Law Wife of Chad Read releases video of deadly shooting - I never thought a Ruger PC Carbine could be used unironically for self defense

Article (Archive)

LUBBOCK, Texas — On Wednesday, the wife of Chad Read, a man shot and killed November 5, released the video of the confrontation leading up to and the shooting itself.

The video was released by attorney Matthew L. Harris, who is representing Read’s widow, Jennifer. It was released in conjunction with a petition that seeks to take custody of Chad’s children from his ex-wife Christina Read.

According to the release, the video depicts William “Kyle” Carruth shooting and killing Read during a confrontation.

As of Wednesday, Carruth had not been arrested or charged with a crime. While his name was associated with the shooting in family court documents, police have not officially released his name because he has not been charged.

Read the press release from her attorneys below:

Jennifer Read, the widow of Chad Read, has filed a Petition today seeking to take custody of Chad Read’s children from their mother, Christina Read. Because the new Lubbock Public Access System makes this information available to the public, and the likelihood of the information contained in her Petition and Affidavit being obtained by the media, she has decided that it is best to simply release the information directly instead of waiting for it to be discovered.

The decision to take this step has not been easy, and she respectfully declines any requests for interviews at this time. There has been a lot of speculation in the media, and on social media, regarding the events of November 5, 2021. Rather than restating what is already stated in her Petition, and Affidavit attached thereto, Jennifer Read is releasing the video of Kyle Carruth’s shooting of her husband and allowing the video and Affidavit to speak for themselves.

Article (Archive)

LUBBOCK, Texas — The attorney for William “Kyle” Carruth made a statement Wednesday in response to the release of video of a November 5 deadly shooting.

Carruth was named in family court records as the man who shot and killed Chad Read, 54, in the 2100 block of 90th Street. Police have not filed charges nor have police said publicly if investigators believe the shooting was self-defense.

The video was released by the attorney for Read’s widow, Matthew L. Harris. It depicts the confrontation between Read and Carruth in the moments before the shooting. In the video, Carruth told Read to leave. Carruth steps out momentarily to get a gun while Read had heated words with a woman identified in family court records as Read’s ex-wife.

Read and the woman were arguing over issues related to child custody.

Making the case for self-defense
Carruth returned with a gun and repeated his demand that Read leave. At that point, the video depicts Read saying Carruth can go ahead and “use it, m***** f***** because G** d***** I’ll take it from you!”

Carruth’s attorney, David M. Guinn with Hurley, Guinn & Singh, said the shooting was self-defense.

“All Texans may lawfully brandish a firearm to protect themselves, their property and their business.” Guinn said.

“When Kyle did that, Chad Read advanced on him,” Guinn said.

Guinn also emphasized Read’s threat to take the gun from Carruth.

“And instantaneously, he tried to take the gun away from Kyle,” Guinn said. “In doing so he was power enough to sling Kyle 180 degrees around on Kyle’s patio.”

“Raising his left leg, he was continuing his advance on Kyle, threatening him and posing an immediate threat. Kyle responded,” Guinn said. “This is a justifiable homicide.”

Guinn says LPD handled it correctly
Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney Sunshine Stanek recused her office from prosecuting the case. The case was handed off to the Texas Attorney General.

News organizations in Lubbock including EverythingLubbock.com questioned the transparency of Lubbock Police after the shooting, not for holding back Carruth’s name, but for holding back details of what led to the shooting in a police report. Holding back a name of a suspect or potential suspect is standard procedure prior to the filing of charges.

Carruth was in the process of divorcing State District Judge Ann-Marie Carruth. Those records were sealed after one news outlet, lubbockonline.com, was able to access an affidavit from Judge Carruth.

But Guinn praised the Lubbock Police Department’s handling of the case.

“It is my opinion, because of their knowledge of all the facts and the Texas Castle Doctrine and having done a thorough job, LPD knew this was a justifiable homicide,” Guinn said.

“They knew they lacked probable cause, and did not arrest him,” Guinn said. Probable cause is a standard of evidence required for the filing of charges.

“I’m sure this and other information will be provided to a Lubbock County grand jury for further review,” Guinn said. “Kyle cooperated with law enforcement. Our hopes are that a Lubbock grand jury will do a thorough investigation of all the facts and will clear Mr. Carruth.”

Everyone regrets the entire situation
“Everyone regrets the entire situation,” Guinn said.

“Though Read came unarmed, he announced his intent to kill Kyle Carruth with Kyle’s own gun and took immediate powerful action to do so,” Guinn said. “[It] was unsuccessful.”

Guinn released a second video to EverythingLubbock.com in his support of his case for Carruth’s self-defense.

“Careful study of the video showed Kyle’s gun was brandished but never pointed at Read,” Guinn said. “It was only after Mr. read said ‘I’ll take your gun,’ and slinging him across the patio like a scarecrow — then stepped toward him — that Mr. Carruth pointed the gun at Mr. Read.”

WARNING: The video below may be disturbing to some. Viewer discretion is advised. EverythingLubbock.com beeped out some bad language and blurred the moment of the last two gunshots.

Guinn says Read was looking for confrontation
Guinn took it a step further and said Read might have been looking for a confrontation.

Guinn said, “Through my own investigation I have become aware that Mr. Read seemed obsessed with Mr. Carruth and even the night before approached two prominent Lubbock citizens at dinner — discussing his desire to see harm come to Mr. Carruth – specifically that someone needed to kick his a**.”

“Every cop knows that someone who is screaming they’re gonna take your gun and kill you with it, with their hands on that cop’s gun, and advancing, that’s a situation that justifies using deadly force,” Guinn said. “The same protection holds for citizens as well.”
 
this has been all over /pol today

I'm very perplex about this situation
I understand it's clear case of self-defense and on private property
but at the same time, me personally, Chad didn't seem like a serious threat

The gun guy probably felt he already escalated it to a point of no return by getting the gun and had to follow through as soon as green shirt got grabby.
The green shirt guy wasn't thinking at all, he was raging about his ex and his daughter and was running on emotion probably. I don't think he was a real threat either but he should have left yesterday as soon as the gun came out. Sad and didn't need to happen

What gets me is the wife reacts to it all like she caught a mcdonalds employee saying something rude about her or something. "lol you just killed my husband? guess what I got you on candid camera you dummy. I got you on video KYLE!"
 
This article is confusing but I found a few other versions that make the version of events more clear.

Chad Read the guy killed was supposed to get his kids @ 3:15 PM but his ex-wife Christina Read didn’t have them ready which is what spawned the argument.

Christina Read is in a relationship with William Carruth the shooter.

Ann-Marie Carruth is a Judge and was the wife of William Carruth the shooter.

William Carruth the shooter and Judge Ann-Marie Carruth were still married at the time of the shooting. After the shooting and the obvious affair exposed Ann-Marie Carruth filed for divorce.

Jennifer Read who is Chad Read’s current wife is seeking full custody of the children.
Everyone involved, save the kids, is fucking trash.
 
Warning shots either need to become legal or people need to stop thinking they're legal & stop doing them. Warning shots will get you in more trouble than the trespasser, which is fucked up.

I think this is being lost on a few people in this thread. Legally there is no such thing as a warning shot and while this situation was entirely avoidable by both parties I think from a legal perspective that first shot muddies the waters to an insane degree.

Hell, in the heat of the moment I could see myself going for someones gun if I was in arms reach and they're firing at my feet like that.

Do not ever pull the trigger in a situation like this unless it's to kill. If you are not shooting to kill you are not in fear for your life and that opens the door for the other person to have the privilege of self-defense, not you.
 
Texas Self Defense Law

DEFENSE OF PERSON. (a) A person is justified in using deadly force against another:

(1) if the actor would be justified in using force against the other under Section 9.31; and

(2) when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary:

(A) to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly force; or

(B) to prevent the other's imminent commission of aggravated kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated robbery.

(b) The actor's belief under Subsection (a)(2) that the deadly force was immediately necessary as described by that subdivision is presumed to be reasonable if the actor:

(1) knew or had reason to believe that the person against whom the deadly force was used:

(A) unlawfully and with force entered, or was attempting to enter unlawfully and with force, the actor's occupied habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment;

(B) unlawfully and with force removed, or was attempting to remove unlawfully and with force, the actor from the actor's habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment; or

(C) was committing or attempting to commit an offense described by Subsection (a)(2)(B);

(2) did not provoke the person against whom the force was used; and

(3) was not otherwise engaged in criminal activity, other than a Class C misdemeanor that is a violation of a law or ordinance regulating traffic at the time the force was used.

(c) A person who has a right to be present at the location where the deadly force is used, who has not provoked the person against whom the deadly force is used, and who is not engaged in criminal activity at the time the deadly force is used is not required to retreat before using deadly force as described by this section.

(d) For purposes of Subsection (a)(2), in determining whether an actor described by Subsection (c) reasonably believed that the use of deadly force was necessary, a finder of fact may not consider whether the actor failed to retreat.
 
Texan moment. In all seriousness though everyone involved just seems like a massive piece of shit. The ex-wife for fucking around with the custody agreement and subjecting her kids to this, the shooter for cheating on his own wife with her and escalating what had just been an argument with a gun, the boomer for chimping out constantly instead of just shutting up and doing what he had already been angrily threatening if he was in the right custody-wise and then deciding the best thing to do with a guy who's just come back out with a gun is to get in his face and threaten to take it from him and kill him with it and then actually try to grab it (no doubt he thought he was going to try and be a big man in front of his current wife and his ex-wife and humiliate her new manlet boyfriend). I just feel bad for the kids who had to watch their dad get shot in front of them and potentially have to call the man who did it 'stepdad'.
 
I don't think there is trespassing here. The guy was there at his appointed time to pick up his son. Tough to argue that the guy was there illegally when that is the time and place the court scheduled the hand off of the kid to be. It's not like he showed up out of the blue to harass her. He would have left the second they provided him with the kid which was his established parental right. But they didn't for some dumb reason and decided "nuh-uh you are trespassing" was a valid way to not hold up their end of the bargain.

The kicker is new boyfriend grabbing a gun to try to drive him off. Warning shot too. Only then that buddy got handsy.

That's not a very good self-defense claim at all.
 
Does the ex-stepmom actually have any claim to the custody of the kids given that their father's dead now? Seems more likely to me they'd get put with his parents if applicable since her only tie to their family is fucking dead.
 
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I dunno, I don't think you should be taking a gun out during a heated situation and escalate it further. I don't really think a gun was warranted. He never said he was going to kill or hurt anyone, he just said he was sending the cops and going to subpoena them. A warning shot at the ground was dumb because that's just further escalation. If you notice when he spins the guy around, Chad doesn't advance and just stands there while the guy shoots. Though this is Texas so who the fuck knows.
 
I dunno, I don't think you should be taking a gun out during a heated situation and escalate it further. I don't really think a gun was warranted. He never said he was going to kill or hurt anyone, he just said he was sending the cops and going to subpoena them. A warning shot at the ground was dumb because that's just further escalation. If you notice when he spins the guy around, Chad doesn't advance and just stands there while the guy shoots. Though this is Texas so who the fuck knows.
He does claim he's going to take it from the shooter and kill him with it, then makes what looks like a fake-out grab for the gun before the 'warning shot'. Of course the shooter shouldn't have brought it out to begin with let alone get himself involved in the baby mama drama, I usually despise the term toxic masculinity but I honestly can't think of a better term for what happens here, it's both of them trying to one up the other in front of their women and neither will back down even when they both have plenty of opportunities for it until one escalates too far.
 
He does claim he's going to take it from the shooter and kill him with it, then makes what looks like a fake-out grab for the gun before the 'warning shot'. Of course the shooter shouldn't have brought it out to begin with let alone get himself involved in the baby mama drama, I usually despise the term toxic masculinity but I honestly can't think of a better term for what happens here, it's both of them trying to one up the other in front of their women and neither will back down even when they both have plenty of opportunities for it until one escalates too far.
And most definitely shouldn't have let him get that close to begin with once that gun was drawn. A lot of Boogie-ism going on from all sides.
 
They are going to get him because of the quarter second he takes to aim at the guys head before he domes him. At that point both players were separated and in fact the dead guy was slightly backing off. He wasn't advancing when he was shot, but the shooter still stopped, took perfect aim, and shot him. You can't murder someone as punishment for having tried and failed to grab your gun a second ago. They have to be in the active process of trying to take it away. Now if the shooter was sympathetic, I still think a jury would acquit, but this guy literally created the whole situation of thin air, so that quarter second fuck up is enough for a jury that is already going to dislike him and his gf to latch onto to send him to prison.
 
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