A Case of Self Defense Labeled as Murder for "Savage" Veteran

In Cincinnati, Ohio, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Jason Roach is being excessively charged with voluntary manslaughter and murder for the death of Kelly Douglass. At this time, he is being held in jail on $500k bond. Kelly was a friend and a co-worker of both Jason and his wife Misty. There were allegations of an affair between Kelly and Misty, which are still unclear at this time. Kelly wanted to come to their home to discuss the situation with Jason. Jason and Misty told Kelly not to come to the house but refused and came to the house, which is when an argument broke out and Jason told him to leave. A scuffle ensued and while they were fighting, Kelly slipped on a patch of ice causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground, which is when Kelly went unconscious. Immediately Jason started screaming for help and called 911.

The media has made Jason appear as a deranged veteran who savagely beat Kelly to death. Some reporters want to know more than just what they have to print. Others could not care less and as long as they make their deadline, they do not have to worry about what the rest of the story is. In this case, if it was a savage beating then why did Jason attempt to drag Kelly out of the road in order to avoid getting hit by a car? Secondly, he tried to get Kelly in to his vehicle to take him to the hospital because the ambulance was taking too long. Does that sound like Jason savagely beat him to death?

What has been left out in the media is the fact that Kelly came to the house with a cache of weapons that included a loaded gun bought the day prior, which he was not registered to carry and conceal. If the he had not died, I am sure the tables would be turned and it would be Kelly in jail for felony weapon possession along with aggravated assault and battery.

No one is saying a crime should go unpunished, but what is right, what is just, is to know what justice is. We will not do the right thing unless and until we actually look beyond what is right in front of our face and we stop treating combat veterans like they are uncaged animals that will attack at any given moment.