Criminal Records Show Pistorius Has a Record of Domestic Violence

Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic track star, has been charged with murdering his girlfriend, R. S. at his home in Pretoria, South Africa. The athlete rose to fame after competing in both the Olympics and Paralympics with artificial legs, earning him the nickname "Blade Runner." Early Thursday morning, Pistorius allegedly shot her four times in the head, chest, and arm with a pistol that was later recovered by investigators. When police arrived, R.S. was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbors reported hearing screaming and shouting around the time of the shooting and earlier that evening. Pistorius and R.S. were allegedly the only people in the house at the time. Friends and family acknowledge that nothing seemed wrong with their relationship. Just the week before, R.S. gushed to a local newspaper that Pistorius was "an impeccable man who always has her best interests at heart."

This was not the only time that police had investigated Pistorius for incidents of domestic violence, however; as police took a look at his criminal record. In 2009, Pistorius was arrested after a woman accused him of assault, but he was not convicted for the incident. He was also allegedly involved in a dispute in which he threatened to physically harm a man who had supposedly slept with his girlfriend at the time. When questioned about the incident, Pistorius claims that this was all just a horrible accident because he mistook his girlfriend for a burglar.

In a country that has an extremely high crime rate, this is not an uncommon occurrence. A few years ago, a rugby player accidentally shot his daughter because he thought she was a thief trying to steal his car. Pistorius has requested that the court hearing be as soon as possible, so it is set for Friday. If you have been accused of murder or any other crime of which you are innocent, contact an aggressive Seattle criminal lawyer at Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws, PLLC who can fight for your rights!