In France, Which Has Sensible Gun Safety Laws (TM) So Nothing Bad Could Ever Happen, National Outrage Mounts Over Jeweler Who Was Indicted After Shooting One of Two Robbers Who Stuck Him Up and Took All His Cash

Here's a quickie translation.

...

As the FaceBook page in support of the jeweler has passed 500,000 "Likes," Stephan Turk [the jeweler] has been indicted Friday for voluntary homicide. He had also been placed under house arrest, under electronic surveillance, as had been requested by the prosecutor of Nice [where the shooting occurred]. "He has therefore avoided preventative [pre-trial] detention, which is satisfactory," has quickly reacted his lawyer, Ms. De Vita.

Wedensday, he had killed by gunshot one of the two malefactors who had just robbed his jewelry shot. At 67 years of age, this Nice jeweler without criminal record had pleaded legitimate self-defense. However, the prosecutor of Nice, Eric Bedos, had asserted that the man's actions constituted voluntary homicide.

"The life of the jeweler was not directly threatened," he added, for justifying the fact that the right of legitimate self-defense was not present. Stephan Turk was "feeling insecure" and had "drawn his gun by instinct," he'd further said.

Emphasis added. What he means is that he wasn't being threatened when he took the lethal shots. It was indeed directly threatened prior to that.

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Wednesday, around nine in the morning, the jewelry shop "La Turquoise" in Nice was robbed, for the second time in less than a year. Two perpetrators arrived on a scooter threatening Stephen Turk with a gun and demanding that he open his [cashbox or safe; not sure; I assume they don't mean Treasure Chest]. Once the booty was taken [hm, maybe they did mean Treasure Chest], they took to their escape. But the jeweler had pursued them on foot, and fired "three or four gunshots" in the middle of the street. Anthony, the rear passenger [on the scooter], was wounded by a gunshot in the back, and died at the scene. He was known to the police for thefts, violence, and driving infractions. [What? Why are you mentioning that one?]

The FaceBook support page now has over 600,000 "Likes" and the former mayor of the town is now speaking up in his favor:

"To me, the first victim in this case is the jeweler," a man who "acted in desperation..."

Now this is not a Trayvon Martin situation, exactly, but it does hit some of the same questions.

So I wonder what the Geniuses of Europe will come up with here.

More: In English now.

With the shopkeeper still in police custody, he may be unaware of the fierce national debate his actions have provoked in France, about the use of violence for self-defense and to protect property.

Reacting to the shooting in his city on Wednesday, Nice's centre-right UMP Mayor Christian Estrosi took to Twitter to condemn the behaviour of armed criminals.

“This morning there are two victims: the jeweller and the hooligan. The fear needs to shift over to the other side, now. Taubira’s law must not pass,” he said, referring to planned legislation by Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, which would limit custodial sentences and expand the use of alternatives to prison such as probation.

Actually he said "thug," not "hooligan," I think. Google Translates returns thug, hoodlum, and hooligan for voyou, in that order.

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One commenter reflected the disgust of many users with violent crime and robberies in France.

“It’s always the same ones who pay – businesspeople,” they said.

“And when they defend themselves, it’s they who are punished. And the thieves, if they’re caught, they’re freed again. Bravo – that’s justice for you, always on behalf of the same people, and never for anyone honest. Well done to this man, he was right.”

Many others view the incident as indicative of a breakdown in law and order in France.

“This is the sad result of impunity, of a lack of justice, and the inability of the government to provide for the safety of French citizens,” said one commenter.

Another expressed, in no uncertain terms, a widespread lack of sympathy for the deceased: "He played the game, and he lost."

But I thought Europe was Enlightened You Guys and stuff.

I don't know the races of the so-called "Vigilante Jeweler" or the thugs so we can't say yet if this is Officially a Racist Crime.

posted by Ace at 04:54 PM

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