Door Dash Driver Released After Shooting YouTube Prankster in Self-Defense Case

Alan Colie, a Door Dash driver, was recently released from a Loudoun County, Virginia, jail after serving time for the illegal discharge of a firearm inside an occupied structure.

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This incident occurred in early April 2023 when Colie, 31, was at a Popeyes Chicken in Dulles Town Center, Sterling, Virginia, to collect a delivery order. He was confronted by 21-year-old Tanner Cook and his associates. Cook, who was recording for his "Classified Goons" YouTube channel, aggressively thrust a phone in Colie's face, playing offensive audio repeatedly and harassing him. Cook's YouTube activities included various provocative acts like feigning vomiting on an Uber driver and simulating stalking women.

Despite Colie's requests for Cook to back off, Cook persisted, encroaching on Colie's personal space. Feeling threatened, Colie, who had a legally concealed weapon, shot Cook in the abdomen. Cook managed to leave the mall but was later given first aid by the police and taken to a hospital, where he recovered. Colie was arrested in the mall's food court and cooperated with the authorities.

Initially, Colie faced several charges, including malicious wounding and using a firearm in a felony. Represented by a public defender, he pleaded not guilty. In September, a Loudoun County jury acquitted him of most charges but found him guilty of unlawfully discharging a firearm.

Judge Matthew P. Snow, while acknowledging Colie's fear, ruled that his reaction was excessive. Snow emphasized the responsibilities associated with carrying a firearm, even in self-defense. As a result, Colie is now a convicted felon, prohibited from owning firearms and his concealed carry permit revoked.

Colie, intending to appeal the verdict, argues that using a gun in self-defense should not be deemed illegal. While the timeline for this appeal remains uncertain, he was able to spend Christmas at home. Meanwhile, Tanner Cook plans to continue producing content for his YouTube channel.