Back the Sleigh Up: 'Santa Claus Shooter' or 'Super Santa'?

Marcus Weldon, a.k.a. the “Santa Claus shooter,” may be guilty of poor timing, but he’s not a criminal who should go to prison, his supporters said Monday.

The shooting of two men at a Detroit gas station on the night of Dec. 21 might have been a routine item on the police blotter if Weldon hadn’t been wearing a Santa Claus suit and if the armed confrontation hadn’t occurred during Christmas week.

As it was, a Detroit police spokesman Adam Madera said Weldon shot two men in a dispute over “Santa’s girlfriend, Mrs. Claus,” The Detroit News said.

Back the sleigh up, says the Rev. David Bullock.

Bullock is a spokesman for the Change Agent Consortium, a national coalition of faith, labor and civil rights organizations that called a news conference Monday to discuss the attempted murder and related charges against Weldon, 26.

“He is not a Santa Claus shooter doing anything negative,” Bullock said, according to a Detroit Free Press report. “In fact, he’s a ‘super Santa,’ protecting a sister who was in his care.”

Weldon was still wearing his Santa suit when he stopped to help a coworker, Erica Johnson, with a flat tire at the gas station, located in the 600 block of Jefferson Avenue, about 1:55 a.m. The two had just attended their holiday party at MGM Grand Detroit casino, where Weldon works as an electrical engineer apprentice.

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Weldon’s attorney, Gabi Silver, said one of the men, both 29, had assaulted Johnson at the gas station, according to the Free Press report. Weldon previously told police that an argument ensued, and when one of the men ran to a car, Weldon thought he was going to get a gun, so he pulled out his revolver and fired several times.

One of the men sustained a bullet wound to the chest; the other was shot in the hand. Both men survived their injuries.

Weldon and Johnson fled, and Weldon was arrested a short time later.

He was arraigned on Dec. 23 on two counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, two counts of felonious assault and a felony firearm charge, WWJ/CBS Detroit reports.

Bullock and others think the charges should be dismissed.

Weldon has a license to carry a concealed weapon and “was under attack” when he opened fire, Bullock said in a news release. ““He didn’t break any laws; he defended himself and his co-worker. (Detroit Police) Chief (James) Craig has publicly asked citizens to arm themselves; Marcus was simply following the recommendation of Detroit’s top cop.”

Johnson, who also spoke at the news conference, called Weldon “a great guy.”

“If it wasn’t for Marcus, I do not know what would’ve happened that night,” Johnson said. “I am thankful that he was there to protect me and himself.”

Weldon’s father said his son did the right thing.

“He was just a man doing what he needed to do,” Mark Weldon said. “Chivalry is not dead.”

Johnson said she and Weldon – who didn’t attend the news conference on the advice of his attorney – ran from police because they were in an unmarked vehicle and they couldn’t tell they were police officers.

The Free Press said Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Maria Miller declined to comment on the request that the charges be dismissed other than to say they will be supported by evidence to be presented in court.

Weldon’s preliminary exam is scheduled Thursday.

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Photo via Wikimedia Creative Commons