'You know I got a gun?' So the Uber guy shot him
(CNN) ? After a heated text message exchange with his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Jason Boek followed an Uber he thought was giving her a ride home.Driving along a dark stretch of two-lane road in central Florida, Boek swerved his pickup truck early Tuesday morning in front of the rideshare car.
Uber driver Robert Westlake slammed on his brakes.
They narrowly avoided a crash and stopped in the middle of the roadway. Then, Boek jumped out of his truck and quickly walked toward Westlake?s Hyundai Elantra. ?You know I got a pistol?? Boek said, holding an object in the air. ?You want me to f****** shoot you??
Bang. With one shot, the Uber driver killed him.
The fatal confrontation, captured on Westlake?s dash camera, was what the Polk County sheriff called a ?classic ?stand your ground? case,? referring to the controversial Florida law that grants immunity to people acting in self-defense. ?This is a justifiable homicide all day long. You have the right protect yourself,? Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday. ?This was the intent of the law.?
But the incident still left Westlake, 38, shaken up and filled with doubt. ?Everybody tells me what I did was right, but you feel like, ?did I have to?? after the fact,? he told CNN affiliate WFTS.
?I wish the whole chain of events didn?t happen,? he added.
Boek, 34, didn?t actually have a firearm when he left his truck ? he was holding a cell phone, authorities said. And Westlake was no ordinary Uber driver. He?s a licensed armed security guard who holds a concealed weapon permit and who had just completed training to be a police officer. ?All that went through my head was I?m not getting shot and that?s when I popped up,? he said.
In a text message to CNN, Westlake expressed condolences to Boek?s family. The sheriff?s office said Westlake is cooperating with the investigation. And the sheriff wanted this much to be clear: ?Here?s a message for the hotheads of the community: Don?t do that stuff,? Judd said. ?Good people carry guns and they will shoot you. A lot. Graveyard dead.?
Boek?s family members could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
The Polk County Sheriff?s Office said Thursday it is not planning to bring a case against Westlake, but the investigation remains open pending the results of Boek?s autopsy. The sheriff?s office said the findings will be forwarded to the Office of State Attorney Brian Haas, whose jurisdiction includes Polk County.Assistant State Attorney Jacob Orr said prosecutors will review the investigation. He declined to comment further.
?He?s stalking his girlfriend?
The shooting is the latest high-profile ?stand your ground? case to spark controversy. The list includes the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012 by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, and Michael Drejka?s fatal shooting of Markeis McGlockton in July in a convenience store parking lot. Zimmerman was acquitted in Martin?s death after claiming self-defense, rather than leaning on the ?stand your ground? law. Drejka was initially let go but has since been charged with manslaughter.
Tuesday?s incident started with a case of mistaken identity.
At a bar in Dundee, Florida, early Tuesday morning, Boek?s girlfriend called an Uber for another woman who?d had too much to drink, and she helped her get into the vehicle, police said. Boek saw her and assumed his girlfriend had gotten into the Uber, though she?d actually gone back into the bar, the sheriff said.
Some time later, Boek and his girlfriend got into a heated text message exchange. ?The boyfriend is explosive,? Judd, the sheriff, said. ?He?s stalking his girlfriend. He?s angry with her, and he tells her, ?I?m going to eff up the Uber driver.'?Then, Boek drove after the Uber in his truck, Judd said. Boek ?tailgates him a minute, then he pulls out beside him, rides besides him a couple of seconds ? and then starts to pass him and forces him to a stop in the roadway,? Judd said.
About six seconds after Boek jumped out of his pick-up truck, Westlake shot him, according to the dash-cam video released by police.
?Oh my God,? Westlake can be heard saying. ?He came towards me?
Westlake then dialed 911 and tried to save Boek, the Polk County Sheriff?s Office said.
?He ran me off road, jumped out of his vehicle,? Westlake said calmly in the 911 call, which the sheriff?s office posted to YouTube. ?I couldn?t get away.??He came towards me, shouted he?s got a pistol, reached for his waistband.?Westlake said he fired one shot from a .40-caliber pistol.?He dropped a cell phone. I kicked it away,? said Westlake, who said he didn?t realize it was a cell phone at first.
Westlake told the 911 operator he was applying pressure to the wound as Boek took faint, shallow breaths.
?I thought for a moment that I hit it in a spot where he could survive. I thought for a moment after doing compressions (that) I had him back,? he told WFTS.
Boek died at the scene, the sheriff?s office said. Authorities did not find a gun other than Westlake?s at the scene, Judd said.
?Everything I do now I?m going to be reminded that this other person doesn?t get to do it. So it?s hard to enjoy some things,? Westlake said.
Uber, in a statement, said: ?We are saddened by this unfortunate incident and will continue to work with police on their investigation.?
The company?s policy prohibits drivers and passengers from carrying firearms while using the Uber app to the extent permitted by local law. Westlake has been suspended from using the app, Uber said. The company said it will evaluate his status after he submits a letter from law enforcement indicating that he is not a suspect or been charged in the shooting, the company said.
The-CNN-Wire? & ? 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
Uber driver Robert Westlake slammed on his brakes.
They narrowly avoided a crash and stopped in the middle of the roadway. Then, Boek jumped out of his truck and quickly walked toward Westlake?s Hyundai Elantra. ?You know I got a pistol?? Boek said, holding an object in the air. ?You want me to f****** shoot you??
Bang. With one shot, the Uber driver killed him.
The fatal confrontation, captured on Westlake?s dash camera, was what the Polk County sheriff called a ?classic ?stand your ground? case,? referring to the controversial Florida law that grants immunity to people acting in self-defense. ?This is a justifiable homicide all day long. You have the right protect yourself,? Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday. ?This was the intent of the law.?
But the incident still left Westlake, 38, shaken up and filled with doubt. ?Everybody tells me what I did was right, but you feel like, ?did I have to?? after the fact,? he told CNN affiliate WFTS.
?I wish the whole chain of events didn?t happen,? he added.
Boek, 34, didn?t actually have a firearm when he left his truck ? he was holding a cell phone, authorities said. And Westlake was no ordinary Uber driver. He?s a licensed armed security guard who holds a concealed weapon permit and who had just completed training to be a police officer. ?All that went through my head was I?m not getting shot and that?s when I popped up,? he said.
In a text message to CNN, Westlake expressed condolences to Boek?s family. The sheriff?s office said Westlake is cooperating with the investigation. And the sheriff wanted this much to be clear: ?Here?s a message for the hotheads of the community: Don?t do that stuff,? Judd said. ?Good people carry guns and they will shoot you. A lot. Graveyard dead.?
Boek?s family members could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
The Polk County Sheriff?s Office said Thursday it is not planning to bring a case against Westlake, but the investigation remains open pending the results of Boek?s autopsy. The sheriff?s office said the findings will be forwarded to the Office of State Attorney Brian Haas, whose jurisdiction includes Polk County.Assistant State Attorney Jacob Orr said prosecutors will review the investigation. He declined to comment further.
?He?s stalking his girlfriend?
The shooting is the latest high-profile ?stand your ground? case to spark controversy. The list includes the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012 by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, and Michael Drejka?s fatal shooting of Markeis McGlockton in July in a convenience store parking lot. Zimmerman was acquitted in Martin?s death after claiming self-defense, rather than leaning on the ?stand your ground? law. Drejka was initially let go but has since been charged with manslaughter.
Tuesday?s incident started with a case of mistaken identity.
At a bar in Dundee, Florida, early Tuesday morning, Boek?s girlfriend called an Uber for another woman who?d had too much to drink, and she helped her get into the vehicle, police said. Boek saw her and assumed his girlfriend had gotten into the Uber, though she?d actually gone back into the bar, the sheriff said.
Some time later, Boek and his girlfriend got into a heated text message exchange. ?The boyfriend is explosive,? Judd, the sheriff, said. ?He?s stalking his girlfriend. He?s angry with her, and he tells her, ?I?m going to eff up the Uber driver.'?Then, Boek drove after the Uber in his truck, Judd said. Boek ?tailgates him a minute, then he pulls out beside him, rides besides him a couple of seconds ? and then starts to pass him and forces him to a stop in the roadway,? Judd said.
About six seconds after Boek jumped out of his pick-up truck, Westlake shot him, according to the dash-cam video released by police.
?Oh my God,? Westlake can be heard saying. ?He came towards me?
Westlake then dialed 911 and tried to save Boek, the Polk County Sheriff?s Office said.
?He ran me off road, jumped out of his vehicle,? Westlake said calmly in the 911 call, which the sheriff?s office posted to YouTube. ?I couldn?t get away.??He came towards me, shouted he?s got a pistol, reached for his waistband.?Westlake said he fired one shot from a .40-caliber pistol.?He dropped a cell phone. I kicked it away,? said Westlake, who said he didn?t realize it was a cell phone at first.
Westlake told the 911 operator he was applying pressure to the wound as Boek took faint, shallow breaths.
?I thought for a moment that I hit it in a spot where he could survive. I thought for a moment after doing compressions (that) I had him back,? he told WFTS.
Boek died at the scene, the sheriff?s office said. Authorities did not find a gun other than Westlake?s at the scene, Judd said.
?Everything I do now I?m going to be reminded that this other person doesn?t get to do it. So it?s hard to enjoy some things,? Westlake said.
Uber, in a statement, said: ?We are saddened by this unfortunate incident and will continue to work with police on their investigation.?
The company?s policy prohibits drivers and passengers from carrying firearms while using the Uber app to the extent permitted by local law. Westlake has been suspended from using the app, Uber said. The company said it will evaluate his status after he submits a letter from law enforcement indicating that he is not a suspect or been charged in the shooting, the company said.
The-CNN-Wire? & ? 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
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This has to be fake! A one shot stop with a .40???[:0]
Hope the Uber dude gets over having to shoot the guy. Sounds to me like he did the right thing.0 -
And uber wants to disarm the law abiding too. [:(] 0 -
The debate is now over.
.40 cal is superior to the 9mm and the .45 cal.[:D][}:)]0 -
quote:Originally posted by 84Bravo1
The debate is now over.
.40 cal is superior to the 9mm and the .45 cal.[:D][}:)]
Both the .45 ACP and the 9mm have been killing people "graveyard dead" long before the .40 caliber was gleam in its Makers eyes...[8D][8D][:D]
There's a reason why most law enforcement agencies went back to the .45 and the 9mm after the .40 caliber failed them miserably...[:0][B)][B)][:D]0 -
I wish that law enforcement would stop using the "stand your ground" justification, especially when it doesn't even apply. This was a clear case of "imminent threat of death or serious harm", which justifies use of lethal force.
I feel bad for the Uber driver; being forced to kill someone will keep you awake for many nights, even when you had no choice. And, he will likely have to deal with getting sued by the moron's family.
Neal0 -
quote:Originally posted by remingtonoaks
quote:Originally posted by 84Bravo1
The debate is now over.
.40 cal is superior to the 9mm and the .45 cal.[:D][}:)]
Both the .45 ACP and the 9mm have been killing people "graveyard dead" long before the .40 caliber was gleam in its Makers eyes...[8D][8D][:D]
There's a reason why most law enforcement agencies went back to the .45 and the 9mm after the .40 caliber failed them miserably...[:0][B)][B)][:D]
I'll take the 9mm capacity and the .45cal lethality the .40cal offers.
That very few people appreciate and understand that concept, makes the .40cal an excellent deal. I only own five. (So far.)
(And) The .40 cal failed them miserably," due to Recoil Sensitive shooters/agents. That is why they went back to the Nine. Nothing more to it than that. IMHO.0 -
Let?s try to stay on topic here, guys.
45 ACP Rules!0 -
Looks like he's going to be un-employed driver and I doubt any force will hire him. All that time and money wasted. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by yoshmyster
Looks like he's going to be un-employed driver and I doubt any force will hire him. All that time and money wasted.
Why would no police force hire him?
Best news for the shooter was that he justifiably shot a white guy.0 -
Just a matter of time anyway before a 'tough guy' like Boek would have been killed by someone else.
I don't have much use for drunken hotheads.0 -
quote:Originally posted by yoshmyster
Looks like he's going to be un-employed driver and I doubt any force will hire him. All that time and money wasted.
He's got experience now...
...and a strong wrongful termination case.0 -
"I thought for a moment after doing compressions (that) I had him back,? he told WFTS."
Yeah, right....
CPR almost never works, and it never works on trauma cases.
This guy probably was being straight on he believes the positive BS put out by CPR advocates.
And, at least, it makes him look good in the eyes of the Sheriff and the civil court lawyers as this case is almost certainly headed to civil court.
Yes sir, shoot a young man in the chest, dump half of his blood into the abdominal cavity, and just do fifteen or twenty chest compressions, and he will be alive and well again. He will probably be on the US gymnastics team at the next Summer Olympics.0 -
I?m batting .500 with cpr; one guy was a 53 year old surgeon in full cardiac arrest at his own house, and the second was a 25-ish guy with a crushed trachea suffered when his motorcycle rear ended a car. Without CPR keeping them going both would have died right then.
The two no saves were elderly cancer patients.
One of my co workers used cpr to save her mother this past week. She sent me a letter if thanks for squeezing her into a cpr/AED class we held in June.
It isn?t a magic pill, and it?s not always going to keep people going until equipped medical personnel arrive. It may never have worked for you, but I know it?s worked twice for me.
Stay safe!0 -
When I died, our building contractor gave me CPR and got me back. Don't tell me it never works. 0 -
I was taught in first aid training that since I?m not a doctor, coroner or EMT once I start CPR I don?t quit until the victim is breathing or I?m relieved by a doctor, coroner or EMT or I?m physically unable to continue.
It?s my understanding it doesn?t work very often, but if you?re the one it worked on it was worth the trouble.
It does make your case look better in court unless the other lawyer claims you stopped while you were able to continue. I?m not in the best of shape but CPR does wear you out surprisingly quick.0 -
I've been at a few CPR saves. A few. Most didn't make it but we weren't there when the person dropped. Call, ride, arrive, takes time.
The sooner CPR is started the greater the chance for survival.
Defibrillators gave my crew the most saves after we received them.
Major trauma? Gotta plug the holes or like Allen said - your just pumping them out.
Remember MAST pants? In 1978 watched a hospital based Paramedic crew put them on a multiply stabbed [15-20 holes] victim. The pants just squeezed out the last drops of blood she had. They did not plug ALL the holes.
CPR - good to know like all FIRST aid.
Defibs are almost everywhere. Almost idiot proof too.0
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