And now, the rest of the story.Teen in Wal-Mart shootout gets state prison time.

[Fatman]

Keeping Paul Harvey alive. Wish they left the attempted murder charge. And where are the Fed charges for criminal use of a firearm? Plea bargained away, as usual. God forbid we slap on the mandatory, non-concurrent years he earned.

Teen in Wal-Mart shootout gets state prison time

March 21, 2009

A Smithfield Township teenager couldn't dodge a bullet fired back at him from a man he tried to rob at gunpoint in the East Stroudsburg Wal-Mart parking lot in August.

This week, Reneau Jacques, 18, couldn't dodge another bullet, a sentence of 11 years and six months to 25 years in state prison for that crime. Facing attempted murder and other charges, Jacques was sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and attempted robbery.

A police affidavit gives the following account:

At 12:45 a.m. Aug. 28, Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg, was loading groceries into his vehicle in the Wal-Mart parking lot when Jacques, 17 at the time, approached him, pointed a handgun at him and demanded he hand over money.

Seeing no one around to yell to for help, Eastman opened the door of his vehicle wider, putting the door between himself and Jacques, who then pointed the gun at Eastman's face. Eastman ducked as Jacques fired a shot that went through the window of the door, almost striking Eastman and causing flying glass from the window to cut Eastman's face.

Eastman pulled out his own handgun while falling to the ground and shot back under the door at Jacques, who continued firing at him. Eastman shot Jacques three times in the lower leg and foot, then ran back toward Wal-Mart as Jacques fled toward Friendly's restaurant.

Police arrived on scene and found Jacques hiding in a landscaped island of bushes and trees in the parking lot, trying to bury the gun under mulch. Jacques was arrested, taken to the hospital and later arraigned on charges.

"We weren't able to confirm reports of this crime being a gang initiation," District Attorney David Christine said. "We got information about two males in a car watching Jacques and taking off when the robbery plan failed, but we weren't able to get any verification."

On Thursday, rumors of a supposed gang initiation that would involve wannabe gang members shooting at Wal-Mart customers circulated in Monroe County. Police took precautions at the East Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono stores, but the rumor turned out to be a hoax.

— Andrew Scott

[PegLeg45]

"We weren't able to confirm reports of this crime being a gang initiation," District Attorney David Christine said. "We got information about two males in a car watching Jacques and taking off when the robbery plan failed, but we weren't able to get any verification."

On Thursday, rumors of a supposed gang initiation that would involve wannabe gang members shooting at Wal-Mart customers circulated in Monroe County. Police took precautions at the East Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono stores, but the rumor turned out to be a hoax.


Our local law was swarming all over the local wally world this past week due to this type of rumor.

And as for the criminal charges, it seems that it has become the common thing to do (plead it on down as low as you can go) since the criminal bastard didn't really mean to do it.
(note heavy sarcasm here).
I can hear it now, "He was neglected as a child and trying to kill and rob that man was derived from said neglect. We shouldn't put him in jail for very long as it may further damage his delicate psyche."

            

[fightingquaker13]

You know, normally I'm not a big fan of maxing out teenagers. I do believe that in general young offenders should get enough of sentence to get their attention and still get a second chance, and not just be warehoused (on my dime) because people can change. However...once you pull the trigger in robbery its game over as far as I'm concerned. It demostrates your willing to kill over whatever you can get off of a guy in a wallyworld parking lot. It demonstrates the same level of cold booded selfishness as a rapist. Some things you don't get a second chance. I don't care if his daddy did beat him with a rake. This guy should be gone.
more fighting and less quaker over this one

[tombogan03884]

You know, normally I'm not a big fan of maxing out teenagers. I do believe that in general young offenders should get enough of sentence to get their attention and still get a second chance, and not just be warehoused (on my dime) because people can change. However...once you pull the trigger in robbery its game over as far as I'm concerned. It demostrates your willing to kill over whatever you can get off of a guy in a wallyworld parking lot. It demonstrates the same level of cold booded selfishness as a rapist. Some things you don't get a second chance. I don't care if his daddy did beat him with a rake. This guy should be gone.
more fighting and less quaker over this one

All violent felons should be put to death regardless of age.

[PegLeg45]

All violent felons should be put to death regardless of age.

And televise it.

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

All violent felons should be put to death regardless of age.

Tom, hope you don't miss the bad guy and hit a passerby one day (negligent homicide, a felony). I'm ok on the death penalty, just not one size fits all.
fightingquaker13

[tombogan03884]

 If I do I'll take my chances, but if I have to shoot some one I will not miss. If they are far enough away to miss then I probably shouldn't shoot them.

[fightingquaker13]

If I do I'll take my chances, but if I have to shoot some one I will not miss. If they are far enough away to miss then I probably shouldn't shoot them.

Thats why you carry a flintlock pistol and traded in your AR on a Sharps?
fightingquaker13

[tombogan03884]

[fightingquaker13]

Flintlocks, Sharps rifles, single shots? Just trying to follow up on the "I won't miss" motif.
FQ13 who does occasionally miss, and thus has two shots in his bond