Apple River stabbing trial: Victim's mother breaks down on stand

Alina Hernandez, mother of Isaac Schuman, took the stand today in the trial of Nicolae Miu.

Miu has been in jail since the stabbing. He claims self-defense.

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[MrFrog_]

There are no winners here, everyone is going to lose.

[categurl]

This should never have happened, such a tragedy

[rebelduck]

The defense did the right thing and not ask any questions of this mother. No words can bring him back. What a tragedy 😢

[MagicFingers]

They called her to the stand for "sympathy" points. Disgusting.

[braddhancock]

The best way to protect your kids is to teach them to respect their elders and don't attack old people

[sjaap]

As a mother this just shatters my heart. I’m so sorry 😢

[terryowen]

I get why they are saying self defense, he was pretty much surrounded by a big group of people who were yelling and being aggressive but...he wasn't injured and they had no weapons. The man just started lashing out with the knife and considering the damage he did to the poor guy whose bowels came out and that he stabbed the other guy in the heart...the man basically went into a murderous rage and it looks like he knew exactly how to use that knife

[bbrcummins]

🙏🙏🙏 i pray this woman will find peace again. This is heartbreaking.

[MicrowaveOvenmit]

Defense said “ yeah, I’ll skip this one.”

[IMAT]

There's absolutely no point for the prosecution to bring the mother to the stand as a "witness." She wasn't there. This is why the defense had no cross.

[n.stiller]

Every parent should show their teens this video

[fourfatfrogs]

I taught my boys to be respectful of others especially ones you don't know because they could be crazy. I always told them you have to watch the loud ones but be afraid and keep your distance from the ones that don't speak.

[meghanmarcouss]

This mother is suffering the worst of all ): poor thing. God wrap your arms around her!!

[Ivan-eunx]

Every parent needs to talk to their kids about not being a bully. You never know who you will encounter. If parent don't teach their kids, the world might have to

[sarahs]

Just know all the mothers who are watching this are here for you. We couldn't imagine your pain 😢. May your son rest in peace, and may you walk together again in paradise. ❤

[lauralee]

Why? Why put a grieving mother on the stand? She wasn’t there. She can’t testify to anything that happened on the river that day. Cruel decision on the prosecution’s part to manipulate the jury.

[pattylettelier]

I’m sorry she lost her son, but unfortunately him and his friends found out that being a bullies can cost you your life.

[ginadillon]

I feel so sad for everyone that knew him especially his mother. This just broke my heart.

[jasenkavukelic]

Raise your children people, and teach them how to behave. That's the best you can do for them. Teach them right.

[brennengodeen]

My parents raised my brother and I to treat any physical altercation as a life or death situation. Walk or run away if possible and we were always instructed to evaluate and determine whether or not engagement is “worth it”. My father was adamant that we should always assume the opposition or aggressor is capable of causing severe harm and may be fatal. He said that we should always presume that the opposition has access to a weapon of some variety (knife, gun etc). We were repeatedly told that our hands can become a lethal weapon and practicing emotional discipline during an event like this can be reinforced in many social settings. A man calls your wife a rude and nasty name, it’s time to leave and refrain from instigating or escalating the situation. However, we were told that if we must defend ourselves and fleeing is not an option, fight to eliminate the threat and expect some degree of consequences. As humans, we could all do better to treat each other with respect and grace one another with the “benefit of the doubt”. I cannot confidently determine what my course of action would have been as either the older man or the young adults who received serious and unfortunately, fatal injuries. I surround myself with people who are of high moral character and share the same beliefs as I do when deciding to use physical force. I would like to believe that my friends would not engage with someone who is displaying the behavior of the elderly man nor push him to the ground and certainly not when water is a potential threat to someone’s safety. When you have experienced horrific violence and hostility, you are less motivated to participate as you have seen the consequences and gruesome outcomes. Perhaps this may serve as a reminder to others to avoid violent confrontation and prioritize the removal of your presence immediately. Horrible behavior like this occurs in bars and while driving a vehicle. It may be best to not even look over to the driver who committed a traffic violation and then make gestures towards them such as flicking them off. People are unpredictable during emotionally charging situations and the ability to avoid physically violent and confrontation may very well be the reason why the lives of yourself or others is preserved. It’s disappointing and disgusting to see the behavior of all parties involved. Treat each other with some decency and respect and only use physical force against a threat to harm or kill the enemy. The conflicting components of self defense and using the appropriate means necessary to stop a threat are what the jury will be responsible for determining. Nobody should have felt compelled to use a weapon against the adversary in self defense and the young adults should have refrained from instigating the violent response from the elderly man. The situation was one that could have ended with a peaceful resolution but there is no predicting when someone feels threatened and the willingness to escalate the conflict without any warning. So the next time you find yourself in a position where someone has insulted or enraged you, attempt to leave the situation without any further comments or display of a physical intimidation. My opinion on the matter is really not of any merit or value. It is ultimately up to the interpretation of the jury whether or not the appropriate amount of force was justified. I was not present during the incident and I am only able to collect the evidence that the video provides. There are many speculations about how the elderly man had struck a woman and that resulted in the hostility from the group of young men. Even if it is true, I believe that neither myself or peers would have began to assault a man who appears to be “odd” or certainly unpredictable. Someone typically has the urge to stroke their ego and verbally escalate to a point where they may be perceived as a threat. I cannot determine whether or not I would have felt obligated to use such lethal force in a similar situation because I was not the man who was shoved down and outnumbered in the circumstances that fists were the tool of choice. I personally think I would have restrained myself and began to quickly separate myself from the group. It appeared to be prematurely desperate to decide the knife was required but I am also a healthy and very physically capable man who has confidence in my ability to defend myself if necessary. I definitely think that the alcohol and drug use is a contributing factor in the behavior of the individuals. Essentially, I prefer to avoid these situations entirely and continue to enjoy the company of people who do not act instinctively and also appreciate the value of thinking before they act. They have the ability to rapidly make decisions based on the potential risks and benefits of their actions. I think this ideology as it pertains to fighting may be of interest to others. You may disagree with my perspective but there is a reason why highly trained military combatants (Jocko) have advocated for the adoption of such principles. Nobody is a winner in this situation. Life was lost and I presume that many people will regret their decisions and reflect on their impact repeatedly.