Marine Josh McJilton RIP

I have no reason to doubt Josh McJilton’s wife claim that her Marine husband died a hero. In death, McJilton exemplified the Marine Code of Honor, as described by Marion F. Sturkey: “Simply stated, courage is honor in action — and more. Courage is moral strength, the will to heed the inner voice of conscience, the will to do what is right regardless of the conduct of others. It is mental discipline, an adherence to a higher standard. Courage means willingness to take a stand for what is right in spite of adverse consequences. This courage, throughout the history of the Corps, has sustained Marines during the chaos, perils, and hardships of combat. And each day, it enables each Marine to look in the mirror — and smile.” That said . . .

as you read this story [via San Diego’s 10news.com] please remember that you are not legally obliged to intervene in a violent dispute. Your moral code is your moral code. If it’s death before dishonor, so be it. But there are some armed Americans who believe that, as civilians, their first obligation is to protect their families. Which they can’t do if they’re dead. Something to think about . . .

A woman in Oceanside is mourning the death of her Marine veteran husband who was shot and killed in Ohio while he was trying to break up a bar fight.

Lydia McJilton said her husband Josh McJilton saved her life when they met and married five years ago. She said she was lost and he became her best friend. She believes Josh died a hero.

He was visiting family in his hometown of Wauseon, Ohio, and was at a bar when he noticed a fight starting between a man and a woman in a car.

When Josh tried to intervene, there was a struggle and the suspect shot Josh three times. He later died at the hospital . . .

No arrests have been made in Josh’s death.

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74 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: domestic violence incidents are a mess. It can be difficult or impossible to tell who is the primary aggressor – who needs to be “saved” and who needs to go to jail. Even though I’m calm, the people I’m dealing with probably won’t be. Even if I take the right person to jail, the wife or husband might still attack me.

    Domestics are chaos, and most cops hate going to them.

    My condolences to the family. Your man lost his life trying to do the right thing. Semper Fi.

    • Well said.
      I hated going into those. They could twist so fast.
      I’d rather deal with a spitting cobra.

    • My cop buddies have pretty much all said the same thing.

      They also say it’s a waste of time because the victimized side usually doesn’t press charges and even if they do they often just go back to the other person.

    • Possibly could’ve been a cop involved in the dispute. And if that’s true then of course no arrests are gonna be made.

        • The domestic violence rate involving cops as participants is VERY high. Cops don’t just turn off the violence switch as they walk out of the station after shift. And, only the naive thinks a badge is not a get out of jail card. Usually it doesn’t cover off-the-job shootings, though.

      • Can’t resist cop bashing can you? The suspect is Romualdo Córdoba Jr. He is still on the run. How does your foot taste, ASS?

      • Or, maybe, since the dispute was in a car, the asshole just drove off after shooting the guy.

        I know, that’s far-fetched, and assuming the killer was a cop is a much more reasonable conclusion to come to with no information whatsoever, but I’ve always been an outside-the-box thinker…

      • I suppose you would rather deal with domestic disputes tough guy? Bashing the police is really easy to do until your forced to deal with the same situations they do. Dealing with domestic abuse is extremely dangerous and you should be thankful if it happens on your block that you won’t have to deal with it.

        • I never said I’d rather do it myself.

          I rarely leave the house when I’m not working, and I’m sorry, but I don’t have a very high opinion of the police nowadays.

          So please spare me the name calling. Never claimed to be a “tough guy”.

          Bad experience with a cop, I wasn’t arrested but I was treated like a g****** prisoner when I got let go. But then I was a hard working hourly employee. I deserve to be lied to sh** on and treated worse than an inmate.

          Sorry. You can ignore me, insult me, call me names. Go right ahead. 🙁

    • Man claims Self Defense? Stranger reaches into car and tries to separate man from women…

    • There is the possibility that the cops who took the report saw the interfering Marine as an attacker and the shooter as acting in self defense. We will probably never know

  3. There’s the problem. When the husband pulled out his gun and let off a round that should have been a clue for McJilton. People who will shoot indiscriminately have no problem shooting you, especially in the heat of the moment.

  5. I’m too old and crippled up to wade into dangerous situations for people I don’t really know. I’ve become more of a take photos with my phone and call 911 kind of guy. Exceptions would be for my family members and for little kids being victimized. A domestic situation in a parking lot? Who knows what went on hours or days before that moment when you noticed something bad happening? Maybe she stole all his money and he can’t pay the rent. Maybe she caught him with another woman for the 6th time. Too risky for me without knowing the back story, to just insert myself into their problem. Sometimes youth and enthusiasm aren’t the best way to go vs. wisdom and caution.

  6. Never, ever, ever intervene unless imminent bodily harm or death is about to occur in a domestic violence dispute.

    • +1
      There it is.

      When I was on The Job, back in the Neolithic, domestics were/are the worst damn call to have to go on; I would rather have gone to armed robberies in progress or giant explosions any day. If I had a nickel for every domestic that turned on us as responders I’d be retired long ago.

      Call 911, stay a safe distance away, report to the dispatcher on the phone if you can. On the other hand, if someone is in the process of killing the other person, well, YMMV but I’m gonna have to go in and take the consequences.

  7. People love to bash the police but this is one of those things that police actually are needed for. Domestic disputes are so messy, confusing, and dangerous that it really is one of those things you’re better off letting the police do. If you intervene to protect the female and manage to subdue him without bodily harm, you may very well be attacked or stabbed/shot in the back by the woman.

      • So would you rather deal with it then? By all means guy, have at it, and see what happens.

        • Dump a bucket of cold water over the disputants. Repeat until the dispute is resolved or at least postponed.

          • Yeah but that means going into the kitchen to run the tap. Bathroom is out, too; razors.

        • Y’all are making assumptions. I’m not blaming the officers for the situation. I don’t think an officer ought to be compelled to intervene in *all* DV calls. Officers have no duty to protect the individual per the courts.

      • “one of those things that police actually are needed for
        Meh. In a nanny state, perhaps.”

        That’s as stupid of a statement as one can make. Want to live without law and order? Move to Syria then.

        • That was uncalled for.

          The police have no duty to protect the individual. Officers don’t like going on these calls. Seriously, I don’t see a problem with scaling back the anti-DV zealotry in law. You might disagree but no need to be an ass about it.

  8. “No man shows a greater love than this, that he lays his life down for his friends (fellow humans).”

    Good job Marine.

  9. Well I guess I stirred up a hornets nest and am no longer welcome here.

    Sorry. I’ll go away now.

    • I believe that “flaming” is not allowed here. Conversations are supposed to be respectful. You should probably report inappropriate behavior so that it doesn’t continue. and keep in mind this is the fricken Internet where everyone has ten ton balls.

      • I said I was sorry, but I’m very cynical and distrustful of “Law Enforcement” nowadays. I’d rather not be around cops.

        Never said anything about doing their jobs, never said anything about being billy badass.

        Bad experience with “law enforcement” (again I wasn’t arrested, but bad experience nonetheless).

        • Most real Billy Bad-Asses don’t spend a lotta time posting stuff on blogs, from what I am given to understand. I’d lighten up and not worry about some name-calling and suchlike; par for the course on the innernet. I’m an ex-cop and loathe and despise what has happened in “law enforcement” since I was on The Job. I don’t fear them but I trust them about as far as I can throw them. Probably a good ten feet, still.

      • Thank you. And I’m Sorry for rambling. Just trying to explain myself. I don’t want any trouble. 🙁

    • No. Stay, DoomGuy. From what I read, you only speculated in your initial comment; pondered “aloud”. I think a few got trigger happy on the bash rifle. (I’ve done the same before.)

      • Yeah, stick around, Doom Guy.

        We all take our licks around here from time to time. It’s partly the nature of the beast, but another way to look at it is that it’s pretty cool, too. Folks here call ya out if they think you are over some line…not the ‘echo chamber’ our opponents might suggest. (The calling out may not always be fair, but that it exists is, I think on the whole, a good thing).

        You apologized and explained yourself. No worries – in my book anyway. Even if I find myself at some point disagreeing with you, I can respect that you did that.

        Don’t go.

    • Don’t be a punk b!tch. I’ve gotten plenty of black myself for not being a hard far right-wing religious whacko cop worshipper. Who cares? They’re just words on the Internet.

  10. Maybe I’m a little dense this evening, it’s been a long week.

    Does the title of this post intend to imply that when dispatched to a domestic incident, many police officers purposefully delay arrival to the location of the call?

    • Well I wouldn’t blame them. When I first saw an episode of COPS, my thought was, domestic disturbances is the #1 reason I wouldn’t be a cop.

      • Believe you me, they absolutely suck.

        At least one party in the dispute is gonna be drunk or doped or both. There will be weapons in the house.

        Separate the parties. Keep them outta the kitchen.

        If you’re arresting one party, mainly ’cause you just saw them punch the other one, have one officer take the prisoner out to the car and the other officer should back outta the house keeping a good eye on the spouse who just shrieked she wanted that bastard arrested.

        I made a rookie mistake long ago one time and proceeded first out of the house, because it was such a foul situation and I couldn’t boogie fast enough, probably. We had the combative husband cuffed between us and I was gonna open the door and shove him in; the wife had screamed at us to arrest him and he had smacked her right in front of us. So I’m wrestling Tough Guy into the back seat and my partner turned his head a second and whammo! Wifey clocked him off the back of the head with an iron, you know, the kind you iron clothes with? He went down, bleeding profusely and unconscious as she then rushed at me. I drove her to the pavement with my heavy lead-core billy club and cuffed her, too.

        Now I’m the lone Buford Pusser in this town. With two assholes under arrest and my partner needing an ambulance. We have no jail. We have to get the male to the nearest state police barracks. The woman’s gotta go to the Womens’ Detention Facility in the next town. Partner has to go to the ER. I had to wake the chief outta bed and have him come down and help me out. What a mess.

        I had way too many others of those calls over the years and if I never see another one, it’ll be too soon. Even went to Boston PD “crisis intervention training” for a week. They claimed we ought to be able to go in, deal wth the buggers and be successfully out in thirty minutes.

        Hell, it would take thirty minutes just to sort out who was who and who did what to whom. While keeping them away from the steak knives.

        • Domestics are very messy and always dangerous, I agree.

          Heard a old internet story about some sheriff who answered a domestic. Local PD have the wife beater in cuffs, and suddenly the wife is not there. He goes down the hall and peeks in the bed room and she is stuffing shells into a lever action. Cuffs her up and takes her out front and the local PD get into a yelling match about why in the hell is the victim cuffed up too?! Utter chaos.

          No thanks, ill pass.

    • Yes, actually; we were quite specifically trained to observe and listen before inserting ourselves into a domestic situation.

      Such calls are very dynamic and extremely dangerous. It’s not a case for rushing in.

      • Okay, to clarify…

        Delay response – no.

        Deliberate response is what I meant.

        So, no on ‘circle the block,’ but yes on ‘take moment before knocking/entering.’ That’s what I meant.

        • And don’t stand right in front of the door when you knock or ring the bell and the second officer should be watching the windows and any vehicles in the driveway and behind you both.

          Wait for the backup, unless there is dire need afoot immediately.

  11. The choices are easy when you always do the right thing. I hope I have the guts to do so if I’m ever put in that position.

  12. I have a rule regrading me intervening in any situation. I never intervene unless it involves me, my family, a child or an elderly person. Especially in NJ where I would be sued for assaulting the person how is committing the real assault.

  13. I’m too old and lazy to put anymore effort then ‘hey quit it” when I see a fight going on. If someone responds with a weapon I just shot them. I look around like Chris Costa….pan left…pan right…look for cameras, and if everything is good get in my truck and drive home, take my nighttime pills, watch a little TV then go to bed.

  14. I witnessed a guy choking a woman in a parking lot a few years ago in broad daylight. I jumped out of the car instinctively and ran over to aid her, and they both ran off! He then started screaming obscenities at me and she just kept walking with her head down. Guess I should have just observed.

  15. I don’t circle the block before domestics. That’s for cowards and if I ever saw a. Co-worker do that I would probably break my foot off in their ass

    • +1

      We would rush to those calls, much as we dreaded them, out of fear that somebody would be killed if we didn’t. Some very close calls, too.

      • Yep, they’re horrible to go to but it’s what police sign up for. I am aware what the Supreme Court said about PD not being under any obligation to protect citizens, but I think that’s a load of horse crap. It’s our jobs to help those who are unable or unwilling to help themselves, and to clean up the mess from when a good armed citizen takes care of business, and to treat citizens with respect

  16. Pray for the widow. This country has survived as long as it has because of an honor code but everyone supports it.

  18. The video shows the ex running up to the car window, then firing a shot in the air, and then the Marine runs over there to intervene?? What was on his mind! Did he think he was impervious to being shot?

  20. Completely off-topic, but McJilton looks exactly like Jake Gyllenhaal as Anthony Swofford in the movie “Jarhead”.

  21. Looked like the Marine was trying to prevent the woman from being shot or harmed and ended up dead. Good intentions and probably did not think too much about it. Just reacted. Too bad he got shot and killed for trying to help someone else. The guy that shot him appears to be a real douche. Taking a gun along to argue with your former spouse. How ridiculous is that? Hope they find him and put him away for good. He does not deserve to be living with normal people anymore. That is, if he ever did, which I doubt. Probably got out of trouble on several plea bargains in the past. Seems to be the way the “Progressives” in much of our country handle those issues. The blame rarely seems to end up with the person that deserves it until it is far too late.

    • Taking a gun along to argue with your former spouse. How ridiculous is that?

      Being armed isn’t really ridiculous but using it in such a criminal manner is, well, criminal. The presence of a firearm, holstered or otherwise carried, just is what it is. If he normally wasn’t armed but carried just for the argument, then that indicates manipulation and probable cowardice on his part. It’s a pity that she wasn’t armed and able to take care of the problem.

  22. When I was firefighter we responded to many domestic disputes that involved possible injuries. The situation reverses at times. One such time the police officer was struggling with the husband that beat his wife. Then the wife and her mother attacked the officer. This happens often.

  23. I got involved once when stationed in Camp Lejeune, was arrested. Woman told cops I helped her, man said I was a big bad robber. Cops released me on no charges said she thanked me.
    Couple days later was served, the guy was pressing assault w/a wpn charges. She changed story so NC court found me guilty, I appealed it, still guilty. Was told “I was the weapon” cause of size and mccrap training level difference and “should have called police.” NC has a thing that any civil suit is a criminal conviction and expungement isn’t a thing. There went my police force goal…
    So I did community service and carry that black mark the rest of my life. Also vowed to not get involved ever again if it’s not direct family, friend, or life/death situation.

  24. Semper Fi Marine! You fought the good fight and you will be missed. We could use a lot more like you.

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