Moment cop-turned-NASA-exec, 54, executes his National Guardsman neighbor, 24, after years of fighting over loud music, garbage and dog poop and then threatens to shoot his wife as she tried to save him: Killer is found guilty of murder


A former cop turned NASA executive has been found guilty of murder after killing his next door neighbor after years of fighting over loud music, garbage, and dog poop.

Michael Hetle, 54, shot Maryland National Guardsman Javon Prather, 24, in Springfield, Virginia - a suburb of Washington DC, in March 2020.  

He then pointed the gun at  Prather's wife as she rushed to save him and shouted: 'You want it to?


A jury deliberated in a Fairfax County court room from 10 am to 4:30 pm on Thursday to find him guilty of first-degree murder.

Hetle could face up to life in prison when he is sentenced on January 28.  

He tried to argue that he fired the shots in self-defense to protect his family claiming that Prather threated him for months before the the deadly encounter.

But the jury did not believe Hetle's defense after video footage of the violent attack was shown as evidence.







Hetle's Ring camera recorded the deadly shooting that occurred in a Virginia neighborhood (Pictured: Prather is seen knocking on Hetle's front door following an earlier argument)




Hetle and Prather fueded for three years before things turned deadly on March 4, 2020 (Pictured: Hetle fired seven shots in six seconds killing Prather)




Hetle claimed that Prather was killed in self-defense but the jury did not agree (Pictured: Hetle pointed his gun and threatened Prather's wife Janelle when she tried to check on her husband)






Fairfax County prosecutor Joe Martin shared in court that Hetle sent an email to the neighborhood association warning that his feud with Prather could 'result in tragedy.'

On March 4, 2020, Hetle fired seven shots in six seconds, murdering his neighbor with whom he shares a wall as nearby residents and the victim's wife watched in shock.  

Prosecutors said that Hetle was upset that the homeowners association and police had not done more to act on his complaints about Prather.

Video footage recorded on Hetle's Ring doorbell camera captured the deadly encounter.

Prather is seen knocking on Hetle's front door. Hetle claimed that Prather knocked on the door so violently that the door was forced open.

'It was this look of pure rage,' Hetle said in court when describing Prather's face before he opened fire. 'His eyes were wide and bloodshot.'

The former police officer is then seen coming outside and firing seven shots without saying a word.

Hetle is recorded firing four shots at point-blank range, two shots in Prather's back as he runs away and falls down the front steps, and then the final shot as Prather lays in Hetle's driveway.

Prather's wife Janelle is then seen rushing over to her husband as Hetle aims his gun at her threatening: 'You want it to?'

As she yells about calling the police as she tries to get to her husband's body he continues shouting: 'You get the f**k out of here,' 'Get out,' 'Get away.'




Hetle sent an email to his neighborhood association warning that his feud with Prather could 'result in tragedy' on the day of the deadly incident




Hetle and Prather lived next door to each other in Springfield, Virginia sharing a wall



Prather's wife eventually ignores the threats and works up the courage to drag her husband's body into their yard.

One of Prather's relatives was overcome with emotion when the disturbing clip was  played in court and began sobbing uncontrollably.  

Fairfax County prosecutor Lyle Burnham referred to the shooting as an execution during his closing statement.

He said: 'He didn't want Javon hurt. He didn't want Javon to leave. He wanted Javon dead.'

The neighbors feud began in 2017 when Hetle claims that Prather used his hose after he had denied him permission to use it to clean his car.  

Things escalated over the next three years with Hetle even filing a restraining order against Prather's wife after she allegedly threw items at his house and car.

Hetle complained to police about his neighbors several times. In other video evidence shown in court, Prather is seen yelling from his porch as police officers walk out of Hetle's home.

Prather's wife insist that the conflict between Hetle, a white man, and Prather, a bi-racial man, was racially motivated as testimony revealed that Hetle often referred to his neighbor using a racial slur.

Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano agreed that he believes race played a role in the shooting.

'Mr. Prather served in the Maryland National Guard and had a bright future ahead of him,' Descano said. 'He should be with his family and community today.'

At the time of the shooting, Hetle worked as an executive officer to the associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

He previously worked for the Bellevue Police Department, until his resignation in 2003, and had been involved in two fatal in-the-line-of-duty shootings.

In 2001, he shot dead an unarmed Latino man during a domestic violence call, and in 2000 he shot and killed an armed bank robbery suspect, the Washington Post reported.

Hetle was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in both cases, but the family of the unarmed Latino man filed a civil suit against him and the city. The family later settled the suit for $75,000.


Link

When assholes collide…

Sounds like a good conviction to me.

Wow.

Tragic, but reminds me of that couple who kept fucking with their neighbor for years and he snapped over them shoveling snow onto his driveway.

They were taunting him while he walks up and blows them both away.

Assholes collided?


Victim seems like he was terrible neighbor.

Also, him being in the National Guard is an attempt to paint him as a good guy.  That’s all they could find to paint him in a good light?

that was brutal

POS

That video was memorable to say the least.

What a dipshit.

They always do that.  

Doesn’t really matter if he is a good guy or not.  He didn’t attack the NASA guy.

Dont be a douche to your neighbors.
The wife got lucky.
Snow shovel lady?
Not so much...

"He previously worked for the Bellevue Police Department, until his resignation in 2003, and had been involved in two fatal in-the-line-of-duty shootings.

In 2001, he shot dead an unarmed Latino man during a domestic violence call, and in 2000 he shot and killed an armed bank robbery suspect, the Washington Post reported.


Hetle was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in both cases, but the family of the unarmed Latino man filed a civil suit against him and the city. The family later settled the suit for $75,000."


Third killings the charm apparently.

Good shoot

But also, not unpredictable

These things happen.

Why was him being part of the national guard relevant?  Was he on a drill weekend when it happened?  No?  

Oh, so like I said, just an attempt to paint the victim in a good light.  You can’t see the possibility that the victim was a douche canoe?


Not saying he deserved murder, just saying him being a private in the national guard is irrelevant.

EDIT; also, fat people calling other fat people “fat” is weird.  Aren’t you a self-professed fat person?   Besides, being fat is irrelevant to the murder.  Just like the victim being in the national guard.


But, feels I guess.

I thought the same. Seems pretty similar after watching the video.

Maybe he'll learn to leave people alone... in another life that is.

Yep, same thing came to my mind

Ahhh, I won't condone it, but I UNDERSTAND

Bunch of shitlords in here.

What relevance does the shooter being a NASA executive have?

Only a few bad apples. I wish I could get a job where I could murder people and quit instead of going to prison.

I don't remember this one...

Shooter sounds like a dickhead.

God shoot,bad jury.

Truck load of wtf

https://www.reddit.com/user/Moe_Greene_/comments/ldobwk/snow_shoveling_dispute_shooting/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

None.  


Go watch the “Social dilemma”.  You’ll begin to understand that electronic media has begun to use algorithms to further divide this country to extremes never thought possible. There are scholars who contend, and whom I agree with, that  our country is further divided and polarized than they were in 1850.

Most articles are 90% based on “feels” not facts.

Well . . . ???????

As does the bullet sponge.

Fox 5 needs to learn to spell.

sounds like a good one... taunting him while he's bearing down on them with fiery death..

but he used the ex-cop's hose without permission...

Video was clearly edited as victim was at the front door.  Did he knock it open?   Why they got to edit the damn tape?  Makes it seem they trying push one side over the other.

That fat guy just looks like a POS who likes shooting unarmed people.   Well the rest of his life is going to be unpleasant.

Faces of type 2 diabetes.

The stupidest part of this is that the wife is blaming it on race, of course. Bet if the dude was white and behaved the same way, he still would have gotten shot. The fat guy...seems like a piece of shit. Killed two other people before this and got away with it, first shoot was probably justified if it was an armed bank robber. Karma eventually catches up. When assholes collide is a good way to describe it

Bad shoot.

Should probably have moved

NASA Exec??  that explains why it took him years to finally do something.

Yup

Attached File

Attached File

Sometimes you get the horns

The National Guard guy kind of looks like a douche bag. He apparently passed his unhinged neighbor off one too many times. Not sure why the shooter just didn't move, doesn't sound like he does well with close neighbors, find some land and build a house a way for people.