Didn't want to divert the thread, but there is another issue carrying weapons in the first place
Cyclist shot in head by angry driver
- Thread starter Grendel
- Start date
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Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Christ, do they have the death penalty in NYC? Obviously not, as if he had done this in Texas, he would be on death row now.
At the bottom of the page was this which is just as terrifying:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/fox-news-writer-drags-cyclist.php
At the bottom of the page was this which is just as terrifying:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/fox-news-writer-drags-cyclist.php
Will1985
Über Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
Only in America...reading the article I had the same thought as MacB - the justice system is so racially biased over there. This particular case bears similarities to the film Falling Down where a respected person flips out.
Had that offence been committed in the UK it would have been a mandatory minimum 5 year term. Still not enough for a maniac like that.
Had that offence been committed in the UK it would have been a mandatory minimum 5 year term. Still not enough for a maniac like that.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Crankarm said:
Even worse is the fact that the driver, Don Broderick, won't face any charges for this. Apparently there wasn't enough evidence of injury to the cyclist.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Will1985 said:
Yeah I thought of Michael Douglas in Falling Down, but thought his character would probably be the cyclist who finally snapped as he was sick of being harassed by aggressive drivers. If you remember in the film each situation Michael Douglas' character enountered was where external situations were forced upon him. Losing his job, questioning why the road works were taking so long resulting in huge traffic jams, the burger restaurant scene which is basically you recieve crap despite the marketing men making adverts giving the impression hamburgers are so appetising and the awful customer service; the Nazi supremacist army surplus shop owner mistakenly wanting to join MD on his crusade; the gang of young armed robbers; the mugger hoodlams in the park, MD is just sitting by himself minding his own business wondering if his ex is going to let him see his daughter on her birthday when he gets there, the golf course scene ........... He is a guy who just wanted to do the right thing, but life just pulled the rug from under his feet. I don't think his character would have shot the cyclist who carried his child on the back of his bike though as the nutter did in this horrific case.
Great film though. Panned on release I think it will grow to be a classic like Jaws, Shawshank Redemption and Wall Street. It's a sad reflection of modern life in the Western World. A real polemic. MD's performance is up there with his performance in Wall Street IMHO. Robert Duval put in spec one as well as the honest, loyal, straight detective with integrity unlike his colleagues accept for his foxy female partner/stroke love interest. Strange Duval's character had marital issues too .......
hackbike 666
Guest
Having a bad day?
Aww bless.
Had that offence been committed in the UK it would have been a mandatory minimum 5 year term. Still not enough for a maniac like that.
He'd probably get nothing near that.
Aww bless.
Had that offence been committed in the UK it would have been a mandatory minimum 5 year term. Still not enough for a maniac like that.
He'd probably get nothing near that.
Tharg2007
Veteran
- Location
- Manchester
technically he wasnt shot in the head, he was shot in the helmet. Just thought i would point that out. carry on.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Tharg2007 said:
your point is???
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
Tharg2007 said:
No, he aimed the gun at a human being and fired. Where the bullet lands is irrelevant - it is the intention of harm that is relevant.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
downfader said:
Unless, of course, Tharg is buying into the warning shot in the helmet idea.
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
MacB said:
When I got my air rifle many years back as a lad I'm sure one of the bits in the manual was about never firing warning shots. What goes up must come down.
On a different note, friends of the family are from mexico and we heard a tragic tale of a 6 year old girl who died. People in the next village were celebrating a marriage and fired a few rounds into the air (traditional there). Bullet came down and into her head.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Tharg2007 said:
I think if he had been shot in the helmet he would have bled to death.
So helmets have to be bullet proof now
?The intention was to shoot some one in the head whether it penetrated the cycle helmet or not. No one, no one in their reasonable right mind would think a cycle helmet is bullet proof. The same reasonable person would also realise that some one might very likely die. Therefore I can't see why it was not attempted murder
. But then it was the US which seems to produce these amazing discrepancies in judgements, some excessively harsh some mind blowingly wrong. I guess carrying a gun and using it is seen as merely a minor misdemeanour 
. And they wonder why they have numerous horrific incidents such a Columbine .....Only in the US of A.
