RedRocket1647545505 Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 I know I've posed the challenge on here a few times during one of CR's great CCW debates, but no one has ever found me one; Find me one news article where a CCWer has fucked up. Just wanted to let you know that I finally found one. Discuss: South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Police report: Federal agent's death due to road rage Story and photos By Macollvie Jean-Francois, Brian Haas, Andrew Tran and Rachel Hatzipangos Sun-Sentinel.com 5:06 PM EDT, August 7, 2008 MIRAMAR A police report says today that U.S. border protection agent Donald Pettit died as the result of a road rage incident. The report said both Pettit and James Patrick Wonder, the man charged with his murder, exchanged obscene gestures with each other as they drove along Dykes Road Tuesday morning. The report said Wonder, 65, pulled into the Pembroke Pines post office first from Dykes Road. It said Pettit then pulled into the post office parking lot from Pines Boulevard. There, they argued some more, Wonder pulled a gun from his waistband, removed the safety and shot Pettit in the head, the report said. The report said police received two Crime Stoppers tips that pointed toward Wonder and that Wonder admitted to police he shot Pettit when questioned. Deputy Police Chief Mike Segarra said at a news conference this afternoon that he didn't know if Pettit had business at the post office or if he pulled in to talk to Wonder. He said the two men did not know each other. Wonder "was late to his appointment, rushing to his appointment, he was late for his dialysis," Segarra said. Meanwhile, neighbors of Wonder, who lives in Miramar, said said they were surprised today. Wonder "was a quiet guy, respectful," said Daniel Rizzi, 38. "No one saw this coming. Never saw a temper." Wonder has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of Pettit. Pettit's 12-year-old daughter witnessed the slaying, police said. Wonder was taken to Memorial Regional West in Pembroke Pines after being questioned by police Wednesday night, said police spokesman Sgt. Bryan Davis. He was transferred to the Broward County Mail Jail this afternoon. Segarra said he was not sure of the reason for the hospitalization, but said it probably had something to do with why Wonder was at a Davie dialysis center on State Road 84 when he was caught Wednesday. Police said two things helped them catch Wonder: an anonymous tip and a detailed description of the shooter by Pettit's daughter. "The daughter was so instrumental," Segarra said Wednesday night. "She's a star. She's something else" Police arrested Wonder as he left the Universal Kidney Center of Davie in The Plaza shopping center, Segarra said. Segarra said Wonder was a patient at the dialysis center. The arrest ends a hunt that included more than 500 police officers from local, state and federal agencies, traffic roadblocks and the use of military Blackhawk helicopters. Rizzi said Wonder had recently started taking care of his wife's 92-year-old mother. "The last 12 years, I've never seen the guy argue with anyone," said Rizzi, who lives in the Silver Lakes neighborhood, less than 2 miles from Pettit's home. Another neighbor, Staci Hains, 41, said Wonder used to be a truck driver whose route usually took him to Orlando. Police said Pettit, an internal affairs agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was on-duty at the time and had his gun in his car. The shooting left Pettit's family reeling and begging for justice. He left behind another daughter, 15. "This man has destroyed my family and taken the love of my life," said his wife, Ileana Pettit, at a news conference before the arrest. Wonder has a concealed weapons permit, according to state records. He has been married for 30 years to Aurora Gonzalez. His relatives could not be reached to comment. The tip that sent police scrambling after the man sought in the agent's killing came before 2 p.m. Wednesday. Segarra said an anonymous caller said someone matching the killer's description was at the Davie kidney center. Police rushed there, shutting the plaza down. Segarra said Wonder left with police without incident. Donald Pettit spent 20 years in the Army and 15 years with the Food and Drug Administration. He became a border protection agent in January. Rene Rodriguez, 58, met Pettit in the early 1980s, when both men joined the U.S. Army. From homicides to larcenies, the two traveled the world cracking military cases as members of the service's Criminal Investigation Command. Besides a passion for golf and cigars, Rodriguez said Pettit's biggest love was his family. "I only had two friends in the whole world who I could talk to about anything," said Rodriguez, of Pompano Beach. "Don was one of them. Now, he's gone." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted August 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 My opinion: Both were idiots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Automotive Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 2 things I find wrong here... As and officer, he should not have pulled into the parking lot after him. He should have kept driving... And he should have not left "because he was late" Hey if he feared for his life, then more power to him. I think there will be some upkeep on this case because an officer was shot. If it was anyone else, they probably wouldnt care. Either way, if you shoot someone in self defense you are still charged with murder. Its up to the Grand Jury to decide if it was an act of self defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAOLE Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 We better ban steak knives. None of us were there. I wonder if the other guy pulled his gun out, and the shooter reacted to the situation. After all the officer was the one that followed the shooter into the post office. We will never know the whole story, the truth lies in the middle somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 exactly. we will likely never know the whole story. both were wrong. I guess the way I see it, the guy who's dead was more wrong since he ended up dead. He should have known better, never have pursued the other guy like that and above all never have done anything with his kid in the car. I feel bad for him, but he was just plain stupid. None of that justifies what the old guy did, but then his problems are just beginning. We better ban steak knives. None of us were there. I wonder if the other guy pulled his gun out, and the shooter reacted to the situation. After all the officer was the one that followed the shooter into the post office. We will never know the whole story, the truth lies in the middle somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin R. Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 It was not self-defense. I have been following this story since it happened. They were simply arguing, pulls gun, BAM dead. There was no reason, especially in front of the dude's daughter. I don't think it has anything to do with CCW or not though. The guy is a murderer end of story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 Why was hos 12 year old in the car when he was on-duty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin R. Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Why was hos 12 year old in the car when he was on-duty? Probably because he is a border patrol agent and they don't do anything anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAOLE Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 It was not self-defense. I have been following this story since it happened. They were simply arguing, pulls gun, BAM dead. There was no reason, especially in front of the dude's daughter. You have no way of knowing that. Four people know what really happened, the shooter, the dead guy , the girl, and God. Don't think for a second the media and police will not spin this to side with the agent. The Blue Wall is very real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHaze Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 It's all awful. Like Rick said, with every story there are details left out. Both parties are faulted with something, but the end result was shocking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokin5s Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 You have no way of knowing that. Four people know what really happened, the shooter, the dead guy , the girl, and God. Don't think for a second the media and police will not spin this to side with the agent. The Blue Wall is very real. so are you saying God is a person? sorry, I read that and had to throw that in... just to stay on topic, I think the shooter should have the book thrown at him... seriously... if he shot someone out of road rage then fuck him, let bubba give him his dialasys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourString Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Great, now the anti-gun liberals will eat this up for sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Teg Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I wonder how it will play out. In Florida, if you feel threatend by a person, you can use deadly force without a duty to retreat as far as I understand it. I know I may have felt threatend if someone pulled in after me after giving him the finger. What he's got going against him is that he left the scene. #1 big no-no that will help in your prosicution in a self defense case. You never know what the guy said before he got shot, he could have told him that he's gonna get his gun out of his car and kill him and then got popped. The antis will have a field day with this regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 This story reads as if it was not self defense. I won't fire a gun at someone unless they already shot at me or towards me. I am lucky this has never happened in my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Teg Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Either way, if you shoot someone in self defense you are still charged with murder. Its up to the Grand Jury to decide if it was an act of self defense. I'm pretty sure it's up to the prosicutor if you will be charged with murder or not. If so, then the grand jury decides if you will stand trial, then a jury will decide. I shot someone in self defense back in '05 during a robbery, and was never charged with anything at any point. The person lived, but I believe if they wanted to be dicks they may have been able to charge me with attempted murder as he almost died. Now I know if you kill someone, it does get ruled a homicide, then depending on if you get charged or not , gets ruled a justifiable homicide. At least these are my understandings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Teg Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 This story reads as if it was not self defense. I won't fire a gun at someone unless they already shot at me or towards me. I am lucky this has never happened in my life. True, the story reads that way, but I've learned not to completely trust the media. We don't know what actually happend so we can't say, but just the fact that he fled would lead me to believe that maybe it wasn't self defense, but you never know. People get scared and do stupid things. If I feel that there's a high probability of me getting hurt/killed then there's a good chance that I will fire the first shot. I'm not gonna give some thug the upperhand by letting him get the drop on me and decide if he's actually gonna hurt me or not. I don't play that game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAOLE Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I'm pretty sure it's up to the prosicutor if you will be charged with murder or not. If so, then the grand jury decides if you will stand trial, then a jury will decide. I shot someone in self defense back in '05 during a robbery, and was never charged with anything at any point. The person lived, but I believe if they wanted to be dicks they may have been able to charge me with attempted murder as he almost died. Now I know if you kill someone, it does get ruled a homicide, then depending on if you get charged or not , gets ruled a justifiable homicide. At least these are my understandings. If you don't mind, would you share the details on what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotCarl Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 all for what? because one guy or the other couldn't just let it go right? This is why I hate hearing about people who try to be hardass's on the road. The article did say the agent was on duty but his duty piece was in the car during the confrontation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffmeden Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Neither one of them should have stopped, but if Wonder was 'late' enough for his dialysis he could have been acting irrationally for medical reasons. I bet that angle will be played in this. I am a CCW holder and would defend that right for anyone who is competent, but if this guy pleas temporary insanity I will gladly start a "No guns for grandpa" campaign. The article did say the agent was on duty but his duty piece was in the car during the confrontation. Awful suspicious that he would be unarmed and have his daughter in the car, while on duty, it sounds like some facts are mixed up. What is a "border protection agent" anyway and what do they do in Florida? Guard the beach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Dummy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Automotive Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 I'm pretty sure it's up to the prosicutor if you will be charged with murder or not. If so, then the grand jury decides if you will stand trial, then a jury will decide. I shot someone in self defense back in '05 during a robbery, and was never charged with anything at any point. The person lived, but I believe if they wanted to be dicks they may have been able to charge me with attempted murder as he almost died. Now I know if you kill someone, it does get ruled a homicide, then depending on if you get charged or not , gets ruled a justifiable homicide. At least these are my understandings. I dont know about 05 and not sure if you were in Ohio. But I know as of current times in ohio if you shoot someone you will see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate1647545505 Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 You have no way of knowing that. Four people know what really happened, the shooter, the dead guy , the girl, and God. Don't think for a second the media and police will not spin this to side with the agent. The Blue Wall is very real. So the logical thought process for anyone who uses a firearm is to leave the scene after killing someone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.