Ernest Holdman
Local news reports
A burglary suspect was shot and killed Thursday morning at a home in northwest Miami-Dade.
According to Miami-Dade County police, Ernest Holdman tried to burglarize a home at Northwest 112th Street and 18th Avenue. Neighbors said Holdman, 31, climbed onto the roof of a trailer and tried stealing the homeowner’s yard tools.
Dennis Law, the 49-year-old homeowner, then shot Holdman, police say. He was dead when police arrived.
“He’s a good guy, you know,” said Lynn Eason, Holdman’s sister. “He never really hurt nobody or went out of his way to be mean or nasty to anybody. Maybe he did get caught in the wrong situation, but I think it could have been handled differently, better than that.”
“He wasn’t armed. I mean, lawn equipment?” said Melissa Jones, a friend of Holdman. “It doesn’t make no sense to kill somebody for a weedwacker that cost $110. C’mon. That’s somebody life.”
The gun loons will defend this killing.
ReplyDeleteJust like Islamic/sharia law where theft is punishable by chopping off a hand, in America it's OK to kill someone for stealing a garden hoe.
How dare you disparage the religion of peace by comparing them to vile US gun owners, HOW DARE YOU!!!!!
DeleteJust as cops have deadly shooting guidelines and any on the spot decision to use deadly force must fall within those guidelines, so individuals must have deadly force guidelines. defending a deadly force threat with deadly force certainly doesn't include stealing garden tools. Where was the deadly force threat against the owner of the garden tools?
ReplyDelete"A confrontation ensued and Mr. Law shot Ernest Holdman."
ReplyDeleteAnd looking at Holdman's record, he doesn't seem averse to resorting to violence. Perhaps as the investigation progresses, we'll learn more how the confrontation ensued.
Yeah, perhaps we'll learn whether there was lethal threat or not.
DeleteYou quoted something I don't see in Mike's post.
DeleteI know John. I suffered a brain fart and forgot it. I posted it just below a minute later.
DeleteDang, forgot the link again...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.miamidade.gov/police/releases/PD130328114293_Homicide.asp
The facts are still iffy according to your article.
DeleteI am against people taking the law in to their own hands, which is different than defending yourself. The goal is to apprehend, not kill. I'll give a citizen more leeway than a cop who has plenty of resources and training. A person who kills another person has to show me (and the law) that there was no other option.
A person who kills another person has to show me (and the law) that there was no other option.
DeleteUm--no. No one has to show you anything. You are irrelevant. As for "the law," the concept of the presumption of evidence pending proof of guilt, the heart of any legitimate system of justice, means that "the law" has to show that the killing was unnecessary.
"I'll give a citizen more leeway than a cop who has plenty of resources and training. A person who kills another person has to show me (and the law) that there was no other option."
DeleteJohn, I'll readily agree that the exact circumstances aren't clear enough to give any idea on what happened. Whether it's a function of what the media decides to print, or what the police themselves release, these discussions here always contain a component of guesswork.
However, the police tend to have pretty good BS detectors and there have been many instances discussed here where that attempts to spin a story or lie have resulted in arrest and charges. It's now been a week with no new information or charges. There could be something still out to the lab, but it appears that in this case, law enforcement doesn't seem to be seeing it as unjustified.
If you are willing SS to jump to a conclusion without the evidence, that's your right. The police have also been shown in many legal cases to have lied to cover the truth that they were wrong. I won't accept guilt, or innocence on police BS radar.
DeleteSorry Kurt, I won't respond to certain people on this blog, that includes you.
Maybe Mr Garden Gnome should have kept his thieving hands the fuck off of other peoples property. Doesn't he know that there are gun toting maniacs out there?
ReplyDeleteYeah, death for stealing tools.
DeleteMore likely for some aggressive behavior after being caught in the act, possibly while using said tools as a weapon. His record certainly shows he isn't averse to assaultive behavior.
DeleteSome criminals take it personally when the victim actually dares to expect to keep their property. Of course, the escalation from property theft to physical assault increases the chances of a bad outcome. Judging by the number of times he's done this, it was only a matter of time before he picked the wrong guy.
Well, I'm sure that's what the only survivor of the encounter would say.
DeleteWell, it appears to be a moot point since this event seems to have happened almost exactly two years ago. The article you saw has a date of 2015, but all of the other sources including this police press release are dated 2013. I didn't notice it until I saw the date as the end of March. Ding on me.
Deletehttp://www.miamidade.gov/police/releases/PD130328114293_Homicide.asp
I imagine the investigation is long closed and no sign of Mr. Law being charged.