John Landers

Good Samaritan in legal limbo?

On June of last year, a masked armed robber went inside a Burger King in Miami and got his ticket to the other side by a customer with a concealed weapons permit. The citizen himself was wounded in the exchange and in a very amazing and possibly spur of the moment emotional outburst, Miami police spokesman Jeff Giordano said that the citizen was a good Samaritan. “There were a lot of people inside the Burger King; he may have saved lives. It was a brave act.” he was quoted. The Good Samaritan was identified the man as 45-year-old John Landers, a photographer by trade and well liked by peers and neighbors.  Landers was wounded and had to be taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital to be treated….. and that was the last anybody heard of this issue.

15 months later I find out that Mr. Landers, shot 4 times in the chest, arm and hand, is still recovering from his wounds and he has not been cleared yet of the shooting. His weapon is still in the hands of the police who refuse to return it unless a court order is issued and he still has another year till the DA becomes unable to press charges is any are forthcoming according to them.

I think it was Massad Ayoob said that you don’t win a gun fight, you survive it. This shows the truth of that statement, specially when the legal mongrels decide to make your life miserable by keeping you in legal limbo.

Correction:

I was explained the following:

As to the outcome, Miami PD presented their investigation to the SAO who ruled the homicide justifiable. However since there are accomplice/s, information of sufficient value to warrant an arrest would lead to a felony homicide charge and place the guy in the center of a homicide trial as a star witness. He acted in the manor any of us sympathize with however he is not clear of the legal system. And as (XXX) mentioned, he is still healing from his wounds which, were made with a .380. The civil aspects of this can expose him to jeopardy for I think 2 years (lawyers please correct me if I am mistaken).

He is lawyered up and is properly following the advise to avoid discussing the incident and living a low profile life while trying to get back to normal.