Intial article: http://www.thesylvaherald.com/2005/111705/html/robbery_hospitalizes_three__de.html
I thought about posting about this last week when it happened, but my feelings on it waned a bit and for whatever reason I never did. Local paper ran another story about the incident today and resurrected my consternation over things.
Here's today's article: http://www.thesylvaherald.com/html/questions_persist_after_last_w.html
And another from the Asheville paper last week: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051117/NEWS01/51116033
I understand the family's grief over the loss of a loved one, but it really gets my bile duct raging that they can't accept the situation as it exists. I suppose it's only natural... maybe I'd feel the same were I in their shoes... well, maybe not.
I happened to be working the night this took place and was somewhat involved in the goings on. With what I know from the small part I had in it, there's nary a doubt in my mind that McCollum was the perpetrator. The mention of his criminal record is quite lacking, as the record is quite extensive. No really, it's long. The bit about him making a plea agreement, while factual, is also questionable, since as of the night of the incident he still had several active felony warrants for his arrest.
Damn the evidence, if it looks like a chicken, clucks like a chicken, then guess what...
And somehow I knew this would happen when we learned that Dewann was the suspect and to whom he was related. I've dealt and been privy to other's encounters with his cousin, Anquell (mentioned in the article). I'm not sure how to describe him. He's a mostly decent person, and usually friendly, but when in situations like this or dealing with others in positions of authority, he always takes the position/attitude that he expresses in the articles; i.e., disbelief, it's anybody's fault but mine, etc.
Drives me nuts...
Especially this quote by him:
After hearing that Dewann only had a knife, we felt that it did not warrant that deadly a force.
Some people just make me want to beat them with a concrete block.
I know better than to let things like this get to me, but sometimes they just do anyway.
So... discuss.