Streetsblog Los Angeles

Late last year, pianist John Osnes was crossing the street in Hollywood when, according to witnesses, an SUV pulled partway into the intersection.  Osnes placed his hands on the vehicle and shouted at the driver to obey the law.  At that point, a backup singer on a High School Musical stars mediocre solo album named David Jassy exited the vehicle and punched the 165 pound Osnes.  When Osnes went down, Jassy kicked him in the head and got back in the vehicle.  With an off duty police officer hanging on the side of the SUV and screaming at him to stop, Jassy ran over Osnes...ending his life.

Earlier this week in court, Jassy explained his action.  He was acting in self defense.   I suppose that's better than his last explanation, which was basically "these things happen...didn't anyone see the movie, Crash?"

From the Times' LA Now blog:

In papers filed in L.A. County Superior Court, the lawyer suggested that David Jassy, a 35-year-old Swedish citizen who recorded with Ashley Tisdale and other pop acts, acted in self-defense when he punched and kicked John Osnes, 55, during a November confrontation in a Hollywood crosswalk.

“A motorist is not required to sit passively in his vehicle while a pedestrian strikes the vehicle and yells at him, and wait and see if the stranger’s anger escalates,” lawyer Alec Rose wrote...

...“There is no requirement for a person exercising self-defense to stop and reassess after every single move whether the antagonist has given up,” he wrote.

Witnesses have told police that Jassy quarreled with his girlfriend just before the incident and became angry when Osnes touched his rented vehicle. A judge is to rule on the motion next month.

The explanation comes as part of a motion to reduce the murder charges against Jassy.  A ruling on the motion is expected next month.