Today's latest: no charges anticipated. The reporter screws up the "homicide" bit, but at least quotes the officer who states it correctly.
Note that the "family spokesman" is Condit's law partner, and attorney.
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/article ... news02.txt
No charges filed in Condit shooting
Thursday, November 16, 2006 10:23 AM CST
Family spokesman says self-defense; police await autopsy for final finding
By LORI DUNN
Texarkana Gazette and By Lynn LaRowe
Texarkana Gazette
Preliminary findings indicate Tuesday’s shooting death of Stacey Condit, a Texarkana attorney’s ex-wife, was self-defense, and no charges have been filed.
“We’re speculating it’s self-defense, but they are still taking statements. We want to wait until the autopsy results are back,� Wake Village Police Chief Tony Estes said late Wednesday.
The body has been sent to Dallas for an autopsy.
Condit, 39, was the ex-wife of attorney Bruce Condit. The shooting happened about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at Bruce Condit’s Wake Village home. Bruce Condit, his two grown children and two of their friends were at the house at the time of the incident.
They were questioned by police and released. No charges have been filed, said Wake Village Police Detective Keith Schutte.
Schutte said police know who shot Stacey Condit but are not releasing the person’s name pending the completion of the investigation.
Schutte said Stacey Condit went to the home with a rifle, apparently intending to hurt her ex-husband, and entered the house. She was shot with a shotgun that belonged to someone in the house, he said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Michael Peek, Bruce Condit’s close friend and law partner, said he had spoken to Condit, who told him what happened at the residence Tuesday.
It was self-defense that led Bruce Condit’s 21-year-old son to fatally shoot his former stepmother, Peek said in his capacity as the family’s spokesman on Wednesday. Stacey Condit was not the biological mother of either of Bruce Condit’s children.
“Chris was just protecting himself and his family,� said Peek. “This is a horrifically traumatic event. Mr. Condit and his family are too upset to talk to anybody. They’re still in shock.�
Peek said Bruce Condit was in his garage Tuesday when he saw his ex-wife stop her car in the middle of the street in front of his house.
“She got out of the car and pointed a rifle at him. He ran into the kitchen and locked the door,� said Peek.
Bruce Condit called 911.
“Noise from Stacey trying to break a bedroom window with the barrel of her gun, a .22 pump rifle, was mistaken for gunshots by Bruce and the 911 dispatcher,� Peek said.
Condit took cover in his bedroom and locked it when he saw his ex-wife enter the house via a window in his son’s bedroom and again level a gun at him, Peek said.
He said Condit’s 19-year-old daughter opened her bedroom door but quickly slammed it when she saw her former stepmother was aiming the weapon at her.
Condit’s son, Christopher, had taken refuge in a bathroom when Stacey Condit began trying to enter the home through his bedroom. With him, he took a 12-gauge shotgun he used for hunting, Peek said.
Chris fired the gun through the bathroom door, said Peek.
“The door opened and Stacey faced him with her gun. Chris fired the gun again and it hit her in the stomach,� Peek said. “I believe the investigation will also show she attempted to fire her gun but it malfunctioned.�
Peek said when Stacey Condit attempted to discharge the weapon is unknown.
Stacey Condit had gone to the law office of Condit, Peek and Young, on Plaza Drive, to speak with Bruce Condit around 3 p.m. Tuesday and again at 5 p.m., said Peek.
When his ex-wife refused to leave after the second visit, Bruce Condit tried to get in his truck and leave but was blocked by Stacey Condit’s car.
Peek says Bruce Condit called 911 because Stacey Condit was sitting in the passenger seat of his truck and refused to leave. When she learned police were on their way, she “keyed� Bruce Condit’s truck and left.
“Mr. Condit feels deep sympathy for Stacey’s family,� Peek said.
Schutte said Wake Village Police had responded to the house before during the Condit’s divorce, but only for civil matters.
Law enforcement officials will determine if the shooting was a homicide or a justified homicide.
“All deaths caused by another person are considered homicides. It’s just determining what type it is,� Schutte said Wednesday.
There has not been a homicide in Wake Village since 2003 when Jerod Kelley, 28, allegedly shot and killed Booker Willis, 53, wounded his estranged wife Regina Kelley and then held his children hostage in a home on Singapore Road.
To help win your case sure, but would you just for questioning?