Here's the situation:
After a college football game 4 friends are waiting for cab and a big drunk dude comes up to the four talking smack (cursing and spitting etc...). and then a brief fist fight ensues. Only 3 punches were thrown and the drunk is 'knocked out' and the four friends go on their way. The drunk was 6' 2" and the kid that 'knocked him out' was 5' 8".
As it turned out the 'drunk' was killed from the last punch. Apparently, the drunk died when an artery going to his brain was torn due to his head twisting back from the punch.
Only two of the four were involved in the fight. One threw 2 punches and the other threw 1. After it was over the four got in a cab and went on their way thinking they just knocked out some big drunk dude. They didn't realize the drunk was dead.
The two that threw the punches are charged with second degree murder and are currently on trial in Jacksonville, Florida. One of the other 2 not charged is my brother's wife's younger brother Justin Shaw. None of these four are dopers or drunks or wanna be gang bangers.
Now when I was a kid I fought all the time. I have hit folks with bottles, bats, boards etc... I am not bragging but I have been involved on many fist fights and have been on the receiving end of few hard hits myself. However, in all the fights I have been in and have seen I could easily be in the position of the 2 kids charged above. I have seen my younger brother (he's much bigger and stronger then me) hit a guy so hard that he actually left his feet before hitting the guy and sliding on his back.
Testimony blames another with hit that felled student