Opening statements are set to begin Monday morning in the trial of Curtis Reeves, who has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated battery in the killing of Chad Oulson in January 2014. Jury selection took place over four days last week, ending Thursday when six jurors and four alternates were selected to hear the case, according to Stephen Thompson, a spokesperson for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit Court.
“The eight year delay is, in my opinion, embarrassing and only benefited Curtis Reeves as it allowed him to contribute to be at home with his loved ones and spend time with his family,” TJ Grimaldi said in a statement, “all while Ms. Oulson was stuck waiting for delay after delay to be resolved.”
Shooting occurred after argument about texting
Reeves initially claimed he shot Oulson in self-defense when the two got into an argument over Oulson texting during a screening of “Lone Survivor” in a Wesley Chapel movie theater outside Tampa.
Reeves and his attorneys have argued that Oulson threw a cell phone at Reeves’ head and was aggressively leaning over a chair toward him when the shooting occurred. In pre-trial hearings in 2017 over his “stand your ground” defense, Reeves testified that he “perceived” Oulson was about to punch him, WFTS reported at the time.
In audio prosecutors played in court of Reeves talking to detectives shortly after the shooting, he said, “If I had to do it over again, it would have never happened. I wouldn’t have moved. But you don’t get do-overs.”
Prosecutors countered that popcorn was not a weapon, adding witnesses did not report seeing Oulson throwing his cell phone.
Florida was the first state in the country to enact a “stand your ground” law in 2005. The law — famously surfaced in the 2013 trial of George Zimmerman over the killing of Trayvon Martin — allows residents to use deadly force when they fear they are at risk of death or great bodily harm. Zimmerman ultimately did not invoke the statute, and he was acquitted in that case.
But Judge Susan Barthle expressed doubt the defendant was acting in self-defense and rejected the claim. The judge was unwilling, she said, to “come to the conclusion that these circumstances are those envisioned by the Legislature when the ‘stand your ground’ law was enacted.”
Oulson’s widow ‘can’t wait’ to see justice served
Oulson did financial work for a powersports vehicle dealership in Port Richey, the station said, and loved to ride dirt bikes and go boating.
Before that, he’d served in the US Navy from 1990 to 1997 and was an aviation maintenance administration petty officer 2nd class, according to the Navy.
Meantime, the last 8 years have been hard for Nicole Oulson, Grimaldi, her attorney, told CNN, as she has had to navigate being a single mother while also grieving the loss of her husband.
“While going through a trial forces her to relive this situation, that she would rather forget, she can’t wait for the day that justice is served, Curties Reeves is found guilty and spends the rest of his natural life in prison paying for his crimes,” Grimaldi said.
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