Wednesday, July 7, 2010

update

More details on the library stabbing. Seems the worker wasn't "condition white" as much as previously thought.

There's also been an arrest.

And the library's response? Security cameras...to make us feel safe.

19 comments:

Bubblehead Les. said...

If not Condition White, then still not prepared in case of Goblin attack. Also, the statement by the the Police Detective SAMS made me sick, "Poor baby missed his Mommy, just was committing crimes to go back to Puerto Rico.." BULL! Where's your sympathy for the Librarian? Forgot Disparity of Force? By the way, Detective SAMS, that story he used was similar to one used in a recent episode of "House", so what happened to your B.S. detector, which every good cop has before they're made Detective? What's next, Detective SAMS, you going to claim she brought it on herself because she wasn't supposed to be there? God, who's running that force, former Cleveland P.D. officers?

Mike W. said...

I see he's 17. I hope they try that scumbag as an adult.

Anonymous said...

"I see he's 17. I hope they try that scumbag as an adult."

I'd rather see them try him as a corpse.

Mike W. said...

Circuit - If they do that and let him loose we might have zombies on our hands! :)

Anonymous said...

The zombies will be on our hands, chewing on our feet, nibbling our brainz. That's what zombies do.

Let him loose? For harming a librarian? Put him away for life (living dead).

Weer'd Beard said...

Ahh Security cameras, so now we can WATCH a woman get stabbed full of holes IN LIVING COLOR! GREAT!

Also Security Cameras would allow better identifying and apprehending of the suspect after the crime.

AKA: Security Cameras would have done NOTHING different in this case!

I suggest adding another factor so we have tape footage more like this:
http://www.weerdworld.com/2010/dgu-security-video/

Divemedic said...

@ Les: Actually, it is worse than you think. The Sheriff is a guy named Demmings, and his wife is the Chief of Police for Orlando. They are famous for having their firearms stolen when they left them in their vehicle, parked in front of their house.

This crime happened about a mile from where I was that morning.

Also, the linked article has multiple spelling and punctuation errors. You would think that a reporter, who supposedly makes a living through use of the English language, would be a little better at using that language.

PPPP said...

I still like the security cameras in one of those Dirk Pitt novels - equipped with a laser beam that can cut a man in half.

Tam said...

His initial attack was stabbing her in the back.

She was "suspicious" of him and went to call her boss and turned her back. On someone she of whom she felt "suspicious".

I don't mean to keep harping on this, but saying "If only so-and-so had a gun" seems to be almost a reflex action sometimes; it's important for us to remember that a gun is only a small part of the total package. Having to draw a gun in the first place is usually an indicator that one has already screwed up.


(WV: "angencyc" Not sure what it means. Sounds kinda Greek, though.)

T said...

@ Divemedic

The typos were so distracting! But you have to remember, TV reporters don't care so much for spelling as us newspaper reporters do. "Chick-A-Filet"? Is that some rip-off local chain or just a BAD typo?

As to the story...why turn your back on someone you think is suspicious?

breda said...

Harp away, Tam.

Alan said...

"Having to draw a gun in the first place is usually an indicator that one has already screwed up."

Blaming the victim now?

Why bother to carry at all if smart, competent people that don't screw up can resolve all situations without having to draw a gun and defend themselves?

Tam said...

Alan,

"Blaming the victim now?"

No.

"Why bother to carry at all if smart, competent people that don't screw up...?"

Uh, because I'm not one of those people? I know the times I've had to throw down were because I did something stupid. I hope I don't repeat those particular mistakes again, but I acknowledge that I made them and try to learn something from them.

Look, can we all agree that the only way having a gun will prevent you from being stabbed in the back is if you're carrying it in an SOB holster and the stabber is aiming for your kidney? Can we agree that a gun is not a rabbit's foot?

breda said...

All this is beside the original point which was: "Victim stabbed in the back. How dumb of her. Condition white."

As far as I can tell all that she did was go to work that day.

And no - carrying a gun is not a rabbit's foot, please don't insult me by implying that I think it is. Forgive me if I didn't write the post as well as I could have but I placed myself in that particular librarian's shoes, wishing that *I* was allowed the best self defense tool *I* choose to carry. It wears on me every single day, sitting here in a fishbowl, an arms reach away from who knows what kind of people.

Alan said...

Looks like blaming the victim to me.

What is the difference between:

She turned her back on someone suspicious.

and

Her skirt was too short.

or

She shouldn't have walked down that street so late at night.

Bubblehead Les. said...

But the difference, Ms. Breda, is that YOU have the knowledge that one goes to "Condition White" only when safely ensconced behind security barriers that YOU know and trust. This poor woman, like tens of millions, made an assumption that her place of work was a safe haven. Yet they still walk around with "It can't happen to me!" mentality. Not blaming her, just the silly "call 911 and everything will be fine" attitude that seems to be the norm in American Society today.

Tam, of course a gun is not a rabbit's foot. Even though I carry whenever I leave my house, I know that I have only increased my chances of making it back home uninjured and/or dead. Learned the hard way years ago that my ancestors didn't come from the Planet Krypton. Just trying to increase my odds.

Divemedic, it sounds like its time for a new Sheriff down there, but you probably have the same issues as most big cities, and that's the law serves the local "Boss Hogs" rather than the People, and it's hard to vote out the bums when election day rolls around.

Tam said...

Breda,

"And no - carrying a gun is not a rabbit's foot, please don't insult me by implying that I think it is."

I'm sorry that's how it sounded, because that's not how I meant it. I probably could have written that better myself.

I've worked in victim disarmament zones before, too. It sucks.



Alan,

"Looks like blaming the victim to me."

I don't think trying to learn from a situation is the same as blaming the victim at all.

It was that guy's fault for pointing a pistol at me, but that doesn't mean I don't pay more attention at traffic lights these days, especially after dark.

Anonymous said...

"Its sad. He was brought here from Puerto Rico for a better life. His justification (for breaking into the library) was he couldn't find a job, and needed to buy a plane ticket to go see his mom for her birthday," Detective Sams told FOX 35.

The world is full. Lets get rid of this a**hole first.

Jim

w/v: deadon. Take that for what you will.

Zendo Deb said...

At a marina not too far from where I am now, you had to walk to the head, (er, restroom for all you lubbers) which was quite a distance. Like most of these places, they are locked to keep the homeless at bay.

I came out at about 9 pm, and let the door close and lock behind me. One idiot came around one corner of the building and the other came from the corner behind me.

Could easily have caused me to draw and shoot one of them, but they were only idiot high-school-kids (though large) and turned out to not be an issue. (and yes, I was carrying at the time) But I didn't do anything wrong. I had to let the door close to walk away.

So, unless you can see around every corner, unless you live in an area immune to crime (must be Pleasantville - since even Warren Buffett lives in an area that has seen at least one home-invasion) you can end up in a bad situation without doing anything wrong.

All the planning, awareness and preparation in the world won't make you superhuman.

That said, I agree with Tam. Only one person is to blame, but we have to learn the lessons of history or be fated to repeat them.