This is a hero?

[trillium13 84]

OKLAHOMA CITY -- For the first time in a year, the mother of 16-year-old Antwun Parker, who was shot and killed by pharmacist Jerome Ersland, is speaking publicly.

According to police, Parker and a friend tried to rob the pharmacist at gunpoint in May 2009. Investigators said Ersland knocked Parker to the ground with one shot to the head, grabbed a different weapon and fired five more shots into his chest and abdomen.

"A coward is someone who will kill someone when they're done," said Parker's mother, Cleta Jennings. "That's not a hero. The real hero here is Antwun."

Jennings said that while her son did go into the pharmacy with a gun, she believes other people put him up to it.

"I know he was scared to death," she said. "I know Antwun was scared to death when he had to go into that pharmacy not under his own will."

In an exclusive interview with KOCO, Jennings said she was angry when she found out two pathologists with the Oklahoma County Medical Examiner's Office filed conflicting statements, potentially overturning the former chief's decision that Parker's cause of death was homicide.

"That man literally shot my son down, had no remorse, went back, got another gun, reloaded it and came back and shot him five more times," Jennings said.

The interim chief said he's still reviewing the case. District Attorney David Prater said he's not prepared to drop the case against Jerome Ersland, but said it is his duty to listen to all evidence that's brought forth in every case.

Jennings said her son will never have a chance to prove his innocence.

"He still should have had a chance to go to court and defend himself," she said. "He's just like everybody else, innocent until proven guilty."

She said she will continue to share his story and remember his achievements as she carries the pain inside her.

"He was not a masked robber. His name was Antwun Parker. He was a human."

She said she may file a civil lawsuit against Ersland if she's not happy with the course of action in the criminal case.

http://www.koco.com/r/24703285/detail.html

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Hmmmm...

While that is definitely overkill, can't say the kid didn't have it coming...

[Markieboy 104]

Geez...I really don't understand how some people think.

A hero? I think not. To me, a hero dies for a cause...not a crime.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Before a criminal starts shooting at an innocent citizen, he should think that maybe...just maybe, that citizen will shoot back.

[ValerieA 350]

Paul, this may not ever happen again...but...I agree with you.

Jennings said that while her son did go into the pharmacy with a gun, she believes other people put him up to it.

"I know he was scared to death," she said. "I know Antwun was scared to death when he had to go into that pharmacy not under his own will."

She did not know that. He chose to go in there with that gun. I have to figure the first head shot killed him, I don't understand the pharmacist getting another gun and shooting him more. Still, you pays your money, you take your chances. Armed robbery is armed robbery. Stupid and a high chance of getting dead.

[slim 1,514]

"He was not a masked robber. His name was Antwun Parker. He was a human."

So it's OK as long as you're not wearing a mask?

[luckytxn 2,263]

Thug that got what he deserved. I will say a prayer for the Pharmacist.

[slim 1,514]

Thug that got what he deserved. I will say a prayer for the Pharmacist.

No one has the right to grab another weapon, reload, and shoot a man on the ground. That is murder.

While I understand he was probably acting out of fear, it doesn't change the fact that what he did was wrong.

[TBoneTX 43,058]

This sounds like the difference between "killing someone" and "killing someone dead." In both senses of the latter term, perhaps.

Some will consider it extremely important to determine whether the presumably white pharmacist had hate in his mind when he killed the presumably black criminal. If this was the case, then the criminal is even more dead than he would be otherwise, according to "hate crime" logic.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

No one has the right to grab another weapon, reload, and shoot a man on the ground. That is murder.

True that. But that still doesn't make the perp that tried to rob the pharmacist a hero. That's some stretch even coming from a grieving mother.

[john & jean 37]

like Clint said, "THIS IS A 44 MAGNUM AND WILL BLOW YOUR HEAD CLEAN OFF", the man needed a bigger weapon

[nab 74]

ahem... well, like we like to say in the country "he needed killing".

definitely going to reload is going to count against him...

always have a fully loaded gun and nail them in head and heart. two shots is all necessary. unless of course it's someone you really hate and want to suffer then a couple in the kneecaps before the head and heart is good.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

[Pooky 3,348]

ahem... well, like we like to say in the country "he needed killing".

definitely going to reload is going to count against him...

always have a fully loaded gun and nail them in head and heart. two shots is all necessary. unless of course it's someone you really hate and want to suffer then a couple in the kneecaps before the head and heart is good.

The reloading part comes from the dead kid's mother, not the report itself. I'll wait to see it that part is true, or not.

As for getting another weapon, the storekeeper was not smart having a single shot primary, when he evidently had a multiple shot backup. But firing into the body sounds suspiciously like they had some military-type training, as it's standard practice to put two rounds into the body of a prone target/body to "make sure they stay down" (Quote courtesy of the RAF Regiment). Five more is a bit much.

The details here are sketchy at best, so drawing conclusions without all the facts is dangerous.

One thing is clear, though. Antwun Parker is no hero.

Edited August 21, 2010 by Pooky

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

No such thing as "shoot and release" The pharmacist did good. Next time though, he ought to use enough gun the first time or something with a larger magazine capacity, no need to bother getting a second one. whatever you do though...make sure they are dead.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The bottom line is, the pharmacist, who was minding his own business, went home to his family ALIVE. The kid pulling an armed robbery went home to his family DEAD. The more armed robbers that come home DEAD, the less armed robberies there will be...and that is a good thing.