Posted on 02/20/2014 7:51:50 PM PST by bkopto
According to New Orleans Police Department reports, on Friday morning at around 2:26 a.m., a 32-year-old male was riding his bicycle down Esplanade Avenue when a man stepped in front of his path, at N. Robertson Street. When the cyclist slowed to avoid a collision, a second man, wielding a baseball bat, jumped out from behind a parked car and began beating the biker, fracturing his jaw.
Police officers responding to that attack encountered a near-identical scenario that unfolded 22 minutes after the first, just a few blocks away on Esplanade toward Rampart Street. The second victim, 25, suffered serious head injuries, including a fractured skull, police said.
"It's unspeakable," said Nicolas Lambert, a Treme resident who said he rides on Esplanade daily, though never at night.
Although the attacks occurred on Friday morning, NOPD did not release any information on the incidents until Monday evening. The two attacks were left off of the daily report from the department detailing violent crimes throughout the city on Friday and Monday. NOPD spokesperson Garry Flot said although the incidents were classified as aggravated batteries and a baseball bat is considered a dangerous weapon, the attacks could have been left off the log because the assaults did not involve a gun or a knife.
Still, the nature of the attacks stunned residents, even seasoned cyclists.
"If you ask me, it's bad," said Tim Eskew, a mechanic at Bicycle Michael's on Frenchman Street. "Is it bad? It's bad."
But Eskew, who has worked at the shop for 20 years, said residents shouldn't be frightened to ride their bicycles, as long as they take necessary safety measures. Eskew said he's a friend of the second victim, whom he called an experienced cyclist.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
my choice smith and wesson mp65
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_757864_-1_757853_757837_image
i don’t think they make em anymore
You've got a touchy timing problem when the perp jumps out and attacks with less than a second's notice. Stopping takes two hands. My bet is the victim was hit while still moving.
It's not easy.
Those wimpy bicycle helmets don’t do much for a bat on the noggin, granted. One should go to at last a 3/4 face motorcycle helmet.
argh. at last should read, at least
Thanks bkopto.
It would seem easy enough to field plain clothes police decoys... and even announce that this was going to be done.
**************************
You beat me posting that thought, except I don’t believe it should be announced.
The PD decoys should just shoot the attackers. Once word is out, the attacks will stop. ...Law abiding tax payers should not have to endure feral behavior from anyone.
New Orleans is a 24 hour city. People work all night and have to go home. Many ride bikes.People worldwide are lured here to party all night-bars and eateries are open everywhere and busses and streetcars run in areas where there should be tanks.
I don’t know if the victims were working people or other nightdwellers who found trouble instead of caused it; but ANYONE on the streets of New Orleans at night is likely to be a victim. It’s that dangerous.
Wait till this happens to tourists. Wait till there is a serious shootout or spray of gunfire at a Mardi Gras parade. Most locals already have given up the idea of going into the city for parades because of the concentration of people in the dangerous central city area that is now the ONLY route for parades. We know this happens. We know it WILL happen.
The ‘cultural shift’ you speak of HAS happened- THIS IS IT! Those who are involved in, or approve of, crime( because they or their circle benefits) are the majority now! Expecting New Orleans to ‘clean up its act’ is like expecting the Barbary Coast pirates to vote in strong laws against drinking and piracy! It’s all heading down the drain-literally and figuratively- STAY OUT of New Orleans.
THERE is the only solution. You have it. And it would work, eventually. But you don’t know the area this happened in. It’s dark( street lights still out since Katrina) under old oak trees. The Treme area of town( yes- that same glorified in the cable show) is HEAVILY populated by criminals. A few naïve types live in big homes on Esplanade, but the backstreets are rife with criminals. The tough guys lying in wait would be outnumbered and out shot once the baiting started. It would be a wild-west shootout. This bunch isn’t giving up the neighborhood without a fight.
Ninja types, lying in wait, around the city would work but they’d have to be good, fast and change locations nightly. We’re talking ‘Escape From New York’ conditions here.
Which turns out to be more than enough. There is always the exception, but common sense, logic, and (omg) FACTS give one the correct answer most of the time
Yet we will be criticized for acknowledging the truth.
As Clint Eastwood might say... if a guy is dressed in a hoodie, hiding behind cars with a baseball bat, he ain't selling Girl Scout Cookies.
Baseball bat. Baseball is a national sport. Can't be outlawing baseball bats. Ergo, when wielded by a protected minority, it is NOT a deadly weapon.
Besides, he was just using it to make Girl Scout Cookies (rollin in the dough).
Wear a helmet.
Mount a sharp spear to the handlebars and no one will stand in the middle of the bike path obstructing your way. It's harder for them to hit a moving target.
Well, back in the good old days, the sheriff would deputize a bunch of locals, give ‘em rifles and...
Some famous guy once said, "They hated me before they hated you."
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.