The Philadelphia Inquirer has their report on the Ung testimony. They note:
Keh said she approached the scaffolding as DiDonato’s friend Andrew DiLoreto was doing pull-ups. Keh said she tried to do a pull-up and was distracted by a loud argument.
She said she turned to see one of DiDonato’s group – she could not remember who – legs apart, hands gesturing to his crotch, yelling, “Well, come on!”
“What did you say?” was Ung’s reply, Keh said.
The Inquirer notes that we still don’t have any testimony that sheds light on what started it, but my guess would be DiDonato and his buddies started making rude gestures to Keh, which Ung took great exception to. Standing up for reasonable standards of public behavior is not invitation to a beating.
At this point it might be better the less press the case gets. Why let the prosecution see analysis of anything they missed. Like prosecuting Kelly and DiDpnatto for a hate crime
Ung testifies today so it is the pivotal point in the trial. Little odd he is taking the stand but perhaps in attempted murder cases it happens more often given the focus on intent. Otherwise a sign things aren’t looking to good for the defendant.
The jury is going to want to know Ung better and what makes him tick, given this is an “intent” case. A law student carrying a loaded gun into a bar? The Kel-Tec semi, Ung’s package of choice, is not exactly mace or Grandpa’s derringer to ward off an intruder. Ung was 28, a part time night student. What did this guy do all day, and why the gun? If McMahon doesn’t deal with this, the jury sure will.
Ung was with a guy and a girl. The guy testified he knew Ung was packing and had his hand on Ung’s trigger finger to try to suppress him during the taunting phase. The girl says she didn’t know he was packing. The girl worked in NY and came down to visit Ung.
So why was Ung so enraged when the girl joined DiDonato’s buddy doing chinups? Did someone in DiDonato’s posse say something bad to or about her? I think Ung may try to establish that, but it is not credible. If anything, a tuned up bunch of jocks having fun after bar closing would have admired her fire…which explains what really happened, Ung was jealous.
Which also explains why Ung didn’t yell for the cops or run after DiDonato’s group returned the verbal volley and the “threat” emerged. A guy with big enough hostility to carry a loaded Kel-Tec, in front of his girl?
Sunday morning, 2:30 am. This was bar closing time. Remember those days? Huge numbers of drunken revelers streaming on to the streets, lots of shouting and horsing around, and lots and lots of cops. Mardi Gras. Hardly the dark alley.
They “admired her fire”? Is that what you call sexual harassment these days?
@JMan:
Don’t understand what you mean by this: “A guy with big enough hostility to carry a loaded Kel-Tec, in front of his girl?”
I (and I suspect many other readers of this blog) carry a loaded firearm in front of wife, kids. parents, etc. In what way does this make us “with big … hostility?”
Ung’s testimony today
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110214_Defendant_recounts_Old_City_shooting__I_was_dazed.html?cmpid=41144277
So it is appropriate behavior for 5 young men in a group, whatever the provocation, to menace and harrass a group of two smaller men and a woman? To in fact send out a flanker to take the smaller group from the side?
That used to be called base cowardice.
To follow a woman, whether she’d been flirting or not, down the street making sexual comments and rude gestures?
When in a drunken aggressive group, given known group dynamics, that’s called a lead up to sexual assault.
Carrying a gun for protection has a long peaceful history in this country. Showing your ass in public and running in violent packs throwing your weight around like cowards isn’t quite so classic, in fact it seems to have increased since the peaceful carry started becoming less common due to idiotic anti-carry laws.
So, providing you are the smaller person in stature, it should be legal to shoot anyone who menaces and taunts you? Shooting someone is a good way to stand up for “reasonable standards of behavior”?
The more I read about this case, the less I see “self defense” and the more I see someone who just snapped.
Define taunt? “You’re dead, I’ll kill you.” then lunging at a person is just harmless taunting eh?
When did DiDonato say “You’re dead. I’ll kill you.” I missed that part of the testimony. I thought someone else said that.
That was Kelly… but Kelly isn’t the one who charged on a drawn gun.
And DiDonato grabbed the leg of a man who kicked at him. Who was attacking who at this point?
Jujube, the answers to all your questions are all there in tha articles. Why don’t you read them?
Who followed who down the street Jujube?
Regardless of the insults or who started them, if Didonato et al acted like adults and let Ung et al walk away there would have been no problem, no one shot.
By following and aggressing they are by definition the attackers. Not sure how that isn’t clear.
Sorry, but I don’t think Ung is a good poster child for a self defense shooting. This whole thing kind of reminds me of the Las Vegas Costco incident.
What self defense school teaches you to kick at a person standing in front of you while you hold a gun on them? That was a huge mistake on Ung’s part.
He was standing there? Did you watch the same video I did?
From the Daily News story:
“Back the f— up!” Temple Law student Ung, 29, said he shouted while pointing his legally registered handgun at Eddie DiDonato, 24. DiDonato and three male friends had been arguing with and following Ung and his two friends on Market Street near 4th.
“And he said, ‘Who you gonna shoot?’ ” Ung said, recalling the words of DiDonato, a recent Villanova University graduate.
“I tried to kick him away,” Ung said, tearing up during questioning by his attorney, Jack McMahon.
“Did you shoot him first?” McMahon asked.
“No, I tried to kick him away first,” said Ung, who lost his right boot and his balance when DiDonato grabbed his leg.
———————
Ung makes no mention of DiDonato lunging at him or rushing him. He kicked and DiDonato grabbed his leg causing Ung to lose his balance.
It’s in the video.