A video showing a confrontation between a YouTube content creator known for his pranks and a food delivery driver who resorted to violence against him at a shopping center in Virginia was played in court.
Self-defense prevails: YouTube prankster who shot freed (tannerc00k/Instagram)(Instagram)
On Thursday, a jury returned a not guilty verdict for 31-year-old Alan Colie on a charge of aggravated malicious wounding of 21-year-old Tanner Cook.
Tanner is the person behind the YouTube channel Classified Goons. The jury, however, was divided on two minor firearms charges, convicting Alan on one count and acquitting him on the other.
The incident unfolded when Alan recorded a disturbing video on his cellphone when Tanner approached him at a Dulles Towne Center restaurant and pursued him while playing the audio.
The video shows Alan avoiding Tanner, verbally instructing Alan to stop doing it on three separate occasions and trying to push Tanner’s cell phone away from his face. After about 20 seconds, Alan pulled out a firearm and fired, wounding the YouTuber.
Social media platforms witnessed a large number of individuals supporting Alan’s actions, stating that Tanner was engaging in the harassment of a complete stranger.
Prosecutors argued that Colie used a firearm in a situation that did not require such extreme measures, characterizing it as a fight over a cell phone.
Despite this, the jury sided with Alan’s claim of self-defense, a claim usually reserved for individuals who can demonstrate a reasonable belief that they faced imminent and serious bodily harm.
Alan was later acquitted of charges relating to grievous bodily harm and wrongful dismissal. However, he still faces charges of shooting into an inhabited apartment, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
In response to the verdict, Cook expressed his intention to continue making humorous videos for his YouTube channel.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn