A year ago an EDP threw a concrete block through a window at the Papa John’s pizza restaurant on South Grand in St Louis. The EDP was shot and killed by an employee of the restaurant who was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Today he was acquitted in a bench trial.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local...cle_a69bb880-87dd-50c5-9745-9f9ecc779454.html
This is the description of the incident:
Police, court documents and the judge's ruling give this account of the encounter:
The Papa John's store at 3630 South Grand was closed to walk-ins about 1:40 a.m. on June 2, 2018, when Upchurch pulled his car onto the sidewalk in front of the shop, knocked on the front door and put his credit card on the glass signaling his desire to buy something. Eckenrodt opened the door to tell Upchurch the store was closed but Upchurch stuck his foot in the doorway when Eckenrodt tried to shut it.
Eckenrodt eventually deadbolted the door, and Upchurch continued shouting at him and his manager from outside. Upchurch went back to his car and pulled it several feet forward before coming back to the window and shouting more. When he came back a third time, Eckenrodt called 911, describing Upchurch as a "belligerent drunk."
"Mr. Upchurch seemed more agitated each time he returned," Sengheiser wrote.
Eckenrodt's manager also called 911 and locked himself in a rear cooler/panic room. Upchurch returned twice more, at one point parking his car in the middle of South Grand, and coming back to the window with a cinder block.
His first attempt at tossing it through the window failed to shatter it. By his second attempt, Eckenrodt emerged from the side of the building, encountered Upchurch and fired three 9mm shots, hitting him once in the hip. The bullet took a lethal path inside his body, puncturing an artery and one of Upchurch's lungs.
Upchurch fled to his car and drove off but crashed about three blocks away into a traffic light and fire hydant at South Grand and Chippewa Street.
Eckenrodt didn’t do himself any favors when he gave his statement to the police:
Former Assistant Circuit Attorney Morley Swingle said at the October bench trial that Upchurch never set foot inside the store and was unarmed. He said Eckenrodt, in a police interview room hours after the shooting, was recorded rambling to himself about the shooting and referred to Upchurch with a racial slur.
"You straight shot that (slur)," Eckenrodt said. "Give me all your pizza. Pow, pow, pow. That was (expletive) sweet. That was like watching a movie, man. … Still think he's a (expletive) idiot. Pow, pow, pow pow. (Expletive) you. I did everything right. Pop, pop pop. And then he goes down. This guy is a piece of work. Pop, pop, pop."
The judge ruled that Eckenrodt’s statement didn’t change the facts of the case. The ruling is at this link:
https://www.stltoday.com/read-judge...pdf_de0ca357-8b78-566e-8634-538e0a1d72d5.html
It sounds to me like he gave the police his statement when he was still under the effects of the adrenaline dump. I would recommend that after an incident like that you go to the hospital to be checked out before making any statement. This will give you time to calm down and get your thoughts together. Tell the police you are ill and need an ambulance. Then once you have calmed down call an attorney.
I don't know what Eckenrodt spent on his defense but I would guess he spent at least what a modest home would have cost him. I bet he wishes he had never pressed the trigger.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local...cle_a69bb880-87dd-50c5-9745-9f9ecc779454.html
This is the description of the incident:
Police, court documents and the judge's ruling give this account of the encounter:
The Papa John's store at 3630 South Grand was closed to walk-ins about 1:40 a.m. on June 2, 2018, when Upchurch pulled his car onto the sidewalk in front of the shop, knocked on the front door and put his credit card on the glass signaling his desire to buy something. Eckenrodt opened the door to tell Upchurch the store was closed but Upchurch stuck his foot in the doorway when Eckenrodt tried to shut it.
Eckenrodt eventually deadbolted the door, and Upchurch continued shouting at him and his manager from outside. Upchurch went back to his car and pulled it several feet forward before coming back to the window and shouting more. When he came back a third time, Eckenrodt called 911, describing Upchurch as a "belligerent drunk."
"Mr. Upchurch seemed more agitated each time he returned," Sengheiser wrote.
Eckenrodt's manager also called 911 and locked himself in a rear cooler/panic room. Upchurch returned twice more, at one point parking his car in the middle of South Grand, and coming back to the window with a cinder block.
His first attempt at tossing it through the window failed to shatter it. By his second attempt, Eckenrodt emerged from the side of the building, encountered Upchurch and fired three 9mm shots, hitting him once in the hip. The bullet took a lethal path inside his body, puncturing an artery and one of Upchurch's lungs.
Upchurch fled to his car and drove off but crashed about three blocks away into a traffic light and fire hydant at South Grand and Chippewa Street.
Eckenrodt didn’t do himself any favors when he gave his statement to the police:
Former Assistant Circuit Attorney Morley Swingle said at the October bench trial that Upchurch never set foot inside the store and was unarmed. He said Eckenrodt, in a police interview room hours after the shooting, was recorded rambling to himself about the shooting and referred to Upchurch with a racial slur.
"You straight shot that (slur)," Eckenrodt said. "Give me all your pizza. Pow, pow, pow. That was (expletive) sweet. That was like watching a movie, man. … Still think he's a (expletive) idiot. Pow, pow, pow pow. (Expletive) you. I did everything right. Pop, pop pop. And then he goes down. This guy is a piece of work. Pop, pop, pop."
The judge ruled that Eckenrodt’s statement didn’t change the facts of the case. The ruling is at this link:
https://www.stltoday.com/read-judge...pdf_de0ca357-8b78-566e-8634-538e0a1d72d5.html
It sounds to me like he gave the police his statement when he was still under the effects of the adrenaline dump. I would recommend that after an incident like that you go to the hospital to be checked out before making any statement. This will give you time to calm down and get your thoughts together. Tell the police you are ill and need an ambulance. Then once you have calmed down call an attorney.
I don't know what Eckenrodt spent on his defense but I would guess he spent at least what a modest home would have cost him. I bet he wishes he had never pressed the trigger.