Posted on 04/22/2007 5:24:56 AM PDT by gridlock
Catarino Piedra, 41, kept a gun underneath the counter at the Coliseum Pizza and Taqueria that he owned in East Oakland because his drivers had been robbed many times while making deliveries.
Allen Joseph Hicks III, 22, was an accused batterer on probation for a drug conviction and an aspiring rap artist whom everybody in his neighborhood knew as "Boonie."
The lives of the two men intersected tragically at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday when Hicks, armed with a pistol and joined by two other men, tried to rob Piedra inside the popular pizzeria at 89th Avenue and International Boulevard. Fearful that the assailants might hurt him, his wife and three children -- all of whom were inside the restaurant -- Piedra pulled out his 9mm semiautomatic pistol and opened fire, killing Hicks, police said.
(snip)
Holmgren said, "We're not saying that we want citizens to go out there and arm themselves and take the law into their own hands. We want citizens to be good witnesses, to be good report-takers and to identify suspects."
The shooting has left two families traumatized, (Oakland Police Department Spokesman) Holmgren said. "There are no winners in this whole case," he said.
(snip)
Hicks was remembered at a growing makeshift memorial Friday ... Friends left balloons, candles and bottles of Hennessy cognac on the street and wrote messages on white boards tied to a fence.
(snip)
"He always had a smile on his face," said a 22-year-old man who identified himself as a rapper named Little Al. "He was a solid dude, loyal."
He didn't express any anger at the pizzeria owner for shooting his friend. "Life happens," he said. "I'm not upset, you feel me? You wouldn't want it to happen, but it happened. Ain't no telling why that shooting occurred."
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
How can Californians stand to read this tripe day after day? This guy was a thug. He tried to rob a businessman with a gun, and was shot for his trouble.
Put down the hankies. Time for a party! Life is good. It's better without Boonie.
Holmgren said, “We’re not saying that we want citizens to go out there and arm themselves and take the law into their own hands. We want citizens to be good witnesses, to be good report-takers and to identify suspects.”
My Holmgren should be honest, he doesn’t want citizens to put him out of a job.
just imagine if Mr. Piedra had been a student at Virgina Tech...
Uh...it occurred because the sainted "Boonie" was trying to rob the pizzeria.
This is one of the most insane articles I have ever read, even for SF. It makes the low-life thug sound like he's the one who's the real victim.
But, but we can’t have guns! Guns are bad! Come on, group hug!
So had he killed the good guy, he would have sealed the deal?
There were so many good citizens at VT. So many who took reports. So many who were "concerned" about Cho. That did a world of good to 32 victims.
There. More accurate that way.
Minor detail that should not of been "snipped".
I'm happy one guy was shot, but not the other.
Oh , wrong wrong wrong! This is win win! Nothing beats a store owner shoots robber dead story!! Except maybe Store owner shoots all three robbers dead!
Also win win for the overbloated justice system, money in the bank for a funeral home and one less street thug rapper outlaw punk to worry about.
L
The tragic thing is the shop owner shot his own son...
Hard to believe the equivocation spewing from officials on this incident. The businessman was threatened with deadly force by a mutt and answered in kind, doing the rest of the world a favor. Thanks to him for that.
Next question: Why are they using the words “rap” and “artist” together as if one had anything to do with the other?
Word, yo ! It just like.. happened...
I would laugh at your comment if only were not so serious.
I think that Holmgren probably believes that average citizen will not protect themselves.Better to be a victim than to take responsiblity for your own protection.
The good guy and his family are alive and uninjured. Sounds like a win to me
Bullshit.
What he is really saying is we want citizens to be good victims.
Fire him.
Holmgren and his ilk distress me.
How can they be good witnesses if they can’t speak?
Retard.
It occured because your fellow thug ran into someone that didn't get the statist-approved, be a good victim memo from the police.
Hopefully you will be next given your obvious lack of intelligence.
Farewell Boonie.
No great loss.
I do not think he cares if good or bad victims, just so he does not look bad for not doing his job.
There was so much great stuff in this article, something had to go. It was either the kid getting shot or the "makeshift memorial"... But, seriesly, the Owner's kid is gonna be OK.
I have done a lot of work in Oakland and the Bay.
These people are un-f’n real in their beliefs.
There is so much pork given to the folks, and they whine for beans.
Oh - the stories I could tell, as soon as the statute of limitations runs its course.
Which would not have happened if the bad guy had thought twice about trying to rob the good guy. That shooting is entirely the fault of the bad guy, and he got a bit of street justice as a result.
and he doesn't really care whether the victim gets hurt or not, he just doesn't want people waking up to the documented fact that victims who resist usually come out ok, especially women resisting against rapists. (ok does not mean uninjured, it means they aren't dead and they haven't been raped or robbed)
We want citizens to be good witnesses, to be good report-takers and to identify suspects.”
he continued, “provided of course, they’re still alive when we get there.”
But they are being good victims./ sarcasm
Neil Boortz says it best when he replies back to someone saying "taking the law into their own hands" in similar words... "No one can take what was given to Americans at birth. We have never relinquished the law. We merely hire you (police) on a temporary basis to do the dirty work of enforcement for us."
This mindset says that if I do not resist, I will be ok. Stupid mindset.
I suppose that robbing pizzerias has reached status as a legitimate career choice in some places.
I agree the future rap star got what he deserved. There are three tragedys here, Thug 1 made it out alive.Thug 2 made it out alive. He wonded his son.
These things always ...just like... happen.
We have an article at least once a week in our local (Jacksonville, FL) paper lamenting the “epidemic of violence that is taking its toll” in one of the more challenged Jax neighborhoods. Gimme a break. The papers make it sound like the Blob comes in from outer space and starts killing people. Actually, it’s the residents of that neighborhood itself who are the ones doing it, although that fact seems to escape the journalists and “community leaders.” I should be used to it by now, but it makes me furious every time I read one of these stupid articles!
Oh, and let me guess. He was also an aspiring NBA player.
The good guy shot and wonded his son. Small detail.
Never fear an empty suit with talking points.
No thanks to dads marksmanship. We all agree the theif got what he deserved. I just think a big point is that if you are going to pull a gun, you should know how to use it.
Rather than reading the usual BS about the thug was an " aspiring rapper ", for once I'd like to read a quote something along the lines of, " he was a two bit punk ".
Do cops get paid by the innocent citizen bodies they collect? It sure seems like it. This is blatantly taking the side of the criminal and wanting the citizens to be defenseless (dead) sheep.
Y'll doesn' unnahstan', Man!
Like, he worked HARD to create an artistic rap sheet, and now it be an unfinished canvas fo' evah, wi'out de murder-robbery.
As to the police chief, this WITNESS lived, to tell what happened; reported the crime; and obtained the best possible description of the perp: his still warm body.
He wanted to play for the Bullets.
....sounds like the same articles that appear in the Baltimore Sun every day.....nobody is ever at fault; it’s just one of those things....so much for life in the inner city.
and to leave their bodies nicely posed so they can fit inside the chalk outlines.
That whole area is a cesspool of losers, druggies, pimps, and nappy-headed ho’s! Tell Sharpton to sue me! The National Guard needs to go in there and burn it, fumigate it, put a fence around it, and then forget about it. It is nothing but nasty and so are the inhabitants!
You realize the Washington Bullets had to change their team name because it was offensive and vulgar — I thought they were going to go with the Maryland Bullets.
They’re not cops, they’re historians.
“Holmgren said, “We’re not saying that we want citizens to go out there and arm themselves and take the law into their own hands. We want citizens to be good witnesses, to be good report-takers and to identify suspects.””
The businessman should have said “Excuse me sir, stand there while I get my camera, I want to be a good witness.” Then the police would say, “Damn it! You got the guy’s photo now I have work to do, I must ask the community if it is ok to go after him, he has kids you know”
/back to reality
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