Shaw pilot charged with battery/intent to kill for pushing someone at a bar!

[Guest Mike Brogan]

Columbia (WLTX) – A Shaw Airman has been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill stemming from an incident outside a Five Points nightclub.

Christopher Todaro turned himself over to authorities Wednesday morning. He was assigned a $150,000 surety bond.

Todaro is a pilot at Shaw Air Force Base and is the husband of News19 anchor Andrea Mock.

The incident happened around 3 a.m. in the early morning hours Saturday outside the Local's bar on Harden Street.

The incident report says that a witness told police the victim, William Wrenn, had been touching females all night and that he had asked him to stop.

Columbia Police Capt. Thomas Dodson said, "Our eventual victim in this case who had been inappropriately harrassing and touching females got into an initial altercation that took place."

Wrenn is the son of a prominent Columbia businessman.

The report goes on to say that Todaro came outside the bar and shoved Wrenn with open hands, knocking him backwards. The victim stumbled, hitting his head on a parked car, cracking the rear window.

Capt. Dodson said, "Doctors determined he needed immediate neurosurgery for his injuries. He remains in the hospital in critical condition."

Todaro then left the scene for another Five Points bar, where officers later found him and questioned him.

Wrenn was taken to the hospital, where at last check, he was listed in critical but stable condition.

The incident remains under investigation.

A spokesperson for Shaw Air Force Base says they are confident in the justice system and are looking for a fair resolution to this matter.

I've heard from someone at Shaw who knows Todaro that the bold text above may be a key factor in the charges that resulted. Clearly anyone with a brain knows that pushing someone for groping your wife and then heading to another bar isn't exactly attempted murder. I highly doubt he was trying to push the guy just right so that he would hit his head and die...and Todaro probably didn't know how badly the guy was hurt. I'm sure there is more to this story, but so far my reaction is "YGTBSM..."

[Steve Davies]

I've heard from someone at Shaw who knows Todaro that the bold text above may be a key factor in the charges that resulted. Clearly anyone with a brain knows that pushing someone for groping your wife and then heading to another bar isn't exactly attempted murder. I highly doubt he was trying to push the guy just right so that he would hit his head and die...and Todaro probably didn't know how badly the guy was hurt. I'm sure there is more to this story, but so far my reaction is "YGTBSM..."

Sounds like a a total waste of police time and resources. Aren't there real criminals in South Carolina who need to be dealt with?

[Guest Mike Brogan]

Sounds like a a total waste of police time and resources. Aren't there real criminals in South Carolina who need to be dealt with?

Evidently Daddy is well connected in small-town politics in Colombia, SC, and has a lot to do with the trumped-up charges. My guess is that the felony charges will wind up getting dropped and the pilot will have simply battery charges to deal with...although in BFE South Carolina, who knows.

[PaddyPilot]

Why don't we just give the guy a medal and call it a day?

What is this country coming to?

:rainbow: :rainbow:

Edited May 22, 2008 by PaddyPilot

[LJDRVR]

The attempted murder charge won't likely stick, but this moron is going to spend some time in jail with a felony conviction. You cannot go around assaulting people so badly they end up in the OR and leave the scene on top of it.

What a stupid way to lose your freedom and Air Force career. He's lucky the guy survived.

[Steve Davies]

You cannot go around assaulting people so badly they end up in the OR and leave the scene on top of it.

The premise of the original point was that trumping this up to make it a case of attempted murder is plain ridiculous. I don't recall him saying that it was OK to assault another individual.

[Guest thefranchise]

if the dude dies, invol manslaughter would be my guess

i guess the Shaw Alki counter reads 0.....

[LJDRVR]

The premise of the original point was that trumping this up to make it a case of attempted murder is plain ridiculous. I don't recall him saying that it was OK to assault another individual.

Is it trumped up?

I googled the definition:

In criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit murder and at the same time having a specific intention to kill. Acting deliberately and intentionally or recklessly with extreme disregard for human life, the person attempts to kill someone, and does something that is a substantial step toward committing the murder. Mere preparation is not a substantial step toward committing a crime.

Depending on what was said before, during and after the crime, I'd say he's fair game.

[Steve Davies]

Out of interest, will the AF be inclined to allow this guy to carry on working in the squadron while the legal process gets underway? Would that be a decision made at squadron, wing or higher level?

[Guest thefranchise]

I'm guessing he gets to talk during the 101 Critical Days brief

[Steve Davies]

Depending on what was said before, during and after the crime, I'd say he's fair game.

LJ

Obviously, it's for a jury to decide how to interpret someone's actions in the context of written law, but for me the key part of your quote is this:

Acting deliberately and intentionally or recklessly with extreme disregard for human life, the person attempts to kill someone, and does something that is a substantial step toward committing the murder

Without all of the details, I don't really see how you can call him 'fair game', but working along with what has been reported: pushing someone because he groped your missus displays neither extreme disregard for human life, nor a substantial step toward committing murder. It also seems to me that he probably did not deliberately or intentionally push him so that his head hit a nearby car.

It's obviously a subjective issue, but that's my take.

[LJDRVR]

LJ

Obviously, it's for a jury to decide how to interpret someone's actions in the context of written law, but for me the key part of your quote is this:

Without all of the details, I don't really see how you can call him 'fair game', but working along with what has been reported: pushing someone because he groped your missus displays neither extreme disregard for human life, nor a substantial step toward committing murder. It also seems to me that he probably did not deliberately or intentionally push him so that his head hit a nearby car.

It's obviously a subjective issue, but that's my take.

Good points Steve, my guess is that he gets charged with a lesser class 1 felony. I would imagine a lot of it will hinge on what witnesses overheard him say and the precise manner in which the shove occurred.

[Guest MizzouNav]

LJ, go choke yourself. By your definition every one of us should be in prison for attempted murder. I am sure you have pushed someone before, as has everyone else here. Get off your high horse and join the rest of us in reality.

Unless he took the time with his (maybe) alcohol impaired brain to play all the angles and detemine exactly how hard to push the douche (who should have had his ass beat) to get him to hurt his head to the point of needing surgery, he didn't have a complete disregard for human life. "In criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit murder and at the same time having a specific intention to kill." I am sure he said to himself, I am going to kill by open hand pushing this guy! Give me a break.

Your attitude is a great example of whats wrong with this country. I see nothing wrong with defending a woman, man or anyone else against being disrepected in such a way. Its bad how it turned out and sure some charges should be filed, but this was no brawl or premeditated act. Just another example of why you should be very careful when out at the bars.

By the same token, the guys dad should sue the pilot for harm, and every single female should sue the ashole who couldn't keep his hands to himself for sexcual harassment too right? Lawsuits and prison for everyone, its the American way! (sarcasm)

[osulax05]

I personally know both "Bass" and Andrea and this news comes as a huge shock. Andrea does get a lot of unwanted attention when she is out in public because of her job on the news and although I was not there, I'm sure Bass was simply trying to prevent a major douche from messing with his wife. And from what the article says, this guy had been messing with other women that night.

It is def not in Bass' nature to instigate a fight or to act without being provoked.

This guy didn't deserve to be seriously injured, but the women he was touching didn't deserve the treatment he gave them either and we should be thankful that there are people out there willing to keep this type of behavior from happening.

[Steve Davies]

Re-reading the press report, I don't suppose it's easy to have faith in a police force whose senior officers cannot even formulate a proper spoken sentence:

Columbia Police Capt. Thomas Dodson said, "Our eventual victim in this case who had been inappropriately harrassing and touching females got into an initial altercation that took place."

[Guest thefranchise]

After re-reading the article where does it state that the guy ever groped this dudes wife per say. It only state "women" and never mentions that one of them were his wife. This would look even worse if it were seen as a vigalante justice. the fact the altercation took place outside AFTER the groping happen shows pure intent to "teach a lesson".

[Guest thefranchise]

This guy didn't deserve to be seriously injured, but the women he was touching didn't deserve the treatment he gave them either and we should be thankful that there are people out there willing to keep this type of behavior from happening.

not advocating the random groping of women but if you go to bars and clubs frequently, this is a WAY common occurance; picking a fight over it is rather tarded considering how often it happens. drunk people do stupid things and thats why they pay bouncers. if the guys a big enough nusiance he'll get kicked.

[brickhistory]

This guy didn't deserve to be seriously injured,

Yes, he apparently did.

Stupid should hurt.

Good luck to the Viper guy, any bets on big Blue standing tall for him?

I wouldn't.

[Ill Destructor]

Wow. Gotta push someone pretty hard to crack a rear window. Perhaps a bit hard on the push, but "daddy's boy" needs to know his place... or at least be put back into it. Todaro probably could have turned the intensity down a bit... but 3am, drinking... yeah.

[Steve Davies]

After re-reading the article where does it state that the guy ever groped this dudes wife per say.

The OP, who clearly has a contact at Shaw, mentioned it.

This would look even worse if it were seen as a vigalante justice. the fact the altercation took place outside AFTER the groping happen shows pure intent to "teach a lesson".

Since no-one knows exactly what happened and when, that's jumping the gun.

[Steve Davies]

Wow. Gotta push someone pretty hard to crack a rear window.

Not so. I cracked one of my car windows a few weeks ago with what amounted to little more than a very gentle collision with a blunt object.

I have also been run over and cracked the windscreen of the car that hit me (explains a lot, I know), yet I walked away from it with little more than a dead leg and a sore head. Sounds to me more like the 'victim' was just extremely unlucky and hit his noggin in just the 'right' spot...

[osulax05]

Yes, he apparently did.

Stupid should hurt.

Good luck to the Viper guy, any bets on big Blue standing tall for him?

I wouldn't.

Agree he deserved to get a little roughed up...

As for big blue standing tall, highly doubt it.

[Vandal]

The battery charge will be easy to prove. He shoved the douche. Open and closed, worth a felony? Not in my opinion. For the intent to kill BS you have to prove to a jury that the defendant went to the establishment looking for a fight and then that he planned the incident while having the intent to kill the so-called vicitm. The key there is intentions. Did the guy from Shaw intend to mortally injure the asshole that groped his wife?

He needs a good lawyer and a lot of this will go away. I completely agree that a lot of this stems from small town politics and I also think that the mighty AF will let him swing as an example.

[joe1234]

If you think the battery charges will be the end of it, you're sorely mistaken. This guy is completely vulnerable to a lawsuit from the guy who got pushed. Medical bills, reckless endangerment, and mental hardship are all things I can see him getting sued for. I hope he knows the name of a good lawyer because he's in for a long legal battle.

Moral of the story, every action has a consequence, no matter how good of a person you are or what your intent was.

[Guest RenegadeCK]

This guy is completely vulnerable to a lawsuit from the guy who got pushed. Medical bills, reckless endangerment, and mental hardship are all things I can see him getting sued for.

If the Viper guy and the wife were smart, she should file charges against the scumbag for groping her and follow-up with a lawsuit mentioned earlier with mental hardship and the works too. She's a news anchor I have to imagine she's pretty well-network too. It would certainly bring something to the bargaining table, and hopefully get our Shaw dude outta dodge.