Liberal Forum

John McNeil of Cobb County GA. Sentenced to Life After Officers Determine Self Defense in ShootingJohn McNeil, a father who was defending his teenage son, himself, and his home, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in November 2006 for killing Brian Epp, a white trespasser. The Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court found that Epp, an armed trespasser on McNeils property had already threatened McNeils son with a box cutter. When McNeil arrived home to protect his son, he told the trespasser to get off the McNeil property. Eyewitnesses saw the trespasser, with the box cutter still on his person, keep advancing toward McNeil. McNeil warned him again, and when the trespasser got within a few feet of McNeil, the homeowner fired a warning shot into the ground. The trespasser continued to advance in a threatening manner toward McNeil, ignoring McNeils command to back up. When the trespasser was within arms distance where he could injure or kill McNeil with the box cutter, or grab McNeils weapon, McNeil fired one shot, which was fatal.Read more on the John McNeil story here.The officers determined that John McNeil acted in self defense and did not arrest him.Later, however, the District Attorney brought the matter before a grand jury.Indictments were brought. The man who tried to defend himself and his home was tried, convicted of felony murder andsentenced to life in prison.NAACPThis is the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case in reverse.John McNeil is black and Brian Epp was white.