is more here and the US Attorney needs to investigate the crime rather than dismiss it.
If the family believes the government is dismissing any hate crime, it needs to gather any witness information from people that had contact with any of the three victims and their reporting of problems with Mr. Hicks. If there was an understanding by those surrounding these three people there was hate fueling the conflict over a parking spot, they need to come forward.
The tone of law enforcement right now doesn't sound like they are looking to charge Mr. Hicks with murder. If the three victims are as responsible for the conflict, Mr. Hicks will be charged with three counts of aggravated manslaughter.
North Carolina has the Castle Doctrine.
(a) A person is
justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the
extent that the person reasonably believes that the conduct is necessary to
defend himself or herself or another against the other's imminent use of
unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and
does not have a duty to retreat in any place he or she has the lawful right to
be if either of the following applies:
(1) He or she
reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or
great bodily harm to himself or herself or another.
(2) Under the
circumstances permitted pursuant to G.S. 14-51.2.
(b) A person who
uses force as permitted by this section is justified in using such force and is
immune from civil or criminal liability for the use of such force, unless the
person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer or bail
bondsman who was lawfully acting in the performance of his or her official
duties and the officer or bail bondsman identified himself or herself in
accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably
should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer or bail
bondsman in the lawful performance of his or her official duties. (2011-268, s. 1.)
