Store Clerk Kills Robber; Robber's Widow Sues Store Clerk - Granite Grok

Store Clerk Kills Robber; Robber’s Widow Sues Store Clerk

“People who cannot recognize a palpable absurdity are very much in the way of civilization.”  Agnes Repplier

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Deceased Armed Robber Ramon Sedillo

This is the story of a career criminal. He is…or was, rather, 29-year-old Ramon Sedillo of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In 2003, Sedillo and two of his pals snatched an 89-year-old woman’s purse outside a grocery store. Knocked to the ground, the elderly woman succumbed to her injuries and later died.

Sedillo and his cohorts were charged with murder. Defense attorneys for these hoodlums argued the murder charges were unjustified, so instead of murder, Sedillo was convicted of robbery and sentenced to five years in New Mexico State Penitentiary. Sedillo, a known gangster, has been in and out of prison for the past decade.

Ramon Sedillo’s life of crime ended with a bullet to his head. At approximately four o’clock in the afternoon of October 19, 2012, Ramon Sedillo entered the Full Spectrum Smoke Shop with 17-year-old Daryl Martinez with the intent to rob the establishment. The duo pulled guns, pointing them at store clerk Matthew Beasley, who then turned the tables on these ganster-crook-thugs, whipping out a gun of his own and open firing.

Three of the four shots at the armed robbers found their mark. Sedillo was killed when Beasley’s bullet found Sedillo’s head ( yep, ‘Brain Salad, folks). Martinez, who was shot in the stomach and arm, fled and sought treatment at a hospital where Police later arrested him.

Officer Robert Gibbs of the Albuquerque Police Department told KRQE-13 News at the time,

Everybody knew him to carry a firearm, unconcealed, which is legal,” Gibbs said. “And not only did he carry it, he practiced with it.”

Investigators watched the security footage and told KQRE-13 News,  “the clerk kept a ‘cool head’ while Sedillo pointed (his) weapon at him.”

“We do not believe that Mr. Sedillo had an opportunity to actually fire rounds,”added Gibbs.

Most would be inclined to think the story ends there…Not quite. On Monday, May 13, 2013 Ramon Sedillo’s widow, Mallory Sedillo filed suit against the City of Albuquerque, Patrick Perea, Matthew Beasley, Full Spectrum Smoke Shop, Inc., Officers Robert Simmons, Perry Bradley and Victor Hernandez of the Albuquerque Police Department, alleging wrongful death.

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Amavalise Jaramillo, attorney for Mallory Sedillo

In a statement to KQRE-13 News,  Amavalise Jaramillo, attorney for Sedillo’s widow, said (the case) all comes down to who had more fault. While attorney Jaramillo acknowledges the the decedent’s own role in his demise, he asserts that Matthew Beasley shoulders more blame.

“He does bear some fault, but it’s like a pie.  You divide out the fault accordingly, and Mr. Beasley could have done something different,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo alleged in the suit filing, store surveillance video shows Beasley watching Sedillo and Martinez poised to commit the crime and claims the clerk should have then called police or fled the store. Instead Beasley shot Sedillo and the suit further claims Beasley, “ambushed” the pair of thieves.

I am not able to find any form of word in the English lexicon that adequately conveys how absurd Jaramillo’s claims are when he goes on to tell news reporters,

“(Beasley)had no basis to believe that his life was in danger…Most robberies end with an attempt to get money.  They really don’t kill the clerks.”

The suit also claims the (owner of Full Spectrum Smoke Shop) should pay too because he shouldn’t have had Beasley working, “knowing he had a gun.”  It also claims the boss knew “Beasley had a dangerous propensity to improperly use a firearm.”

I am not even sure, “Bizarre” covers the reasoning and logic employed by this Lawyer. (This is a lawyer?)

This case concluded on September 6, 2013  when the court granted a Stipulated to Motion for Summary Judgment based on the New Mexico Crime Victim’s immunity Act and thereafter, ordered dismissal of the suit with prejudice, of all claims against Full Spectrum Smoke Shop defendants.

The sixty-four thousand dollar question for people is, “Why was this suit filed in the first place?” What motivated this lawyer? what was his rationale? I do not think we can overlook or discount identity politics playing a role in the filing of this suit. You have two Hispanic criminals, shot by a white man, in a white-owned business. You have a Hispanic lawyer who is most likely a Kool-Aid slurping liberal, banking his fortunes and leveraging identity politics to pierce the veil on the New Mexico Crime Victims act, that otherwise forecloses such lawsuits.

We can surmise this in the public statements of Amavalise Jaramillo where he asserts, Matthew Beasley, “ambushed” the armed robbers. Reality: Matthew Beasley worked in a store in an areas notorious for high crime. He was vigiliant and his actions were prompted only by the actions of the moment. How can we know thisSimple. Beasely was lawfully armed, was working at his job, in place he both had a right to be and a place in which he was lawfully present.

Jaramillo asserts, “Beasley had no basis to believe that his life was in danger” Reality: An average person of reasonable sensibilities understands what it means when a gun is pointed at that person. In an average person’s mind the specter of being shot to death is very real and very tangible.

Jaramillo asserts, “Most robberies end with an attempt to get money.  They really don’t kill the clerks.” Reality: Unarmed store clerks are killed frequently across this nation by armed robbers and the plethora of countless anecdotes are not needed for people to simply know that fact.

Jamillo asserts, “”Beasley had a dangerous propensity to improperly use a firearm.” Reality: I call “Bullshit!” Matthew Beasley was more than a responsible citizen as evidenced by three of his four shots finding their mark, thereby stopping the threat presented by these two thugs. Improperly? Improperly defined as a context to which he repelled an attack (not supposed to fight back at criminals).

Beasley clearly and unamibuously took seriously the responsibility of his second amendment right to keep and bear arms in ensuring that he could safely and effectively use his firearm in the face of a manifest threat such as what he experienced. It would appear that Mr. Beasley was well-schooled in pistol handling as three of his four rounds found their mark…and I dare say he did better that some cops we’ve seen in the news media.

I can only guess at why Attorney Jaramillo filed this suit. I have done that here. But the larger point that illustrates his personal moral corruption is that he filed this suit in the face of New Mexico law that clearly and unambiguously forecloses such suits. Perhaps he was seeing greenbacks in the wake of the George Zimmermann trial.

I would opine this suit meets the definition of abuse of process and the defense should have been entitled to a monetary sanctions and costs. Full Spectrum Smoke Shop, Inc., Patrick Perea, and Matthew Beasley were victorious. However, that is a pyrrhic victory when one considers their cost to defend against such a ridiculous action.

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