Phoenix father beats a man to death
for accosting daughter in bathroom
NBC News,
by
Beverly Yaa Danquah
Original Article
Posted By: DaddyO,
8/16/2019 6:25:14 AM
A Phoenix father is facing second degree murder charges for allegedly killing a man who allegedly harassed his young daughter. Police say Melvin Harris, 40, admitted to beating Leon Armstrong, 26, to death after he attempted to break into the teenage girl's stall at a QuikTrip convenience store bathroom. Harris was waiting for his daughter and her two friends in the store’s parking lot when Armstrong approached his car asking for money. Harris gave him change, then Armstrong walked into the convenience store, police said. Soon after, Harris' daughter and her friends came out of the store and said the man had harassed them, according to a police report.
I've noticed that very few, if any, of these bylines are credited to American-sounding names.
20 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
chumley 8/16/2019 6:48:38 AM (No. 153654)
Understandable, but it will be hard to defend. No imminent threat. The stomping and kicking when he was on the ground was probably a bit over the line.
15 people like this.
As long as he gets a jury of parents, I can't see a conviction. That is why a jury of your "peers" is an important element in our system. If they charge manslaughter they might have a chance but even that will be hard to sell to a jury of parents of teen girls who have seen the murders and rapes of our young. And tell me again why we should have uni gender bathrooms....
25 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
pros7767 8/16/2019 6:56:20 AM (No. 153658)
Back in the day, this is what was done to pedophiles.
Now progressives are trying to normalize this behavior.
35 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
chance_232 8/16/2019 7:28:50 AM (No. 153671)
The phrase "justifiable homicide" comes to mind.
30 people like this.
Keep quiet and let your attorney do the talking... but don't talk.
12 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
hoosierblue 8/16/2019 8:05:48 AM (No. 153693)
A little overboard but the actions seem more like involuntary manslaughter than 2nd degree murder.
13 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Clinger 8/16/2019 8:11:17 AM (No. 153696)
If he had he died from an initial blow that rendered him unconscious I wouldn't be the least bit conflicted in my support for a father doing what fathers should do. By kicking and stomping he went past defending his daughter to rendering a death sentence. I still hope he gets off. When you place another person in that position you should have no expectation that they have a perfect off switch to stop what you started at the perfect moment.
11 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
MOAB 8/16/2019 8:18:52 AM (No. 153701)
Good for him give him a key to the city......bet he was a Democrat.
5 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
BarryNo 8/16/2019 8:25:49 AM (No. 153703)
I consider that justifiable homicide. I'd do the same.
13 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
BarryNo 8/16/2019 8:33:28 AM (No. 153708)
I have some problems with QuickTrip for allowing a man access to a restroom with a female customer inside. They helped cause this, or at least didn't mitigate it. The moment an adult man attempts something like that to a child, Security should have stepped in secured him and called the police to come pick up a pedophile.
11 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
KatieJo 8/16/2019 8:52:48 AM (No. 153720)
I have mixed feelings, not sure he had to kill the guy. Then again, if more people protected their own like this I think there would be VERY few of these incidents. Back in the day, there were just some things you didn't do. This would be one of them, going after a young girl in the ladies room.
18 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 8/16/2019 8:54:00 AM (No. 153722)
Criminals do this stuff because they think there will be no real consequences. Big mistake this time. Hope the defendant gets sentenced to time served. He was defending his daughter, and that's reason enough to be found innocent.
15 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Periwinkel 8/16/2019 9:42:19 AM (No. 153773)
I agree with #14. Making this pedophile an example—all the way to killing him— is called deterrence. Just a couple of these in each state should take care of those sickos who think they can hire a good attorney and live to do it again.
10 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
F16 guy 8/16/2019 9:56:17 AM (No. 153789)
Prediction: Sadly, the dad will spend years in jail for this. His "peers" must follow the rule of law as stated by the judge. This was a deadly force situation (by the dad) upon a person who was not a threat to the aggressor.
I will keep an eye this link to see if they talk about the case:
https://lawofselfdefense.com/ (only current day can be viewed w/o subscription)
5 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
bigfatslob 8/16/2019 10:21:12 AM (No. 153819)
A fight ensued when Mr. Harris demanded his change back from Leon Armstrong and Mr. Harris defended himself aggressively. Not Guilty your Honor.
2 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Howard Adams 8/16/2019 10:45:23 AM (No. 153849)
I agree with #13. Can one really trust that their daughter will be safe in a QT bathroom? Ask that question of the manager the next time you have the chance to stop at a QT.
2 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
caljeepgirl 8/16/2019 11:32:22 AM (No. 153910)
I often told my sons nothing good ever happens in a 'convenience store'....we're all still breathing the air on this earth.
2 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
DVC 8/16/2019 11:33:43 AM (No. 153913)
I would love to be on the jury.
Not guilty.
4 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
DVC 8/16/2019 11:34:19 AM (No. 153914)
He deserves a medal.
3 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
coldborezero 8/16/2019 2:47:30 PM (No. 154053)
Re#17: I have sat on several juries in my life. I always listen carefully to judge's (referee's) instruction to the jury. Then I think about it, laugh about it, and forget about it. I listen to the evidence presented during trial, make my decision and vote guilty or not guilty based on my personal decision. I don't argue with the other jurors or try to convince them to vote with me. I cast my vote by my own lights and don't explain it to anyone and there is nothing at all anyone can do about it.
4 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
zzzghy 8/16/2019 11:19:11 PM (No. 154448)
Kicking and stomping a guy already on the deck might be a little over the top, maybe; we'll have to wait and see.
Sooner or later someone always has to take out the trash; if the defendant's jury is comprised of mostly parents, he'll be ok. I've been on three juries and I know what I'd do.
Something else -- the corpse is described as attempting to "harass" the defendant's daughter. Evidently he was attempting to bash into her bathroom stall; harassment is an inappropriate whistle or cat-call these days; I'm wondering if breaking down a public restroom door to get at a teenage girl might rise to a higher, more ominous level.
Whatever happens, the world is better off this wad of garbage tucked away safely in hades. Maybe a funding page is in order.
1 person likes this.
He should have gone inside with the daughter and waited. The local restrooms have drug dealers delivering in them.
Every time one of these stories come up, I think about the mother who stood up in court and shot the guy who raped her son. She went to prison but he isn't raping anyone else.
0 people like this.
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He didn't "harass" her, he tried to break into her stall in the bathroom.Attempted rape, assault, or worse. Good luck finding 12 jurors who will convict. Prediction: Plea bargain to misdemeanor assault, sentenced to time served.