EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a security guard outside of a west Eugene tavern last year has been found guilty.
The Register-Guard reported Monday that a Lane County jury found 31-year-old Thomas Copeland guilty on all counts including murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Copeland shot and killed Frank Joe Ledgett, 69, of Springfield, just after midnight Oct. 5, 2018 in the parking lot outside of the now-closed Seasons Bar. Ledgett owned All-N-One Security and worked in the security field for over 20 years, according to the business’s website.
Copeland was arrested later that day in Harrisburg.
The killing was captured on surveillance video in the bar parking lot as well as on Ledgett’s body camera. Video shows Copeland and two women in the tavern parking lot that night when Ledgett drove up. Video also shows Copeland shooting Ledgett after becoming agitated.
Copeland’s defense attorney argued that the killing was in self defense because Ledgett used pepper spray on a person in Copeland’s party, and Copeland feared Ledgett would shoot them. There is no apparent use of pepper spray on the video.