Accused Tampa Shooter: Retired Cop Had A ‘Praiseworthy Career’

The accused Tampa shooter, Curtis Reeves, Aged 71 shot and killed 43-year-old Chad Oulson on Monday during an argument in a movie theater over texting.

The argument started when Reeves, who was sitting in the back row, asked Oulson to stop using his phone to text even though the main feature still hadn’t started.

After some insults and popcorn were thrown Reeves left the theater to find a manager to complain to. When he returned the altercation became more heated and Reeves allegedly produced a pistol from his pocket and shot Oulson, killing him.

Curtis Reeves is a retired Tampa police force officer who served on the force for more than 20 years. He was a conscientious and hard working police officer who regularly received exemplary evaluation reports as well as many letters of commendation.

Reeves was well known in the Tampa police force as a strong leader who led numerous training sessions on gun safety with other agencies.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said what most people are thinking about the accused Tampa shooter: “It didn’t matter what he had done previously in his life. You don’t shoot someone over a texting incident.”

One of Reeves‘ job performance reviews noted: “Captain Reeves not only has the ability to act decisively when necessary but has the foresight to initiate the proper course of action to avoid conflict.”

It was also revealed though that reeves did have a hot temper sometimes: “Reeves has a tendency to be impatient in regards to legal matters and practices now in force… and may be abrupt with complainants in some areas of the city.”

Like most people, Joe D’Andrea a neighbor of Reeves, is asking why he did it: “He must have just snapped. I’m trying to put all of this together.”

It is still not clear what led Reeves to shoot a man dead in a movie theater over texting. Could it have been the case that for one reason or another the retired cop “just snapped?” or is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Feel free to share your thoughts on the accused Tampa shooter in the comments feed below