Juvenile Stabbed in Self-Defense at Decatur Library
Decatur Metro | May 25, 2011Patch reports that a “group of juveniles”, who caused a commotion on the second-floor of the Decatur Library yesterday afternoon around 5pm, attacked a patron who had asked them to quiet down.
One man, said to be wearing a turquoise baseball hat, slipped past [the library's security guard] and began hitting [patron Raad] Delaimi. When the altercation broke up, the juveniles fled and the man with the turquoise baseball hat, later identified by police Taurus Barber, was seen “walking briskly toward the Decatur MARTA station without a shirt on and bleeding from his left wrist,” the report said.
….The report…said Delaimi stabbed Barber, who came at him, during the incident. Police recovered a small red Swiss Army knife in Delaimi’s backpack and the library was evacuated. Delaimi was not charged.
Yikes.
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Good job, Delaimi. These scumbags deserve worse than they got.
TRUTH
Yikes is right. The library!?
Scumbags have no respect for libraries, or anything else, so WHY NOT the library?
Uh, I don’t know, usually there aren’t a lot of fights at the library? Did I imply they weren’t “scumbags”? or have respect for anything? that you were wrong? I don’t think I did. Maybe we need a vigilant someone such as yourself working security at the library now that the scumbags have clearly taken over most of downtown.
Settle down, Beavis.
Jeff, this is the best comment I have read in a long time.
[editor: sorry Randy, don't really want to go there.]
OK! Got It! Upon further thought, it looks like that was a good idea. Thanks for moderating. Just want to note to anyone who might wonder why the moderation – it was not any kind of racist comment….
My wife was at the library the other day, browsing magazines, and there was a guy talking loudly on a cellphone. An older gentlemen, who was sitting and reading, got up, walked over to him and said, very loudly, “don’t let our reading interrupt your phone call.” Fortunately, he wasn’t attacked for daring to point out rude and inappropriate behavior.
If security saw it, they would have told him to go outside. Not just to the lobby, but actually outside.
Unfortunately the library has been the scene of more than a few altercations. I witnessed a huge fight there one afternoon several years ago that involved a number brawling high school students.
The Decatur Library is a pit, needs new administration and more security (and a facelift). The library doesn’t pay their security guards or librarians enough to deal with the insanity that goes on in that place. It’s not the pillar of the community many think it is and the people in charge (both previous and now) are completely out of touch. I have seen seemingly reasonable everyday people get in fights over their computers upstairs and security can’t kick them out because admin doesn’t want the community thinking they are unreasonable.
And some advice: Don’t ever sit in a chair in that place, they don’t have them really cleaned (even after kids and others pee in them, puke, etc.)
I have to admit that I have never found the library to be as conducive to hanging out as I’d wish. Part of it is the ambience, as you described, and part of it is that the selection of on-site books isn’t as great as I’d like. I know I can order from elsewhere in the system but I’m usually not organized enough to do that. I used to frequent the Anthony Quinn Public Library years ago in East Los Angeles (rough part of town for those who don’t know it) and it was this wonderful, comfortable, well-equipped, community haven. I have that in mind and I’m always disappointed. I haven’t found even the children’s section to be as comprehensive or friendly as I’d like. When my kids were little, we were more likely to hang out in the children’s sections of bookstores than the library.
I think the problem is that the Decatur DeKalb Library is county-run, not city-run. Not that I think the City should try to compete and develop its own library system. But we Decaturites tend to think of the downtown library as “our” library when it really belongs to the county and is suffering from all the bureaucratic, funding, and staffing issues as other county facilities.
“But we Decaturites tend to think of the downtown library as “our” library when it really belongs to the county and is suffering from all the bureaucratic, funding, and staffing issues as other county facilities.”
Very true. The library’s budget has been cut drastically. And–someone correct me if I’m wrong– didn’t the city opt out of the renovations that many of the other DeKalb libraries have undergone recently?
Don’t know about the budget part but the new library down by the Walmart on Lville is beautiful. Like night and day comparing the 2. Spacious, clean, very comfy, and even has chairs surrounding a fireplace! Certainly something to aspire to.
Reread my post and realized that there’s a few things I love about the downtown library and I feel bad about not mentioning them:
– Building Blocks (for the 0-24 months group). Unfortunately, I see that it’s no longer offered at the Decatur Branch, but it’s available at the Toco Hill Branch, but not on weekends or evenings which is a bummer for working parents
– Friends of the Library
– Author readings
– Role in Decatur Book Festival
– Being next to Decatur Rec
– Good, if unattractive, parking that also works for Decatur Rec
– Drive-by book drop (so don’t have to drag noisy kids inside to return books!)–a bit of a narrow fit for minivans but doable
– Website: I need to go to it more. Just did and found a couple of fun things I didn’t know about like book clubs for both adults and children and a crochet group! (Crochet needles are good protection for juvenile uprisings and the weapons would actually be out and ready for use!)
I’m glad you added that comment, Karass. The series of author appearances presented by Georgia Center for the Book is incomparable and a real asset to Decatur. I feel that we are lucky that the Center for the Book is headquartered right here in Decatur.
This is, for me, the best comment on this thread.
Thanks.
Geesh, one more place to tell offspring to be careful–banks in Decatur around 3:30 PM and the library after school. “Don’t say Shhhh to anyone–quietly ask the security guard for help”.
Am interested in knowing whether the “juveniles” were CSD students or not. I doubt it.
Am also interested in knowing how patron had open knife ready. If it were me being attacked and I had a Swiss army knife in my purse, I’d be going “Um, wait a minute, it’s in here somewhere, whoops wrong pocket, I forgot that I changed things out last week….” Then, once I located the knife, I’d be fumbling for the right attachment. “Whoops, that’s the nail clippers, not the blade.”
Karass: That is sooo funny and that describes me trying to find my keys! Seriously though: this is VERY scary because I bring my elder father and kids to the library. Also – aren’t there metal detectors at the entrances? or are those just for trying to steal books and DVDs?
Those are for theft prevention.
Personally, I’ve never had a problem at that library, and I’ve heard of nothing that would dissuade me from going there. But given the location and the large number of people who use it, the branch should probably have more (or more effective) security.
Call me weird but I love that library. Tons of books for kids with a nice reading space for them, free computers and the staff is always nice.
It may help that I am originally from Peru where we don’t have a library that is even close to this in terms of material, infrastructure or anything. To me it is a jewel.
Thanks Peru for reminding us coddled Decaturites to count our freakin’ blessings. A cure for the rant is always a good anti-rant.