You be the judge

[pscot]

A Goodwater (Alabama) police officer shot a defendant twice inside the municipal courthouse Thursday after the man became unruly in response to a jail sentence .....

The initial investigation indicates that the man attacked the judge and tried to forcibly obtain a firearm, according to a Bureau statement.....


Attorney Bill Denson said Ford went for the judge's gun before being shot....

"The police were hollering for him to get down" when an officer opened fire, she said.....

"That man never went for no gun," Marion Allen said....

By Marty Roney and Scott Johnson, USA TODAY and Montgomery Advertiser

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-03-alabama-court-shooting_N.htm

[JuniperLea]

1. The judge was carrying a gun?

Was his holster outside his robes?

Hard to know who to believe in this case. I would doubt the first woman, who knew the guy, but the second may be credible. The defense lawyer seems like a good witness since he wasn't involved in the case.

I'd have to ask a lot more questions of those in the courtroom. There's something screwy here, and I can't tell if it's just really bad reporting or what.

[pscot]

2. That knd of leaps out at you

This is a piece of good journalism. The official line is there, but so is the rest of the story, and it's just he said, she said.