Is this a joke?

betgo · #1 07-01-2005, 04:20 PM

Black Men Attacked in Queens Neighborhood
| 6/30/05 | AP

NEW YORK (AP) - Three black men who ventured into a historically white neighborhood early Wednesday to steal a car were chased by a man with a baseball bat, police said. One man was beaten and suffered a fractured skull.

The attack happened several hours before dawn in the same section of the borough of Queens as an infamous 1986 beating of three black men whose car had broken down.

In Wednesday's attack, Nicholas Minucci, 21, was being charged with first-degree assault as a hate crime, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon, police Commissioner Ray Kelly said at a news conference.

The three blacks told investigators they had been looking for a car to steal when they entered the Howard Beach neighborhood. They told police a white man in an SUV passed them in the street, exchanged stares with them and then returned with two friends and a baseball bat before chasing them on foot.

Glen Moore, 20, stumbled to the ground and was beaten, suffering a fractured skull. He was in serious condition. The other two men escaped and summoned police, who scouted the neighborhood with them and spotted the SUV again.

Police stopped the vehicle and found the bat inside. The driver was arrested, and officers were seeking two other suspects.

The hate crime charge is punishable by a minimum of eight years in prison. The district attorney said that he didn't know if Minucci had a lawyer and that he would be arraigned Thursday.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he and the police commissioner would not allow such "an ugly incident" to divide the city.

"We've accomplished too much to let that happen," he said, noting that the area had been free of such crimes for at least two years.

On Dec. 20, 1986, a group of white teenagers attacked three black men who were stranded in the neighborhood when their car stalled.

One of the men was fatally struck by a car as he fled. Another was beaten with a baseball bat and tree branches. The third escaped.

The attack ignited racial tension in New York and was compared to a lynching by then-Mayor Ed Koch. Eight of the teenagers were convicted or pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter, assault, conspiracy and rioting.

[censored] · #2 07-01-2005, 04:22 PM

I don't get your choosen subject for this thread

shots · #3 07-01-2005, 07:33 PM

I like how they go back 20 years to an incident that happend in the same neghbourhood but is otherwise completely unrelated in order to make it about race. If someone's trying to steal my car I'm not looking to see what color they are I'm just going to give them a nice beating. All hate crime charges are ridiculous it's essentialy convicting someone of a thought crime. If someone shoots a black guy because he's a rascist POS how's that any different then if he shot him because he wanted his shoes? Is the guy any less dead?

lastchance · #4 07-01-2005, 07:35 PM

Did the black guys actually start stealing a car? You can't attack someone for "looking" like they were about to steal a car.

[censored] · #5 07-01-2005, 07:44 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Did the black guys actually start stealing a car? You can't attack someone for "looking" like they were about to steal a car.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the same thing after reading it. It sounds as if their intent was not known until post beat down. Clearly the would be thiefs failed to notice the neighborhood watch signs.

shots · #6 07-01-2005, 07:45 PM

That's a good point, the story doesn't really make it clear. I just assumed they started stealing a car because otherwise I don't know why they'd admit that was the reason they came to the neighbourhood.

betgo · #7 07-01-2005, 07:56 PM

Legally, you don't have a right to beat someone up because they are looking to steal a car or probably even if they are stealing a car.

However, it is presented like these guys were attacked for their race. They just innocently ventured into the neighborhood to steal a car and were attacked.

lehighguy · #8 07-01-2005, 09:02 PM

It is unclear. Though I can't fathom why they would tell the police they were gonna steal a car if they didn't?

If they in fact were in the process of stealing the car when attacked then:
A) The man is within his rights of self defense.
B) This is a horrible piece of liberal press.

[censored] · #9 07-01-2005, 09:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It is unclear. Though I can't fathom why they would tell the police they were gonna steal a car if they didn't?

If they in fact were in the process of stealing the car when attacked then:
A) The man is within his rights of self defense.
B) This is a horrible piece of liberal press.

[/ QUOTE ]

You make a good arguement that is for sure. Horrible article as this should be made clear.

kurto · #10 07-02-2005, 03:34 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Legally, you don't have a right to beat someone up because they are looking to steal a car or probably even if they are stealing a car.

[/ QUOTE ]

It didn't even say, if they were stealing a car, whose car they were stealing. I'm pretty sure if you saw someone stealing something from someone else and they were unarmed, and you beat them to a pulp with a baseball bat, you would be doing some time.

I know many years ago, when it came to self defense, there was some kind of law about 'equal force.' IE if someone is threatening to hit you, you can't shoot them with a gun. This is something I vague remember hearing decades ago so I could be confused or it could be out of date.