Navy: Murder charge filed in gay seaman's death

SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Navy says a sailor has been charged in military court with murder and other offenses in the shooting death of a gay San Diego seaman.

Petty Officer Jonathan Campos of Lancaster, Calif., was charged Thursday in connection to last month's fatal shooting of Seaman August Provost of Houston.

Provost was shot multiple times as he stood guard at Camp Pendleton on June 30. The 29-year-old's family believes the shooting may have been a hate crime. The family says Provost complained of being harassed about his sexuality in the days before his death.

Navy officials have rejected those claims and say there is no record of Provost filing a harassment report.

They say Campos, a 32-year-old gas system technician, is being held at the brig and is cooperating with investigators.

Comments

[kcmookie]

So now it's illegal to shoot se_men? Man I am in trouble.

[Yeah-Me]

Depends on where it's aimed... O,o?

[Niasia]

This is saddening! And for some people to actually imply that DADT being repeled will cause more is sad as well. The bigots are the ones with problems not gays! They are several types of people who disgust me but I can't just kill them b/c I feel like it. Volunteering for the military is big thing, I am thankful to anyone willing to protect my freedoms!

[hallowellboy]

Appalling that Gay American's lives are in danger for merely being Gay. Especially men and women who volunteer to serve America. As the nation's leader, Obama needs to act now to overturn DADT and DOMA to ensure that all Americans have equal rights. Having DADT in effect sends a clear message to wackout heteros that it is ok to assault and kill a Gay person. Pony up Obama. You are responsible in part for these atrocities. Act like a leader.

[jay1975]

If DADT is repealed, there will be much more of this.

[Tagrid]

Oh - take a Logic Pill!

[Niasia]

And that is ok? The problem is the bigots not the homosexual. You can't kill people just b/c you disagree with who they are!

[bruin1954]

There will be much less because it will be exposed without fear of discharge for admitting that one is gay. (That's called logic.)

[Yeah-Me]

Precisely... as well giving servicemen the opportunity to report possible cases of hate-based harrasment.

And if Provost was killed because of his sexuality, DADT effectively prevented him from taking that course of action.

[Laserbeam]

Did you fall on your head a lot growing up?

[Ceregene]

If this DADT is not put to rest: then, NO ONE who is gay should not be allowed to serve in this countries government at all: starting from the bottom up, meaning the city and state level all the way the the white house. That would include congressmen/women - senators, you name it.

[sturzl]

Does that mean we get to stop paying taxes as well?

[JohnJames]

That's the one instance where our government regards gays as absolutely equal to their fellow straight citizens - gay people's tax money is just as good as everyone else's.

[Laserbeam]

YES

[Agent420]

I have reread your post several time and cannot make sense out of it. Did you write it in Palinese?

[Tagrid]

Agree. If there's any logic to that post it totally escapes me.

[SimJack]

Hate crime or not, a US sailor was killed, on American soil nonetheless, by a fellow sailor! Either way, this is appalling, outrageous and reprehensible. DADT should be more so about outing psychopathic homophobes in the military than illuminating someone's sexual orientation. Lives are on the line in too many bull$hit wars while we tear ourselves apart because of disgusting collective ignorance and irrational fears. What the he!! happened to this country?

[bluefire66]

And the Armed Forces continue to say that having gays serve openly would affect the morale of other officers. I wonder how officer on officer violence (murde-r) affects moral?

[LeeCalif]

"How was provost to file a complaint to the military about homophobia when he was Gay and could have been thrown out of the military if he admitted he was? "
-- Stemboater

[LeeCalif]

As much as the military lies and denies, I'm surprised they're even allowing charges to be filed.

[roblabrousse]

They have to. There's no choice. It happened stateside there's no camouflage from a war to hide behind.

[Agent420]

I have to laugh at people like you that know nothing of the military and how it works. The military that you have been reading about in comic books is nothing like the real thing. Join up and see the world.

[Barrelhse]

You're cool.

[HaloGuy]

Homophobia strikes again

[Agent420]

Where to people get the idea that being gay makes you less than human and therefore ok to kill. I think killing gays or anyone else makes you less than human. The only time killing is ok is when someone is trying to kill you or some one else.

[Steamboater]

The military tries to get around this hate crime by saying that Provost never filed a complaint but Provost's family says thier son "complained", not necessarily to the military but to the family. How was provost to file a complaint to the military about homophobia when he was Gay and could have been thrown out of the military if he admitted he was?

[Agent420]

Catch 22 is certainly one of the reasons DTDA is such a failure. Instead of giving protection to gays it effectively removes all protection from gays.

[Yeah-Me]

Exactly...

[Tagrid]

I recall from a previous article shortly after the murder that Provost sought legal advice from a gay advocacy group. It's too bad they didn't convince him to go ahead and file that report and accept being discharged, eventually. Maybe in the meantime he'd have been taken off of guard duty where he was a sitting duck. At least he might still be alive!

DADT has GOT TO GO!

[Infostream]

Hr could have complained about being harassed without admitting he was gay. Simple.

[wijg]

"The family says Provost complained of being harassed about his sexuality in the days before his death.
Navy officials have rejected those claims and say there is no record of Provost filing a harassment report."

The reason Provost didn't file a harassment report is simple, he would have been fired under DADT.

[menmykoko]

Exactly. Harrassment goes unchallenged with DADT.

[jeremyfive]

Of course there was no evidence of a harrassment report. Duh. . . The victim was not allowed to report the crime because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", a crime in itself.

It is a crying shame that our military has falled to such a low and sorry state.

God bless this fine seaman who by all accounts was a great person. This is a terrible loss.

I am ashamed of Navy and their discriminatory practices that cause them to hide their collective heads in the sand in the face of discrimination.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a travesty of justice that has been grossly abused by our miilitary leaders, at the expense of thousands of brave men and women in the armed forces. Here is one who gave his life for this despicable policy.

[PlaceboStudman]

Well, at least Provost's family might see some justice done. But, sure, let's ignore the tens of thousands of other honorable men and women soldiers who have been terminated under this absolute sham of a law, DADT

[roblabrousse]

Whatever the motive there's no reason to shoot another human if it's not in self defense. If there were a defendable issue he should have brought it to the appropriate authorities. If it were a gay issue which mattered then I hope it get's fully exposed. Of course the military isn't always keen on the truth.