Street Justice In The Bronx...Thoughts on Intervention?

[twyacht]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/02/10/2011-02-10_street_justice_bronx_man_allegedly_beating_his_babys_mother_fatally_shot_by_vigi.html?obref=obnetwork

Street justice: Bronx man allegedly beating his baby's mother fatally shot by vigilante passer-by

BY Bob Kappstatter, Joe Jackson and Rich Schapiro
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Originally Published:Thursday, February 10th 2011, 1:58 PM
Updated: Thursday, February 10th 2011, 9:00 PM

A man beating up his baby's mother in the Bronx got a fatal dose of street justice when a man intervened and shot him in the face, police sources said Thursday.

David Williams was pummeling his 19-year-old gal pal outside a Morris Ave. housing complex about 8 p.m. Wednesday, when the pistol-packing Good Samaritan stepped up.

"What are you hitting her for?" the man asked Williams, according to a source. "Why don't you stop?"

Williams, 22, got in the unidentified man's face at the Patterson Houses and forcefully told him to mind his business.

"Mind my business?" the passerby responded.

Those were among the last words Williams heard. The man then whipped out a gun and shot Williams, of Spanish Harlem, once above his left eye, cops said.

The vigilante fled after the shooting.

Williams - who had 10 domestic violence arrests involving his mother and the baby's mother - was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died. Police were hunting for the shooter last night.

Detectives questioned the woman, who is the mother of Williams' 3-year-old son, at the 40th Precinct stationhouse.

Several Patterson Houses residents said the building is a magnet for crime.

"There's a lot of shootings in this development," said Eric Harris, 53, a lifelong resident. "Hopefully, it will stop."

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

rschapiro@nydailynews.com

****

Where's Charles Bronson....?? Death Wish (what sequel are we up to...) VIII? IX?

[Ichiban]

Sounds like a good start to me. 

[fightingquaker13]

It sounds to me like the state had ten chances with this guy and failed. The bystander had no dog in this fight, but was just reinforcing the "you don't hit a girl" rule". Something the government should have gotten through his head. I have no use for Bronson types. You don't go looking for trouble. But this guy? If I knew who he was, I'd be dialing out for a pizza before I'd be dialing a tip line. The cops want to put the guy who protected a girl in jail when they failed to do so? F that.
FQ13

[TAB]

I'd be looking real hard for the guy   

[tombogan03884]

You realize of course the "Good Samaritan" is a criminal ?

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

You realize of course the "Good Samaritan" is a criminal ?

And the cops who let him go ten times before are to be respected why? Sorry Tom, it comes down to this. In a perfect world, the police would protect us and I wouldn't need to pack a Glock. However, they don't and I do. If in an extreme case like this, where a guy takes matters into his own hands? Well, I don't condone it, as if you let that slip too many times you wake up in Somalia, but just once? I see nothing, I hear nothing and I know nothing, and I won't lose sleep over it either.
FQ13

[Hazcat]

You realize of course the "Good Samaritan" is a criminal ?

Legally, yes.  Morally..........not in my book.

[crusader rabbit]

There's legally right and then there's morally right.  Sometimes they are the same thing.   Sometimes they are not.  If the shooter is caught, he needs to ask for a jury of his peers.  I know I wouldn't vote to convict.  I just don't think it should be much of a crime to take out the trash.

[Big Frank]

Maybe just showing the gun would have helped the situation. Maybe not. But he didn't have to shoot the other guy in the face.

[MikeBjerum]

Maybe just showing the gun would have helped the situation. Maybe not. But he didn't have to shoot the other guy in the face.

Chest shots would have done it.

I have mixed feelings reasoning on this.  The face shot is going to be bad pr for sure.  According to all our training and the warnings and teaching the shooter should not have gotten involved.  However, where would our society be if we refused to step in when needed?

The problem is that even those of us that claim to be a part of the gun culture have become sensitized to use of the tool.  As has been stated, he did the morally correct thing.  How many of us say "When seconds count the police are only minutes away."? 

This is one of those areas where none of us knows how we will react until faced with the situation.  I had one of those a while back, and I somewhat surprised myself.  Everything worked out, but it does give time for reflection.  How will I react next time - I don't know!

I am glad that this guy did not get caught for now.  I hope he is just a good guy doing the right thing, but I pray he isn't a bad guy that had a good moment that will come back to haunt us all.