Robert “Boobac Shakur” Lee. | Source: GoFundMe
Robert Wayne Lee, known to his followers online as “Boobac Shakur,” was shot and killed Friday night after confronting two teenagers who police say he falsely accused of being sexual predators. For those who are unfamiliar with Lee, the 40-year-old Michigan man was essentially a one-man version of the show To Catch a Predator. According to CNN, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Lee would pretend to be a 15-year-old girl online to lure out and expose suspected pedophiles.
The police noted that Lee’s “one-man crusade has led to the arrest and criminal charges being filed against several men.” In fact, in one case, Lee’s online activities led to the arrest of a former police officer. His Instagram account, which has nearly 53,000 followers, includes several videos that appear to show him confronting suspected child predators. Unfortunately, “he has also mistakenly identified someone as a sexual predator who was not,” police said.
At any rate, it was the act of punching one of his teen suspects that appears to have led to his death.
Lee reportedly confronted the 17 and 18-year-old, one of whom he accused of being a pedophile, at a restaurant in Pontiac, Michigan, and things escalated to the point where he punched the 18-year-old, who then allegedly pulled out a knife. The other teen allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Lee several times. The teens then fled and Lee later died at the hospital.
Neither of the teens have been identified publicly but they’ve both been arrested.
“While we certainly understand his desire to hold child predators accountable, many times well-intentioned individuals who engaged in this don’t know the standard of evidence required for convictions and often underestimate the potential for violence confronting a suspected predator,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Lee’s family has launched a GoFundMe page to cover the costs of his funeral and help the daughter who survived him.
“In the tight-knit community, we were fortunate to have a beacon of light named Robert Lee, a true hometown hero,” the page states. “Robert dedicated his life to protecting the innocence of our children from those with malicious intentions. Through his courageous efforts, he successfully exposed 132 predators who sought to harm our community’s youth.”
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The post ‘Boobac Shakur,’ Who Was Known For Exposing Alleged Child Predators Online, Killed After Confronting Teen appeared first on NewsOne.
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