Posted on 12/15/2004 3:39:39 PM PST by Max Combined
San Jose (costa Rica), December 15: Osama bin Laden take note: You wouldn’t be safe in Costa Rica.
A startled taxi driver shot and wounded a jokester wearing a plastic mask of the al-Qaeda leader, police said on Tuesday.
Leonel Arias, 47, told police he was playing a practical joke by donning the bin Laden mask, toting his pellet rifle and jumping out to scare drivers on a narrow street in his hometown, Carrizal de Alajuela, about 35 kms North of San Jose.
Arias had startled several drivers that way on Monday afternoon.
But when he jumped out in front of taxi driver Juan Pablo Sandoval, the motorist reached for a gun and shot him twice in the stomach. He was hospitalised in stable condition.
"For me and I think for anybody else at a time like that one thinks the worst and so I fired my gun," Sandoval told Channel 7 television.
Police declined to detain Sandoval, saying he had believed he was acting in self-defence.
What was this guy thinking???
Honorable mention for a Darwin Award but since he survived he can't actually win one.
No Darwin, definately gets the Hold Muh Beer and Watch this award
Now that is a stupid, stupid man!! He's lucky to be alive.
Sounds like he is oh so close to being a Darwin AWARD nominee (missing only because it was not a fatal wound apparently).
Costa Ricans are great friends of America. They'd gladly shoot bin Laden for us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.