When news stories hit that involve children being the victim of any form of sexual abuse, emotions run high. Oftentimes, people will support the person who tried to protect the child through illegal means. So it is in Arkansas. The man in question is one Aaron Spencer, who admitted to shooting a man to death who allegedly was committing a sex crime against his teenage daughter.
Unfortunately, society for the most part is supporting his deed and have cried out for the dismissal of murder charges against him. Well, they got their wish. A judge dismissed the case because a memory card that may have captured the altercation mysteriously disappeared. As it turns out, a deputy “lost” the card.
Clearly, the detective knew what he was doing when the card conveniently vanished into thin air. He lost his job, and rightfully so. I think we all know what happened here. The deputy gave in to his emotions and, I believe, purposefully lost the card. Had the card been found, Spencer would likely have gone to trial and he would, hopefully, have been convicted.
His daughter’s life was not in immediate danger. Spencer had other options available to him and he chose violence. We don’t need people like that running around free in society. What’s going to happen the next time Spencer gets angry? Who will die at his hand because a judge was too cowardly to stand tall?
As for the suspect, who was apparently out on bond, of course what he did was wrong. I am not defending his actions. But he did not deserve to die. He deserved to be put through the system and convicted. That is how you deal with people like that, not by taking matters into your own hands and murdering them. That is what Spencer did in my opinion: he murdered that man.
Here’s the kicker: Spencer is running for sheriff. Citizens deserve a sheriff who will follow the law, not ignore it. It is my hope that he loses.
As for me, I would never put myself in a position where prison time is on the table, even if a guy did something to my daughter. I am not going to prison for her. I will, however, see to it that the system does its job.
Too bad Spencer didn’t get that memo. Well, maybe he did and he just ignored it, just as he clearly ignores the law.