Eight years after a man was shot to death over tossed popcorn and texting in a movie theater, a 79-year-old retired Tampa police captain is standing trial for murder.
Curtis Reeves initially claimed self-defense under Florida's "stand your ground" law in the January 2014 shooting that claimed the life of Chad Oulson. A judge in 2017 denied his claim, sending the case to trial.
The shooting happened following an argument about texting during a screening of the Mark Wahlberg war film "Lone Survivor" in a theater in Wesley Chapel just outside Tampa, CNN reported.
Reeves, who was 71 at the time, had been sitting behind Oulson when he confronted him about texting during the previews before the movie, according to the criminal complaint. Reeves left and complained to management, then exchanged words with Oulson when he returned, the complaint said.
During the argument, Oulson threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves, according to the complaint. Reeves responded by taking out a handgun and shooting Oulson in the chest, the complaint said.
Oulson was taken to the hospital where he died.
Police noted in their report that witnesses did not observe any punches being thrown. However, Reeves told officers at the scene that Oulson struck him in the face with an unknown object and that he fired his .380-caliber handgun because he was in fear of being attacked, according to the complaint.
Reeves is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery. He has pleaded not guilty and has been under under house arrest with a GPS monitor since posting bond in July 2014.
Reeves attempted to get the charges dismissed under Florida's stand-your-ground statute, but a judge said the physical evidence wasn't there are she couldn't conclude that the law protected his actions, The Washington Post reported.
The trial is expected to take several weeks.
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