(ConservativeSense.com) – A man in New York City is facing attempted murder charges for tackling an armed intruder he believed was stealing.
Moussa Diarra, a parking garage attendant, saw Charles Rhodie looking into cars and became suspicious. He confronted him and asked to search his bag. Rhodie is alleged to have then pulled a gun on Diarra and a tussle ensued during which Rhodie got shot. Now both parties face charges that could carry hefty prison terms. It is the latest in a series of self-defense cases that have ended in charges for the victim.
Last summer, Jose Alba was charged with murder when he fatally stabbed ex-con Simon Austin in self-defense. Austin came behind the counter of a New York City bodega and attacked Alba, who then fought back using a knife.
Following a public outcry, charges against the store clerk were dropped but not before the 61-year-old had spent a week locked up on Rikers Island. The story also involved Simon’s girlfriend who allegedly stabbed Alba but faced no charges. Simon Austin’s brother later launched a lawsuit against the store.
The issue of self-defense spreads beyond New York and the notion itself is facing a threat. The concept was discussed at length following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse in 2021. Rittenhouse was cleared of homicide for shooting two men at a protest in 2020 – at the height of the Black Lives Matter riots.
He argued that he feared for his life and the jury believed him, leading President Biden to wade in and express regret at the jury’s decision. Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, afterward predicted that the acquittal would be used to further erode self-defense rights in the United States.
Tali Farhadian Weinstein, an NBC legal analyst, soon proved him correct when she used the case to argue for a reassessment of self-defense. At least one university newspaper published the same argument.
The Pittsburgh paper said Rittenhouse had gotten away with murder on a technicality.
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