Posted on 06/24/2011 4:32:14 AM PDT by MissEdie
A teenager had emergency brain surgery this week after police say he was the victim of a violent beating in Five Points.
The 18-year-old was running along Blossom Street near the Walgreens and Wachovia after midnight Monday when he was attacked by four men, the Columbia Police Department reported. After the beating, the man managed to run several blocks to Edisto Avenue, where a passerby found him two hours later and called 911, police said.
The teen, whose name was not released by police, was taken to the hospital, where he had emergency surgery to remove a clot from his brain, police reported. The teen remained in critical condition in a Columbia hospital and was expected to have reconstructive surgery on his face, according to police.
The 18-year-old victim had been helping a friend earlier in the night and was jogging back home when he was attacked, said Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott. The chief did not know where the victim had been or where his home was.
The Police Department on Thursday released video footage of men it says are the suspects. The footage, recorded by security cameras in Five Points, shows eight men walking along a sidewalk. Late Thursday, police had eight people in custody and were interviewing them.
Earlier the night of the beating, the group of suspects had tried to attack others, but those people managed to escape unharmed, Scott said.
The police department also has footage for four men darting across the street toward the man, said Jennifer Timmons, the department spokeswoman. However, the department did not release that footage to the public.
All of the footage was provided to police by the Five Points Merchants Association, which has installed dozens of security cameras outside businesses, Scott said.
The security cameras are just one response to increasing concern about crime in Five Points.
A 2 a.m. bar closing, with many exceptions, will go into effect later this summer, and City Council is considering a curfew. The police and fire departments have beefed up overcrowding inspections at bars, and city police are allowed to work off-duty security in the bars.
Strictly Running, a Harden Street shop that sells running gear and organizes training events, has security cameras inside and outside its storefront, said Selwyn Blake, one of the co-owners and a U.S. Track and Field coach. When coaching runners, Blake said he emphasizes safety tips.
But a jogger getting beaten is rare, he said. “I think what you have here is a unique situation, that’s for sure,” Blake said.
Runners more often face injuries caused by distracted drivers and the extreme South Carolina heat, he said. That’s why joggers are advised to run in pairs, to wear identification, to carry cellphones and to wear reflective vests at night. He also suggested runners let someone know when they leave and when they should be expected to return, Blake said.
Strictly Running hosts groups of runners who leave from the store in the early-morning hours. Blake said he feels safe in Five Points but always advises people to use caution.
“You have to remember you are in the city,” he said. “You have to put your city armor on.”
“The first five would have had a bullet in’em!”
Carry something with a magazine... and a spare... or two...
There are so many commercials out there that are just as you describe. Perhaps my "favorite" is one for college planning or some such. Nice suburban living room, large group of up-scale parents gathered around. Everyone is concerned about financial planning and saving for college. Turns out no one knows how to plan their finances. No has has started doing any savings.
Wait! That's not quite accurate! There is a black couple over there on the couch! Yes! They've taken the intiative -- they've been saving for years. Easiest thing in the world for them. They know how to do it, and they are very responsible and on top of their finances. All the dumb white people stare at them with puppy dog eyes and admire their wisdom for hiring the right financial planning firm.
Now, of course black people can be financially responsible. But if the commercial featured dumb, scared black people in awe of the smart white people who have deep knowledge of financial planning, people would howl about the stereotype. But, reverse the colors, and there's no problem. Well, I have a problem. The TV pushes propaganda that whites, especially white males, are helpless idiots who need to be helped by their social superiors.
>>They, the 8 honor students, were just taking a break from those hard medical school courses they are taking after having turned their lives around.<<
Now they can go to Bible school for a few years.
In my city the minorities have a well known practice of slamming on the brakes for nothing, you rear-end them and they claim horrific, disabling soft-tissue injuries. Happened to my son and many, many other friends.
I no longer let any minority into traffic ahead of me. It’s not racist, it’s called protecting my insurance rates.
You are no doubt correct. But attacks such as this are generally by definition launched by surprise. Once the first blow has been struck, getting your weapon out and counter-attacking becomes a great deal more difficult. Especially with multiple attackers.
Which means you would have to shoot before a punch is thrown. This is problematic not only legally but also morally. It would, of course, be portrayed by the press as an angry white man opening fire on a group of black children without provocation.
And it would indeed be easy to misinterpret innocent idiocy as a threat and open fire inappropriately.
I see no easy answers. The only real answer is a rebirth of morality and decency in the black community, and that won’t be easy.
After Barky's election, the racism THAT WAS ALREADY THERE, that was instilled for generations, started to become evident.
Yes, it's hard not to become "racist" when the "other side" viscerally hates you simply for YOUR "race".
The “ethnicity” was plainly stated in the phrase “the department did not release that footage to the public”.
Right after HUSSEIN’s election I also noticed increased racism by minorities...but lately it seems to have waned a bit. I think they can’t help but realize that barry HUSSEIN has made their lives exponentially more difficult.
Whenever I get a cold call to buy some product I always tell them that the “obama economy” has hurt my disposable income and I am having to cut back on everything. More and more callers are starting to commiserate with me. Previously they would get argumentative. Apparently they are “feeling my pain.”
I have also noticed that NO magazines puts either potus or flotus on their covers anymore. Idiocy doesn’t sell.
Well when they bunch up, you could get lucky and get 2 fer 1 special.
Exactly.
That is, if you walk down the street in the wee hours with your head up your rear.
At that time of the morning, there are few walking the streets and a high percentage of them are up to no good.
So if you see more than one guy coming directly at you, just turn to cross the street. If they turn to intercept you, code red.
At that point one can turn again so the weapon is on the side away from the suspects and draw and hold it out of sight until needed.
The biggest danger is walking too close to parked vehicles, dark doorways and entrances to alleys. Smart to walk close to the curb as parked vehicles pose less risk.
Or on the side of the street with fewer vehicles.
Awareness is worth a cocked second weapon.
“Well, anyone who exercises his God-given right to self-defense will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, I’m sure.”
Nope. SC has the Castle doctrine where a citizen can stand his ground and protect himself or others from harm. And last month, the South Carolina Supreme Court “liberalized” the Castle Doctrine to include shooting and killing perps for even the slightest transgression against you and your property. It’s open season on thugs in SC.
There’s also a 19th century law in SC that allows citizens to drop a thug committing any felony after dark, which includes stopping him if he’s running away. I’m still researching that one and feel uncomfortable positing any “dos” or “don’ts.”
I have no prob with that either. But the problem with a gang beat down is that many times it has already started before a person has a chance to defend. These people are cowards - it is never one on one.
I was talking about house arrest for non violent perps to free up a nice cell for a loooooong time for the thugs. Make them break rocks. We shouldn't have to live in our own country as if we are in enemy territory.
Amen!
Anyone who carries a weapon or threatens violence in the commission of a crime should get life at hard labor - no parole. Anyone who uses a weapon or violence in the commission of a crime should be executed in a public place for all to see.
Additionally, parents should be held criminally responsible for the criminal acts of their minor children.
I feel like there might be some information missing from this story...
The scams
Swoop and Squat. A suspect vehicle suddenly swoops in front of you and jams on the brakes, causing a rear-end collision. Often the suspect car has passengers who pretend to have painful back or neck injuries, even though the collision was at low speed. The driver and passengers then make large collision and injury claims against your auto policy, for example.
http://www.insurancefraud.org/staged_accidents.htm
“I think we need to really start throwing the book at people who commit UNPROVOKED violence against others - long sentences with no parole.”
The victim DID provoke his attackers, he was white.
Here’s a link if you’re interested:
Not being sarcastic, but what kind of information?
Probably the same group of lawyers who file for them too. I really have more respect for drug dealers than I do most lawyers today.
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