lightning60

https://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/...tion_in_taylor

Closed Office

That's a story with impact.

tjspiel

Tragic. Can not defend anything the cyclist did.

Was the driver really in mortal danger? Can't say. Wasn't there.

RaleighSport

Let me hit you in the head 7 times as hard as I can then you tell me?

goalieMN

If the facts of the article are actually what happened, it sure sounds like a good shoot to me. Do stupid things, win stupid prizes.

tjspiel

Were you there? Where does it say he was getting hit in the head? I've seen lots of punches thrown in various fights with few landing. I've also seen guys go down after one punch. Fights happened in high school all the time. Sometimes guys got a serious pummeling, but no one died. Not even close. Yes I know it can happen.

Maybe I'm just old, but when I was growing up a fist fight wasn't normally considered life threatening.

Again. I wasn't there, and if I were to see video footage I may well decide that the driver was more than justified in shooting the guy, but I do wonder what would have happened if the gun hadn't been there either.

RaleighSport

I agree we weren't there and there is one part that doesn't add up to me, the witness said he was crossing against a do not cross.. for pedestrians but that doesn't mean he didn't get in the sidewalk for the intersection as to not get run over (boneheaded in my mind), and your right I don't know how hard he could hit either.. but I assume someone in a rage would be swinging for the fences. But you are right, this is just conjecture.

cycle_maven

If the gun hadn't been there, likely nobody would have died...

treadtread

What tjspiel said. Wasn't there, but its hard to imagine why shooting someone is an appropriate response. I would have tried to get back in the truck and close the door - a few scratches on my car is one thing, killing someone is quite another.

PedalingFool

The MUP that I ride on has a lot of cross lights and I will not cross against a "Do Not Cross" light. I see a lot of other cyclists zip by me and make cars, that have the right of way, slow down or even stop. It's the cyclists with the "since I'm on a bike I automatically have the right of way no matter what!" attitude that are the worst and are the ones that usually end up getting flattened... or shot.

PedalingFool

The news report said that the driver never left his vehicle...
Maybe he could have just drove off... not sure though.

Ns1

Had a friend die from a single right hook so gonna have to disagree with that one.

Drew Eckhardt 

Although the driver could have been brain damaged, unable to continue his career, and unable to support his family.

The driver was right.

The cyclist was wrong.

Ns1

100% this.

dramiscram

I live in Canada so the first thing that cross my mind is that this guy should go straight to prison for carrying a loaded gun. No gun, no dead cyclist. The cyclist seemed to be acting crazy but getting shot to death ?!?!?!? Up here that's a murder.

Ns1

Luckily the driver lived in the USA, where he is allowed to defend himself from unjust attacks that are potentially life threatening

dramiscram

Luckily crazy americans must get a permit and declare their weapon before crossing the border (NOT saying that americans are crazier than canadians but crazy canadians have more difficulties getting gun then crazy americans)

wphamilton

It occurs to me that a "Do Not Cross" can be lit for a crosswalk even if the traffic light is green. Was the cyclist in the crosswalk or the traffic lane? Did the driver have a green light or did the cyclist? I don't know - wasn't there and the article doesn't say.

Assaulting the driver was wrong of course. Deadly force appropriate? Again, wasn't there but it's hard to imagine that the driver couldn't get away by simply taking his foot off the brake.

tjspiel

I'm sorry about your friend and yes it can happen as I said, but it is not common. It's most likely to happen when the victim is unconscious or surprised with a blow that snaps their head around.

Ns1

Evidently in Detroit, it goes both ways

https://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...ckup-in-Taylor

Ns1

My friend died, and that is uncommon yes (99% likely that he hit his head on the ground and suffered a major head injury resulting in brain death). But major injuries from fights are very, very common. If Bryan Stow had a gun maybe he wouldn't be a vegetable right now. Another friend got assaulted and still has problems in his right eye. I'm sure I could c/p you major injuries related to fights all day long from google.

Sorry, but when a person assaults someone, that person is potentially opening up Pandora's box and deserves anything that's coming to them.

Imma leave this thread now before I get too...passionate...regarding the subject.

tjspiel

Yeah, we don't know. Seems to me that you're supposed to attempt to flee before pulling the gun. Maybe there was car in front of him so he couldn't. It's probably obvious to anyone that was there.

In my mind these events need to be analyzed and I'm sure it will be. I'm not saying the guy in the car should be prosecuted because it is very hard to second guess someone who had to react in the heat of the moment. Presumably he had the proper permit and he had reason to feel threatened.

However, I see that as a big part of the problem with carrying a gun. How often do the non-lethal alternatives get overlooked when someone is under stress?

tjspiel

Some welts and some bruises are the far more likely outcome, -especially trying to punch somebody inside a car.

The cyclist surely won't be able to support anybody anymore. Maybe he was just a low-life thug anyway. Maybe he was a normally decent guy who mistakenly thought he had the right of way. No way to know now.

Ns1

Okay, I lied. As a victim I don't give a crap what the "likely" outcome is, I'm only thinking of the worst possible outcome.

Person who committed assault = gambled and lost.

treadtread

You are right, 100%. However, the mistake wasn't worth death-by-revolver. The driver could just as easily have rolled his window up or kept driving and then reported the incident to the police.