MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – After numerous delays, jury selection is scheduled to get underway Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of firing the fatal shot which killed All-Pro Safety Sean Taylor during a botched burglary.
Eric Rivera Jr., 23, was one of five men accused of breaking into Taylor’s Palmetto Bay home in 2007. At the time the group, who drove to the Miami area from Ft. Myers, were all teenagers.
Investigators said the group, who thought the home was empty, was looking for a stash of cash.
What they didn’t know was that Taylor was at home nursing an injury instead of taking the field with his Washington Redskins teammates for a road game at Tampa.
When the 6-foot-2, 230-pound player — well known as a ferocious hitter — confronted them with a machete early on Nov. 26, 2007, Rivera allegedly fired two shots. One missed. The other hit Taylor in the upper leg, causing massive blood loss that led to his death a day later at age 24.
Because Rivera was only 17 at the time of the crime, he faces life in prison instead of the death penalty if convicted. Jury selection is expected to take about four days.
I'm surprised he's being prosecuted for killing Sean Taylor and not just for the burglary. It's Florida... doesn't he have a right to stand his ground? Dangerous black man had a machete.
Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:I'm surprised he's being prosecuted for killing Sean Taylor and not just for the burglary. It's Florida... doesn't he have a right to stand his ground? Dangerous black man had a machete.
"What I'm saying is: You might have taken care of your wolf problem, but everyone around town is going to think of you as the crazy son of a bitch who bought land mines to get rid of wolves."
Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:I'm surprised he's being prosecuted for killing Sean Taylor and not just for the burglary. It's Florida... doesn't he have a right to stand his ground? Dangerous black man had a machete.
Derp. He broke into someone else's house. Not exactly his "ground".
Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:I'm surprised he's being prosecuted for killing Sean Taylor and not just for the burglary. It's Florida... doesn't he have a right to stand his ground? Dangerous black man had a machete.
Derp. He broke into someone else's house. Not exactly his "ground".
Derp. Obviously I was facetiously mocking Zimmerman getting off scot-free for killing a black man who was "threatening" him.
Grizalltheway wrote:
Derp. He broke into someone else's house. Not exactly his "ground".
Derp. Obviously I was facetiously mocking Zimmerman getting off scot-free for killing a black man who was "threatening" him.
Totally different circumstances. And I'm sure you would feel threatened if someone was bashing your head against a sidewalk. Hell, you pulled a knife on a couple punks with skateboards.
Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:
Derp. Obviously I was facetiously mocking Zimmerman getting off scot-free for killing a black man who was "threatening" him.
Totally different circumstances. And I'm sure you would feel threatened if someone was bashing your head against a sidewalk. Hell, you pulled a knife on a couple punks with skateboards.
