More than a year after fatally shooting a man in a Wesley Chapel movie theater, a former Tampa cop has had his trial date set.
According to published reports, Pasco Sixth Judicial Court Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa scheduled the trial for the State of Florida v. Curtis J. Reeves to begin on March 2, 2015, although that date is subject to change.
Reports state that during a pretrial hearing on September 10 that Reeves attended, Judge Siracusa told lawyers for both parties to set aside March 2-20 of next year for the trial.
Court records indicate that Reeves’ next pretrial hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15.
Reeves was released on $150,000 bond on July 11, after the Second District Court of Appeals decided in favor of allowing Reeves to be released on bail. That decision overturned Judge Siracusa’s February decision to deny bond to Reeves, who had been in custody since shooting Land O’Lakes resident Chad Oulsen, 43, on January 13 inside the Cobb Theatres Grove 16 movie theater, located in The Grove shopping plaza off Oakley Blvd. The fatal shooting reportedly was over an argument about texting, as Reeves reportedly asked Oulsen several times to stop texting during the previews for an afternoon showing of “Lone Survivor” and even complained to theater management. Oulsen reportedly told Reeves he was texting his young daughter’s babysitter before he was shot.
Reeves’ attorneys argue that he fired the shot at Oulsen because he feared he was going to be beaten up.
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