UPDATE: Sgt. Ross adds that the trunk of the victim’s vehicle was struck in the incident.
From Decatur PD’s Sgt. Jennifer Ross…
On 01-20-15 at approximately 2:15 pm, Decatur Police responded to the parking lot of 178 Sams Street in reference to gunshots. The victim reported witnessing a black male crawling out of his vehicle window and walking toward the street. Upon checking his vehicle, the victim discovered a window had been broken out and his handgun was missing from inside of the vehicle. The victim got into his car and followed the suspect to the 2600 block of Talley Street. The suspect turned around and fired two gunshots toward the victim’s vehicle. The victim made a u-turn to leave the area and the suspect followed him on foot and fired two more gunshots toward the victim’s vehicle. A witness stated the suspect got into a green Jeep occupied by a black female and left the area on Talley Street towards South Columbia Drive. No injuries and no property damage was reported. The suspect was described as a black male, late teens to early 20’s, light complexion, approximately 5’10-6’00, thin build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with red letters outlined in white, light blue jeans, white and black tennis shoes and a white belt.
I don’t feel so safe living in the Decatur area after this and the recent murder.
You should compare the crime stats to DeKalb and Atlanta.
What a nonsensical reply. Daytime car break ins? Shooting at the victim? Plus the horrible victim of the serial killer.
Crime is in Decatur and saying it is worse elsewhere diminishes its serious nature.
My point was that they should tell us where they would feel safer.
Denmark. London. Inverness. Who cares? We are discussing Decatur.
No, JEM says they don’t feel safe in Decatur, so I’m asking where they would feel safer.
This would be a misleading comparison because DeKalb and Atlanta are much larger and with widely varying areas when it comes to crime. A more meaningful comparison would with be with, say, the City of Brookhaven.
( which I haven’t made, as I personally don’t care about such comparisons).
The story should have ended at a broken-in car and stolen gun. I don’t think the victim would have been shot at if he hadn’t gotten into the car and followed the suspect. Usually your supposed to call the police instead of following the guy who you know is now armed.
[edited] What did he think he was going to do, run the thief down?
The kind of person who breaks into cars in the parking lot of a public assistance office in broad daylight is both desperate AND stupid, which is a combination I do not like to cross.
Although not stated in the police notice, I wound think it likely that the gun was in view inside the car, making this a crime of opportunity, just like leaving your laptop or iPad in plain view.
There is more than one victim in this case. I would include anyone who winds up being menaced or harmed with that stolen gun. If, as Steve reasonably speculates, the gun was left in plain view in the parked vehicle, then a measure of responsibility for those future crimes lies with the gun owner who let it get stolen like that. This is why it ought to be a lot more difficult and complicated than it is, to legally own a gun–because you are assuming potential risk for more than just yourself and need to behave accordingly.
“If, as Steve reasonably speculates, the gun was left in plain view in the parked vehicle, then a measure of responsibility for those future crimes lies with the gun owner who let it get stolen like that.”
It’s interesting to me that there is apparently a trend (based on the number of attorney TV commercials) of businesses being sued by victims of crime that occurred on the business owner’s property, but I’ve yet to hear of individuals being sued for failing to secure their guns that later are used in crimes. The old bumper-sticker talking point about only criminals having guns if guns were illegal has it’s counterpoint: all the guns criminals have started out legal.
So far we have completed about half of the “typical DM response to crime within Decatur” checklist. We have blamed the victim and belittled somebody’s expression of reasonable concern.
Still remaining: 1. a statement that overall, crime is down, and 2. speculation that said crime must have been committed by a person that does not live in COD
well, they *did* flee toward south columbia drive, so #2 is kinda obvs, right? 🙂
stoked i wasn’t at home yesterday to hear those gunshots as i probably would’ve peed myself.
“We have blamed the victim” — Sometimes a victim brings their misfortune on themselves. If they wind up endangering other, innocent people in the process, why should they get a free pass?
Steve and STG, you have no reason to believe the gun was in plain view other than your own biases against guns. It may have been in plain view, but nothing in the report suggests that it was. Further, the victim did absolutely nothing to endanger others. He (presumably) legally owned and possessed the gun. The only person who would endanger others with that (or any) gun is the individual who uses it committing a crime.
I’m not biased against guns. I’m biased against people who own them and don’t safeguard them adequately. You’re right, we don’t know whether or not the gun was in plain sight. But the description of the incident suggests it may well have been. My comments were couched accordingly.
Personally, I don’t have unlimited sympathy for people who leave items of value in their vehicles and wind up being victimized by thieves. Same as for people who store dog food outside and complain about rats. Same as for someone who hangs about on a golf course during a thunderstorm or lies down for a nap on the railroad track. If you know there’s at least a reasonable chance it’s gonna end in tears, why do it?
None of us is an island and we don’t live in a vacuum. Our choices have consequences for other people as well as ourselves. Along with believing it should be more difficult and complicated to own a gun, I also think people should be forced to vaccinate themselves and their children against chronic diseases (unless there is a compelling medical reason not to do so). There’s a thin line between rugged individualism and selfish irresponsibility–and as often as not, it’s imaginary.
Your writings are missed STG. And you too.
You don’t know if I’m for or against guns; I have never said. My point was that a gun may have been foolishly, carelessly, left in plain view in the car and the perp took advantage of the situation.
Here you go – clipped straight from Decaturish:
Crime in the late 80’s early 90’s was mindbogglingly high. There were 328 violent crimes reported in 1989 alone, including six murders, 17 rapes and 143 robberies.
Much has changed since then. Crime hit a historic low in 2011, with just 29 violent crimes reported, an 91 percent decrease from 1989
So there you go – overall crime is way down.
Guns don’t kill, bullets in those guns kill. I suggest we majorly tax bullets. $30 a bullet seems fair.
I like Chris Rock’s take on it: charge $5,000 a bullet, and you won’t need gun control. It’d also end almost all murders, bank robberies, and drive-by shootings (because no one could afford to just spray an area with gunfire). 😀
And WHY do we leave handguns in unattended cars? Especially with all the increased crime here. Foolishness!