Rush to Judgement Meter Topped Out

Recently, I saw a news story about a teenager assaulting an older woman - picking her up, dashing her to the ground, and then throwing her in a pool. 

This morning, I saw screen capture photos of said assault.  To me, it looks like he picks her up in a sort of beat hug and she's holding onto him like she knows him.  The next photo looks like he was walking toward the pool when he accidentally dropped her.  Afterwards, I assume he picked her up again and threw her in the pool.  It didn't look like assault.  It looked like pool antics gone wrong.

I didn't watch the video, I only saw the screen captures.  Maybe she was fighting and screaming, and the dozens of people around them are accessories. 

Or maybe someone somewhere is trying to incite something by making this out to be more than it is.  The teen has been charged with assault and could face jail time. 

I don't know the truth.  I suspect the majority of people out there don't know the truth either.  But the 'rush to judgement meter' here is topped out.  It seems like it's topped out damn near everywhere - on both sides of the aisle and all along the middle.  I'm certainly not immune. 

I think that's partly because I don't know what to trust anymore.  Certainly not the media.  Not Joe Public who is getting their information from said media or secondhand from people who are getting their information from the media.  Every piece of information has to go through a series of sieves now. 

Including what I say here because my information is only as good as the sources I have chosen to trust.  I do my best to do my homework and get it right, but... yah...

So, when you see crime in the news, check your sources.  Hell, when you see anything in the news, check your sources.  Then check your premises.  Then recheck everything.