Waterfront Shooting

[Exbiker]

I used to sleep in Homestead down near the water at a big commercial laundry in an old brick building.

[Justin]

Just figured that I'd post this update. The lying, murdering bastard was sentenced to life in prison without parole. I sincerely hope that he never gets released. I meant to post it a while back, but forgot. I just found myself thinking about it again. Definitely a crazy night.

I never had to testify, there were enough witnesses, as well as video, that they only called some of the staff to testify.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10273/1091408-53.stm

Whether the jury that heard the homicide case against Freedom Bey was all white or not, a judge told the defendant Wednesday, there are some laws that transcend race and community.

"To take another person's life is fundamentally wrong," said Allegheny County Judge Joseph K. Williams III.

Minutes earlier, the judge sentenced Mr. Bey to the state-mandated term for first-degree murder -- life in prison without parole.

Mr. Bey was convicted in July of killing Brendan Brooks, 38, at the Eat 'n Park restaurant at the Waterfront in June 2008.

Before his hearing had even begun, Mr. Bey, 37, told the judge he didn't believe he received a fair trial. Specifically, he told Judge Williams that he believed there was prosecutorial misconduct, that several witnesses perjured themselves and that he did not believe that the all-white jury that heard his case accurately reflected his community.

"There was no way I was going to get a fair trial," Mr. Bey said. "There were no ethnic groups. There was a 54-year-old man from Upper St. Clair."

Defense attorney Patrick Thomassey, who twice challenged the makeup of the jury before the trial started, agreed with his client.

"An all-white jury doesn't understand what happens in other communities in this city," he said. "When you have a self-defense case, like I tried here, white jurors can't understand the mindset of an inner-city kid."

Deputy District Attorney Mark V. Tranquilli disagreed.

"We're advocates. It's our job to educate jurors about the differences in our communities," he said.

Judge Williams told Mr. Bey he was sympathetic to his concerns and that he wished that juries would more accurately represent the community. But, he continued, he did not believe that changed the outcome of the trial.

"I do not see you as the victim in this case," the judge said. "I think we create our own realities. I think you've created a reality that increased the probability these things would happen."

Mr. Bey claimed self-defense during the trial, alleging that Mr. Brooks had terrorized him for years, including assaulting him with a knife and a gun.

The day Mr. Brooks was killed, Mr. Bey was at Eat 'n Park with two female friends.

When Mr. Brooks walked in about 3:30 a.m., witnesses testified that Mr. Bey became visibly upset.

He walked out of the restaurant and back in and then stopped outside a window near Mr. Brooks' table, shouting at him.

Mr. Brooks eventually walked out of the restaurant to try to calm Mr. Bey. Instead, he was shot twice.

Judge Williams said that the morning of the shooting, Mr. Bey was out with friends, living the high life and having a good time.

"The last person you wanted to see that night was Brendan Brooks," he said. "That need to be who you wanted -- that crumbled in on you.

"That's why, I believe, you acted the way that you did."

The victim's mother and brother both spoke at the sentencing.

Linda Brooks carried with her to the courtroom a black box containing her son's ashes.

"At the end of the day, this is what he left me with," Ms. Brooks said tapping the box.

Dane Brooks was found not guilty in August of a March 2008 homicide at the Mac Can Do bar in Homewood, where he worked as a doorman.

He condemned Mr. Bey's argument of self-defense.

"Come on. You gunned down the man. Self-defense?" Dane Brooks asked.

But Mr. Bey told the Brooks family he was sorry for what happened.

"My heart goes out to that family," he said. "I didn't want that man dead. I live with it every day.

"I was forced to pull that firearm. I wasn't there that night as some murderer."

The last line of that article pisses me off to no end. I watched the bastard spend 10 minutes antagonizing the victim, and then run up to him and shoot him. But I suppose it's obviously expected when dealing with such filth.

[Emptymag]

Yeah. I'm sure he was a "good kid".


I do like that comment about creating our own realities.

[aveojohn]

So, not understanding the "mindset of inner city kids" justified murder? Thomassy should go to jail also. Hope this scum rots in prison then burns in hell.

[Last Resort]

IMHO, sinking all that money into developing the waterfront in its current location is akin to building a beautiful shopping mall for US citizens in Baghdad. Can't say I'm terribly shocked to hear about the car jackings, shootings, and other pleasantries that occur down there. I try to avoid going down there as much as I can.