One Dead… here’s the video:
When Raul Rodriguez went to tell his neighbors to turn down the music at a May 2010 party, he took a flashlight, a video camera and a gun. At his murder trial Tuesday, his attorney said the video recording proved Rodriguez acted in self-defense when he shot three men, one fatally.
Full Story – HERE
Houston, TX – “No we ain’t gotta keep down Sheeeit!” Sure Rodriguez probably started firing when at least one of the guys rushed him at the end of the video. I’d have to agree with the prosecutors on this one though that he had ample opportunity to just swallow his pride and go back in his house. When you stick around telling a bunch of younger drunk guys that you “might” have to shoot them, sure they are going to get pissed off. Sure enough he was found guilty.
Looks like Raul Rodriguez basically screwed himself over. That video, which he obviously initially planned on taking for his protection was his downfall.
Thoughts?
Hat tip: Marco
Comments
32 responses to “Man Shoots Three Guys Over Loud Party Music”
This may have been an instance where you just let the Police handle it. Good rule of thumb is Would you confront a bunch of Drunks without a gun on your hip? If the answer is no then don’t do it. I don’t think he deserved a Murder conviction, max Voluntary Man slaughter.
This guy did absolutely the wrong thing. He should have called the police on this one. It was just a bunch of regular drunk guys getting rowdy (we all have been there). He escalated the situation and he had more than enough time to leave the area! He went to there house and threatened them with a gun! if some dude came to my house and threatened me with a gun, i would be pissed to!!! This guy was acting like an ass and murdered some one. He deserves to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This guy is why libs want us to be disarmed!!!!!
yeah talk about shooting himself in the foot on that one. Just another stupid gun owner who doesnt know the difference between self defense and looking for trouble.
he should not have let the drunks know that he was armed. It will not de escalate the situation. Been there done that. it didnt work, they called my bluff and i was certainly not going to shoot an unarmed man. so i just went inside the house and police came. the best way is what 99% of people would do CALL THE POLICE.
Flashing your weapon was a BIG mistake.
call the cops, that is what they get paid for.
Its funny everyone said he should have just let the police handle it. Maybe the drunks should have went back in the house and and let the police handle the guy with a gun.
…but then who has the “duty to retreat” that “stand your ground” laws are supposed to eliminate? Rodriguez went to their property to confront them. They probably thought they would be fired upon if they moved.
They probably thought they would be fired upon if they moved….. seriously? So you run at the guy with the gun?…. I’m not saying the guy with the gun was justified. They all sound like a bunch of assholes to me.
Their property? It looks like he’s on a public road.
LOL! I laughed out loud when I read this. I think you make a valid point Sir.
This is a perfect example of two things: First, “never do anything armed that you wouldn’t do unarmed”.
Second, a gun doesn’t always scare people. Sometimes it just pisses them off (for all of you “intimidation factor” believers).
Loud music is a good example of when to call the police. I used to take noise complaints all the time, and 99% of the time the music got turned down before I made it up the sidewalk to the front door. Most municipalities have some kind of noise ordinance. This Raul guy was a total dimestore Rambo. Enjoy prison, dummy.
+1 well articulated – this is the type of gun owner that we do not need, and prosecutions wet dream.
I have to agree. He shoulda stayed home. It is odd how he mentioned a police vehicle and the pickup truck looked like it had an emblem on the door.
Yep. Stand your ground on your own property… not theirs. Looks to me like it was just a bunch of ‘good ol boys’ having a good time; and Old Man Rodriguez didn’t like it.
And who brings a video camera?! Unless you’re expecting something to happen.
With cell phone cameras being so prevelant, people are video taping day-to-day interactions because you never know what will happen. Intent is irrelevant.
I see your point, but I would disagree with you. I go to the bathroom everyday, drive to work, and drive home everyday… and I don’t record it.
I think he went there with the intent that he was going to need that footage to protect him in court, after he shot somebody. I think he got what he deserved, it all just seems pre-meditated to me.
But hey, that’s just my opinion… I could be wrong.
I agree. I will go a step further and say he definitely went there with intent. I watched the video again and so many times he says “I will *defend* myself, sir.” as though going armed to a neighbor’s house to confront them is any kind of “defense”. Then he says “I’ll *stand my ground*”. Your neighbor’s house isn’t “your” ground. Then “Don’t escalate this situation”. Really? Don’t escalate the situation? You mean like going armed to confront your neighbor over a simple noise complaint?
I would say he set out to use his gun, and that’s why he took a video camera, and that’s why he kept throwing out legal-ese words like “defend myself” “escalation” and “stand my ground”. None of those things apply–nor should they–when you go out trying to solve a simple problem with your gun rather than your head. I would also agree with the poster here who said this was probably an ongoing feud that finally boiled over.
Helpful hint: if your neighbors are being loud, call the cops. Don’t go over and flash a gun and tell them to quiet down or else!
Knucklehead brandishing his a weapon in a non-life threatening scenario = bad ending. Taking a life and screwing everyone else involved all because of loud music – You Reap What You Sow. In this case, he should have let LEO’s handle the complaint, he would be home right now enjoying his family and the partygoers would have ten nursing a hangover. Something tells me the “Good Neighbor” mat was trampled on some time ago and this has been simmering until it boiled over. What a fool.
He was looking for a violent situation, and he found it. Someone should send him a soap on a rope because he’s going to need it…
I just got back from doing a ghetto run whilst shaking my handguns wildly in the air. I don’t see the problem here. hahaha.
Seriously though, i’m with the “call the police” believers for this situation.
Stay home call the cops. BUT if you dont want to call the cops and just want to go over there and warn them that you are going to call the cops FFS please conceal your weapon. and if you are scared for your life about going over there (thats why you brought the weapon in the first place) then why not just call the cops in the first place if you actually think there is a real possibility that they may cause you harm. In most cases if you go out looking for trouble 99.99% of the time you will find it.
Yeah, but I bet those kids think twice about playing loud music again.
The report that came out said that the party was a birthday celebration for the deceased’s daughter. I’m sure that didn’t go over well with the jury.
Yep, he went over to be the big man instead of calling the police, because he wanted to try out all the new things he learned in ccw class. Unfortunately the internet is is full off forum posts from morons like this that are just waiting to have an excuse to draw and be cool. You cant start a problem, then claim self defense.
So if your at the neighbors house carrying, and you see an old man come over holding a video camera in one hand, and gun in the other, and his knees are shaking while hes rambling to himself he’s gonna “stand his ground” what do you do? Obviously there’s no way to justify what the dumbass did, but I try to image what a CCW holder at the party could do to save a life (hopefully you havent been impaired with alcohol while carrying) I imagine drawing down on the guy would only cause the same reaction. Guess if you heard the shot and perceived him as an active threat you’d be justified in putting him down but before that would seem to fall in a very hairy situation.
You turn the music down then ask him politely to leave. Then you call the police and tell them that your neighbor came to your house and threatened you with a firearm.
I blame it on Dubstep music. It will end us all.
I’m of the opinion that it was definitely voluntary manslaughter, at the minimum.
If the guy regularly OC’ed, carrying in the holster would not be an issue. Carrying the gun, camera, and flashlight says to me he was looking for a confrontation. If he went to the neighbors, with an OC and said turn it down or I’m calling the cops. If he was attacked after he turned away he would have been within the SYG/self-defense standard. If he was standing on his own property, I may consider SYG/SD. But from what I could tell he was in the middle of the street.
He lost his SYG/SD rights by leaving his property.
He should have gone home and called the cops.
Texas doesn’t do open carry though. Texas also doesn’t have SYG the way it’s understood via the Zimmerman/Martin debacle. Texas still has duty to retreat as far as I’m aware, the only thing the TX “Castle Doctrine” rule really does is allow citizens without CHLs to conceal a firearm within their vehicle, but not on their person. The doctrine is simply that where you are, is your current domain and you have the right to protect yourself within that space if there’s no means of escape. For non-CHLs the car is the most likely area of self-defense where the CD can protect the victim.
Outside of your car, which is your “property”, playing with the gray areas like this Rodriguez guy did and citing the ground you are standing on at the time, isn’t going to end up well for the shooter. The man got what he, whether knowingly or not, was looking for. Trouble.
I should also tack on that you can’t be involved in illegal activity if citing Castle Doctrine…. at which point, if he brandished his gun to these guys essentially no longer “concealed”, and as open carry is not legal in Texas, I’m sure the argument could be made that he was at that point engaged in illegal activity. He had the chance to walk away, and did not.
He’s a murderer. He should have stayed inside and let the police handle it.
How on earth can anyone think that abomination is going to save their ass in court? Hasn’t this idiot heard of night vision? Camcorders have had it forever. Now we missed the train wreck because this illiterate, criminal asshole decided a flashlight was enough light. That “video” was shot with a key chain light, a potato, a stick of gum, and the eyes of larvae.