So there was a group of motorcycle riding college students in Oklahoma who apparently cut off a man who was riding in his pickup truck with his wife and kids. Apparently, the man in the truck took this as a mortal insult, began a road rage argument, and called ahead to have some friends stop them in a roadside ambush. One of the ambushers fired a shotgun in the air to get the bikers to stop.
The armed friends held part of the group at gunpoint and threatened to kill them, while the trucker beat one of the bikers, and the fat one pulled a knife on one of the bikers and threatened to cut his throat. Then, they stole a cell phone that was being used to film the incident. Here is video of the incident:
At 6:48, the Fat guy, who claimed to be part of the Hell's Angels, told them that losing the cell phone is the price you pay for doing the wrong thing. If you listen 7:44, the fat guy told one of the students: "You shouldn't even be up here, you don't live here. Go home." Then he says "I hope none of you plan on pursuing this with the law."
Well, the posted the video, which drew the attention of the cops. You can count the felonies yourself: Armed robbery, aggravated battery, brandishing, intimidating a witness, and more. I am sure there are dozens of crimes that could be charged here.
This is NOT how you handle a road rage incident. Even though there was an arrest made, the small town sheriff appears to be covering for his locals, and is refusing to make more than one arrest, or even release details. It is obvious that the police are engaged in a cover up.
Even if the motorcyclists were in the wrong, the locals escalated the issue, and then committed robbery and battery. This goes WAY beyond self defense. This is how NOT to defend yourself from road rage.
Maybe you should read your first paragraph again, and compare it to the video.
ReplyDeleteYou state the motorcyclists cut off the truck and then the driver of the truck committed road rage. Video shows a group of at least 5 motorcyclists following a truck through a left turn (motorcyclists could have gone straight) slowing once, stopping once and then accelerating at high speed, pulling along side the truck and arguing. When the correlation of forces becomes more equal 3 men in pickups vs 5 MC's the motorcyclists claim they just want to "talk". There is a reason that people say guns are an equalizer.
I read both accounts. Yes, the motorcyclists were also wrong. The film obviously begins some time after the beginning of the incident, and I do believe that the bikers cut off the truck driver, and that is what started the argument. I also think that both sides had a hand in escalating things.
ReplyDeleteHowever, calling ahead to your friends, setting up an armed ambush, robbing the bikers of their property at gun and knife point, and physically starting a public beating while your friends hold them and others at gun point is NOT self defense. This was street justice, pure and simple.