Posted on 03/13/2014 7:33:42 PM PDT by gooblah
Police have arrested a man suspected of driving through a pedestrian area at the South by Southwest festival, killing two and injuring 23.
Rashad Charjuan Owens, 21, will be charged with two counts of murder and 23 of assault, Austin officials said.
Police said the driver fled as they tried to stop him for drink driving and driving through a barricade.
The yearly festival in Texas draws large crowds and features new music, technology and film.
The driver of the vehicle hit multiple people on a street turned into a pedestrian walkway after midnight on Thursday, then sped down the street, hitting and killing a man from the Netherlands on a bicycle and an Austin woman on a moped.
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said he believed the driver was so intent on evading police that he wilfully drove into the crowd.
"It's clear for me from his actions, from what I've seen, that this is an individual who showed no regard for the human beings that he ploughed through in his attempt to get away," Mr Acevedo said
Austin is a pimple on the ass of Texas
I have only one thing to say. And I’ll keep it to myself.
Since it’s Texas, and he only killed two people, maybe he can claim ‘affluenza’ and get sentenced to some rehab and probation.
Horrible thing to happen to young people. Anything can happen if you're at the wrong place at the wrong time. My daughter and her husband are heavily into the music scene in Austin. Thank God they're okay. Glad they caught the guy doing "drink driving". Is that where you're guzzling while the vehicle is moving?
You are correct. That’s why I live just south of Weird.
I lived their twice, was glad to leave. I’m north a bit on the I35 autobahn.
If anyone deserved the needle, it’s this guy.
Governor Perry said Austin is a blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup.
“Rashad Charjuan Owens”
No picture is necessary.
One of Obamas sons. Complete with a criminal past.
I am glad that the earlier reports it was a soldier from Fort Hood were false. I read that he had a string of run ins with the law and he was “an aspiring music producer”.
It is going to be real interesting to see how this plays out.
First you had one of the political heros staff kill a person DWI and got off with basically nothing.
Then the Travis county DA gets busted DWIx3 and gets a few weeks in the cooler and keeps her job in spite of laws saying otherwise.
Now how is it going to look in oh so leftist Austin when they throw the book at this guy?
From watching countless British TV detective shows, I know that is what we in the US call “drunk driving.”
Mr. Acevedo is simply being Mr. Acevedo. As a lifelong resident of Austin (65 years), compared to Mr. Acevedo’s several controversial years in Austin, I think I can comment to “some” degree on what he says on this SXSW incident albeit I admit to not having at this time a lot of facts re what happened specifically at SXSW last night.
What I do know about Acevedo is that he instituted the FORCED blood test in DUI cases. If you don’t agree with it, they will pile on and hold you down, cuff you and haul your ass to jail. I have seen it happen.
Prior to a half dozen cops piling on you, drunk or not, he sets up his cops down the main outgoing street from downtown Austin’s hundreds of bars just pulling people over for anything and everything. One ounce of insubordination on your part as a citizen and you are piled on. Putting a little more accurately...........”you fail to kiss their ass your going to jail”.
Next thing you know Austin is # 1 for DUI’s in the US and the restaurant bar business has gone to hell. Each DUI means thousands for the City and County coffers.
So far the courts are backing Aceveyhole but a large percentage of Austinites hate the son of a bitch. Google it, you will see.
SO, re SXSW, why was one of Aceveyhole’s room temp cops chasing a drunk down a street crowded with thousands of people? I guess we will get some answer on this in the next few days or weeks.
Let me be the first to say. Two people are dead and Aceveyhole should be fired! What part of DEAD do you not understand?! The young girl’s head was decapitated!
He was arrested for DUI in Fairbanks, AK. He may have been a sodier at Ft Wainwright, Alaska. It’s in Fairbanks.
Wonder if “rashad” is an undocumented dimmacrat, or a converted mooslim.
Sounds like “Sudden Jihad Syndrome” to me.
Duh!!! From the BBC, of course! Thanks for raising the bonnet on that.
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