One woman claims accused shooter Curtis Reeves had a previous confrontation with a patron because she was texting inside a movie theater. INSIDE EDITION has the details.
It was not the first time Curtis Reeves lost it over texting at the movies. That's the shocking claim about the ex-police captain accused of shooting a moviegoer for sending text messages.
One woman says she witnessed 71-year-old Reeves confront a patron at the same Tampa movie theater two weeks ago during a showing of The Hobbit.
Jamira Dixon told INSIDE EDITION, "He gets up and he was like, ‘Can you do me a favor? Can you please stop texting!’"
Dixon says Reeves also made her feel threatened when she started texting. She said, “He just became so upset about the whole situation and kept staring. He was giving us dirty looks.”
Meanwhile, debate is raging across America about Reeves' so-called "popcorn defense."
On Fox News, former federal prosecutor Fred Tecce said, "I have scowered the case and I have not found a single case where popcorn was deemed to be a deadly weapon."
Reeves opened fire on 43-year-old Chad Oulson after Oulson "Threw a bag of popcorn at the defendant," according to the police report. Reeves claims he was "In fear of being attacked."
Reeves' lawyer Richard Escobar said Reeves is not guilty: "At that point in time he has every reason to defend himself."
INSIDE EDITIONS Paul Boyd spoke to HLN anchor Nancy Grace. He asked, "What do you make of this so-called popcorn defense?"
Grace said, "I hardly think that throwing a bag of popcorn will justify a deadly shooting. I don't think so."
Reeves may make use of Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground" law, which was cited during the George Zimmerman case.
Grace said, "Stand Your Ground is just a hybrid of the old self-defense law. Self-defense works like this—if you slap me, I don't have the right to pull an oozie and gun you down. I might, under the law, might be able to slap you back."
Cops are denying that the retired captain was given preferential treatment when he was arrested. Some local critics say allowing his hands to be cuffed in front rather than behind is "a big no-no."
Grace said, "Before we get carried away on the preferential bandwagon, they arrested him, cuffed him and put him in jail. So, let's split hairs after the trial."
