DADE CITY — For three years, the man at the center of a Pasco County theater shooting has sat in silence at the center of one of the area’s most high profile court cases. But on Tuesday, for the first time, Curtis Reeves will speak publicly about what happened the day he fatally shot 43-year-old Chad Oulson.
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Reeves, 74, is expected to testify Tuesday morning in a hearing where his attorneys are arguing that he should be immune from prosecution under Florida’s "stand your ground" law. It will be the first time the Reeves has publicly discussed the events of Jan. 13, 2014.
In an interview with police immediately after the shooting, Reeves said Oulson hit him with an object before he fired the fatal shot. The two men had argued after Reeves confronted Oulson about using his cell phone during previews before the movie Lone Survivor.
In court, Reeves’ attorneys have argued that Oulson threw a cell phone at Reeves, then tossed Reeves’ bag of popcorn at him. Those actions, they argue, made Reeves fear that he was about to get beat up.
Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Susan Barthle will decide whether the "stand your ground" law applies. The controversial law says that a person has no duty to retreat and can use deadly force when faced with a violent confrontation if he or she fears death or great bodily harm.
Check back with tampabay.com for live coverage of today’s hearing.
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