Despite the apparent lameness of his explanation, I have to say I’m kind of believing John Norris.
He’s the guy from San Miguel who showed up in court this week to hear the charges against him in the death of his wife, Tasha Norris, last July.
His story is that he was standing on the stairs with the gun in his hand when the dog ran under his feet, tripping him and causing the gun to discharge.
The bullet hit his wife, who was sitting on the couch, and she died at the scene shortly after.
On its face, Norris’ account of the incident has all the trappings of a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me scenario. It sounds like the kind of half-baked story that someone might cook up in an effort to explain a crime with no other surviving witnesses than himself.
Yet, if that was the case, and this was some kind of coverup on his part, why is he only facing an involuntary manslaughter charge?
That’s probably the best argument in his favor, that deputies and prosecutors are not pursuing some kind of higher charge up to and including murder.
Norris’ attorney, Ilan Funke-Bilu, says his client is “a good man and what happened is a tragic, tragic thing. … He continues to be in a state of shock.”
Funke-Bilu also says Norris has no history of crime or domestic violence.
In Tuesday’s testimony, a sheriff’s deputy noted that Norris tried to stop the bleeding and “wanted to continue to help his wife,” even after medics arrived.
I know this is only a preliminary hearing, but none of these initial facts point to a crime.
If this was truly an accident, then why must we assign criminal blame?
The case continues this morning, so we’ll know soon enough whether the case justifies a full trial.
With one life already lost and another badly scarred, here’s hoping this case is what it seems and that no further pain need be administered beyond what has occurred already.
Tribune photo by Joe Johnston
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“If this was truly an accident, then why must we assign criminal blame?”
Because the dog did not cause him to have his finger on the trigger. If his finger had not been on the trigger, his wife would still be alive. He is guilty of criminal negligence at the very least.
Just too early to say at this point. Let the forensics team do their job and see how it unfolds in court before this guy is tried and convicted in the public sphere.
How is it that someone that is tripping over the dog on the stairs towards the south can shoot someone on the couch who is facing the west without turning? She did not do alot of re-arranging and I have been in their house more than once. So my question? Was he going up the stairs or down? either way he is in a downward motion I have fallin up the stairs and down the stairs and both ways it was a downward motion with no time to react let alone and shoot someone centermass so how can it be justified? I would like to know the answer to the question. Any thoughts?