r/robbersgettingfucked - [NSFW] Deli Owner Defends Himself Against Robber
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4,757 votes and 374 comments so far on Reddit

I'm currently at home and thus forced to learn about all the latest right media trends on Fox which plays all day.

In short, the story is that the girlfriend of the victim, Austin Simon, had a declined transaction. She went and got her boyfriend for whatever reason, he had some kind of confrontation with the man at the counter, Jose Alba, and Simon was eventually stabbed to death.

I've seen this mostly covered by conservative outlets and "JusticePorn" type social media, and they're all basically supporting the Alba. Also including Eric Adams, who has criticized the decision to charge the guy with murder - NYT.

I linked the most complete video I could find of the incident. To me, it looks like Alba is shoved once by Simon pretty hard, and he then yells at him for a bit before pulling him up from the chair he was shoved into and looks like he's going to march him out in front of the counter, which is the point at which Alba grabs the knife, whips around, and stabs him: at least 5 times according to reports and you can see a stab to the neck in the video.

Additionally, from the NYT article, according to Alba, Simon "had demanded that he 'come apologize to the girl,'" which I think tracks with leading him out from behind the counter maybe. Simon also did not have a weapon.

To me, this seems like a disproportionate response, and I can see why he would be charged, but I wanted to know other's thoughts. I feel like you shouldn't be able to kill people over relatively minor altercations when your life isn't immediately threatened but that's just me lol.

  • ssjmarx [he/him]
    ·
    2 years ago

    Clear self defense IMO. I think a lot of the /r/justiceserved types would gladly kill anyone who commits any robbery, and I don't subscribe to that view - but in the moment where a person is defending themselves it's unreasonable to expect them to also be able to strike with nonlethal precision. In this case the only question is whether or not it's reasonable for the store owner to have been fearing for their life, and in the situation I see on that video you don't know if being shoved is the limit of the violence the robber is planning to do or if they are going to keep escalating, so it seems reasonable to me to fear for your life when he grabs you and starts pulling/leading you around.

    • Barack_Bootedgeedge [any]
      ·
      2 years ago

      I'm not going to watch the video again, but it seemed like he was cornered in a confined space, iirc.

      Not sure what an older, weaker person is supposed to do to get out of that situation other than anything.

      • Opposition [none/use name]
        ·
        2 years ago

        The jurisprudence in many northeastern states requires you to call the police and do nothing. If some gangster is going to beat you into a bloody pulp, that's just what is going to happen. I think it's Connecticut where you they expect you to jump out the window and run down the street if there's an intruder in your house at night.