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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

2452.0. "bicyclist shoots attackers in San Francisco" by OXNARD::KLEE (Ken Lee) Tue Nov 03 1992 18:54

>From the S.F. Chronicle, November 3rd --

S.F. Bicyclist Shot Attackers, Police Say -

In a scene suitable for a Charles Bronson movie, a late-night bicyclist
in San Francisco fired a salvo of bullets at three men allegedly trying
to rob him and then vanished before one of the men was found dead at
the wheel of a car, police said yesterday.

According to officers, who pieced the story together from accounts by
witnesses and the two surviving suspects, the bike rider was pedaling
along Broadway in Pacific Heights at 1 a.m. when three young men
knocked him to the pavement near the intersection of Laguna Street.

The rider, described by police as an Asian or white man in his 20s
jumped up, whipped out a small-caliber semi-automatic pistol and began
shooting at his tormentors, police said.

The bicyclist wounded at least two of the alleged attackers, who were
unarmed. As the bullets whizzed at them, the three ran, police said.
The startled suspects fled to their car, roared down the steep pitch of
Laguna Street and crashed into a parked car near the bottom of the
hill.  The driver ... was dead at the scene. Police said he had been
shot by the bicyclist but it is not known whether his death was caused
by gunshot wounds or the collision.

The bicyclist took off on foot on Broadway, leaving his bicycle
behind.  Police are asking him to contact homicide inspectors to
discuss the events.  Police said he "has a right to defend himself" but
he could be charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a misdemeanor.
...
The two wounded suspects, both 18, have been charged with attempted
robbery. Because their alleged accomplice died they are also charged
with his death.
...
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2452.1GAUSS::ROTHGeometry is the real life!Wed Nov 04 1992 06:588
    Interesting... in this state (Mass) you're not allowed to defend
    your own life, and the cyclist would probably be sought for murder.

    But we don't know the whole story about this.  I for one would
    be suspicious of coming forward to face mere "misdemeanor" charges.
    Nowadays, criminals can successfully sue their victims if they retaliate.

    - Jim
2452.2YOU'RE ALLOWED...WMOIS::GIROUARD_CWed Nov 04 1992 10:4610
     You can legally defend yourself with deadly force in Ma. The issue
    comes in the court room where you have to prove that your life was
    in imminent danger.
    
     The state will always charge you with manslaughter/murder until
    you're cleared... In the "legal" cases, the DA will drop the charges
    and it won't get to court... It's happened often (unfortunately)
    many times...
    
      Chip
2452.3"I thought he was going to kill me!"RANGER::WASSERJohn A. WasserWed Nov 04 1992 19:427
> You can legally defend yourself with deadly force in Ma. The issue
> comes in the court room where you have to prove that your life was
> in imminent danger.

	I think you only have to show that you had reason to fear
	"death or grave bodily harm of yourself or another".

2452.4Used bike for sale...NQOPS::CLELANDCenterline violation...Wed Nov 04 1992 21:3312
    	> The bicyclist took off on foot on Broadway, leaving his bicycle
	> behind.
    
    	Obviously not a very valuable bike.
    
    	Hmmm, I wonder if the bicycle was stolen?
    
    	Aside: "Police are asking him to contact homocide inspectors
    		to discuss the events".
    
    	Yeah sure, like he was a licensed gun-owner, carrying a legally
    	registered firearm.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh don't think so...
2452.5what happened to the bike?OXNARD::KLEEKen LeeWed Nov 04 1992 21:508
    According to a paragraph I accidentally deleted from .0, several
    minutes after the shooting, a pickup truck arrived at the scene.  The
    occupants of the truck offered first aid to the victims, called the
    police, then picked up the bike and left.  The police did not know if
    these people were associated with the bicyclist.
    
    Ken