This is nuts!

[hirakukibou]

I must say, that I don't understand people's motivations at all.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009...g-with-kid.php

Sigh. At least he wasn't hurt.

[witeowl]

I used to complain about the guys across the street that will yell out, at passing speeding cars, "Slow the $%* down! There are kids in the %&#ing neighborhood!"

I will not complain about them again.

(For a long time, at least.)

[kenyonchris]

I must say, that I don't understand people's motivations at all.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009...g-with-kid.php

Sigh. At least he wasn't hurt.

What was a firefighter doing with a firearm????????????????????

[OakLeaf]

What was a firefighter doing with a firearm????????????????????

why wouldn't firefighters be able to get CCW permits same as anyone else?

Anyway, I doubt it was a firearm if the projectile didn't even penetrate the guy's helmet. A high-powered pellet gun would've, even. Probably a low-powered pellet gun or a BB gun.

None of that mitigates, what a f!@$ idiot. I'm glad that no one was hurt and that they caught the guy. Few riders would've had the presence of mind to get a plate, and few places would've pursued the guy even if there was a complaint and positive ID.

[kenyonchris]

why wouldn't firefighters be able to get CCW permits same as anyone else?

Anyway, I doubt it was a firearm if the projectile didn't even penetrate the guy's helmet. A high-powered pellet gun would've, even. Probably a low-powered pellet gun or a BB gun.

None of that mitigates, what a f!@$ idiot. I'm glad that no one was hurt and that they caught the guy. Few riders would've had the presence of mind to get a plate, and few places would've pursued the guy even if there was a complaint and positive ID.

It was more of the firefighter/cop joke. Not about the seriousness of the situation, but the thought that no firefighter should have a firearm (and they would tell us to go eat a donut). It is good natured. I love the firefighters in our city (they block the street with their big truck for me, making my job a lot safer).

And if you have a plate, a positive ID, and a complainant, it is a cop's DREAM and I don't know a single place that wouldn't pursue that!! What fun! Not that he got shot, but having enough to actually catch the dude and get to hook him up! Cyclist or not, pellet gun or not, firefighter or not, it is agg assault DW minimally.

[shootingstar]

I must say, that I don't understand people's motivations at all.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009...g-with-kid.php

Sigh. At least he wasn't hurt.

Hirakukibou, it's much more difficult to get certain gun permits in Canada. Something like this happening in Canada, would be considered strange.

HMMM..looks like more than meets the eye. His wife was cycling also in that incident.

[papaver]

Hirakukibou, it's much more difficult to get certain gun permits in Canada. Something like this happening in Canada, would be considered strange.

Here too. There are very few firearms here. I don't even know someone who has one. My father was a forester, and when he retired he handed his gun over to the police.

[crazycanuck]

Only in America

Here you'd probably just be knived or king hit(i think that's the term...)

A friend of ours is a pistol shooter(went to worlds etc) w a local gun club & I asked how one gets a gun legally (i'm sure the underworld folks have thier ways too) here in Aust. From memory... First, one must be a member of a gun club for a certain time. Then, the president of the club will write a recommendation letter & one willl take it to the shop one wishes to purchase the gun from. I still believe police checks etc are involved & would not expect to be able to buy a gun for at least 6 months. I believe our friend stores his at the gun club & can't remember if that's the requirement...

[kermit]

This is one case where everybody loves the cop and hates the firefighter. It's usually the other way around!

[OakLeaf]

This is one case where everybody loves the cop and hates the firefighter. It's usually the other way around!

Eh, it seems there have been a lot of very ugly and violent stories lately involving firefighters. Maybe it's just that they get more coverage because firefighters are supposed to be paragons... but I don't think so. This is the first one I can recall that's outside of my local area and my local papers, and it isn't getting national coverage - we're only hearing about it because of the links on this board.

News stations are reporting that it was a real handgun; that the bullet passed through the helmet rather than "lodging" in it; and that the shooter has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Good.

[bmccasland]

Used to be a firefighter...

In every walk of life there are the bad apples. Or the severely demented apples. Or rotten apples.

But most of them are rather nice. Otherwise we wouldn't have apple pie, or apple cider (hard or sweet), or apple jack!

The shooter was a jerk, who happened to be employed as a firefighter.

[tctrek]

More on this: http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/07/...st-for-safety/

I sometimes go up to Asheville to ride. This freaked me out. Of course, there are crazies everywhere and people are killed on bike trails, too.

[arielmoon]

So it's not ok to ride with a child but it's ok to shoot someone in the head.

[OakLeaf]

I think this is one of those that isn't so much about the bike.

Sadly, road rage shootings aren't that uncommon. It's just that in every other instance I've heard about, both participants were in cars.

This isn't meant to excuse the shooter one tiny bit. But I'm recalling the thread about road rage a few months back. This incident is just another reminder why we shouldn't escalate - get a license plate and a physical description, ignore their verbal threats, practice the cycling skills to deal as much as possible with their physical assaults, stay on your bike, do not stop unless the traffic situation requires it, and do not escalate. Besides being armed with a 3,500# blunt instrument, they might be armed with something else too.

[Tri Girl]

WTF is wrong with people? Maybe he should have taken his frustration out on himself and shot himself in the head, and not try to hurt someone else... what a nut job. Glad the family was OK. Glad he's off the streets- he's obviously off his rocker to react like that.