Here's what I know from watching/reading news coverage...
Two boys, one 14 and one 16 walk into a pharmacy in southwest OKC. The 14 year old brandishes a gun and threatens to "shoot your ass" . The 57 year old pharmacist, Jerome Ersland, pulls a pistol from behind the counter and shoots the 16 year old in the head. The 14 year old runs out the door and Ersland chases after him and empties his gun but does not hit him. Ersland returns to the store and walks by the 16 year old, who is unconscious and not moving in a pool of blood, and goes back behind the counter and get a second gun and then goes and fires five shots into the would be robbers chest and abdomen... killing him.

Medical examiner determined that the head shot was not fatal but the five shots to the torso were. The DA, David Prater, says that the first shot was clearly self defense and if Ersland had stopped there, there wouldn't be a problem. Prater is charging Ersland with 1st Degree Murder. The 14 year old is in prison along with two adults who somehow prompted the robbery.

Here is the complete store survailance video of the crime: http://feeds.newsok.tv/service...53001

Here is the latest news story from the local newspaper website: http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma...14745

Okay, you're the jury... remember you are bound by the law not your emotions or opinion. Is the pharmacist guilty or murder or not?

Guilty (72%, 182 votes)

Not Guilty (27%, 68 votes)

He went from defending himself to a crazed killer.

It would be hard not to be pissed at these guys that just threatened your life and not go into survival mode but during the time of reloading and still seeing the guy laying there in a pool of blood and not moving is when he should have been calling 911. He could have just reloaded and been ready if need be.

I suspect his defense will be he still felt a threat and maybe he was in the heat of the moment.

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that's a good way to put it. i agree.

--Nick

94 Bass Cat Eyra
Merc. 150 EFI
Feel the Rush!

Now, if there was no movement at all, that would be a different story. I still don't think 1st Degree Murder is appropriate though.

But being in the store, or "my store", knowing I was on camera...no.

Honestly though, I'm glad the 16 yr old is dead. I wish the 1st shot would have killed him.

Don't you agree? Don't you wish the 1st shot would have killed him? The end result would be the same, but the means would be different.

If It was my opinion, at least one scumbag is off the street. And I don't care who you are you probably would have done the same thing. dead men tell no tales, but the camera tells all.

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Agree

2006 Pantera Classic / 200 Optimax
Colin Maple, Ft. Wayne IN IRONWORKERS LOCAL 147

"It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have these three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence to practice neither."

Mark Twain

He went and reloaded that gun with the intention of shooting that kid dead. That's pre-meditation, and thats first degree murder. On top of that, they should tack on an attempted murder charge for going after the other kid. IMHO. After that first shot was fired, the one kid ran out, and the other went down and was unconscious. There was no longer a threat to his life. He should have stopped, and called 911. Anything beyond that was in cold blood.

I am very much a proponent of defending yourself. I do carry a weapon regularly, and will not hesitate to shoot someone I feel is an unavoidable threat to my life. This guy, however, took it way too far

Does he deserve to go to jail for doing a public service? If he does go to jail it should only be for reckless conduct with a fire arm. For shooting up the hood he is lucky no one else was hurt. I say to bad he didn't get them both. I have no compation for armed robbers or thieves of anykind. No matter their age.

I really feel if there were more folks willing to defend themselves as he did crime would really go down.

I wish him well in his fight to stay free.

Very well said, JIM, I agree 100% . At first just reading the post I was in the 2nd murder stage for sure. But after watching the video he went back and reloaded the gun, for the second shooting spree, That is pre meditation , 1st deg murder would be the charge he should be charged with. People like this is who gives CCW licenses holders a bad name.

1999 Stratos 273 / Johnson 150hp (Stratos's little HOT ROD!)

"FLIPPING KING"

Your comment is true, no one knows what they would do in that sit. until it happens to them first hand. Maybe he got tunnel vision and his anger got the best of him. I also HATE the scum who do these crimes and yes maybe they deserved this but if this was legal actions, this world would be a Crazy as hell place to live. It is already bad enough, BUT he just went to far on this one. And YES you are right it is a Damn shame he did not get both of them, but once the threat is gone there is no more self defense issues there.

Also sounds like he needs to practice with that thing a little. The one that flashes the gun is the #1 threat, But he shot the other one. Both may need it but I think I would consentrate on the one with the gun first. JMO

1999 Stratos 273 / Johnson 150hp (Stratos's little HOT ROD!)

"FLIPPING KING"

1999 Stratos 273 / Johnson 150hp (Stratos's little HOT ROD!)

"FLIPPING KING"