Posted on 07/22/2009 8:29:55 AM PDT by skyman
BLUFFDALE -- A Bluffdale man is in critical condition after being shot over a misunderstanding.
Salt Lake County sheriff's investigators say David Serbeck and the president of his homeowners' association were in an SUV near 1570 West and 13400 South at 11 p.m. Tuesday on neighborhood watch when they approached two girls.
Lt. Don Hutson says those two girls went home and told one of their fathers that they were being stalked. The father, Reginald Campos, then went out in his own SUV and found the men.
"Words were exchanged. There was a verbal altercation," Hutson says. "Unfortunately, Mr. Campos fired at least two rounds, possibly three rounds."
One of the bullets exited near Serbeck's spine. Deputies say he couldn't move when they arrived, and it's believed he is at least partially paralyzed.
"I think it's one of those situations that, had people had more time to be able to evaluate, it certainly wouldn't have escalated to this point," Huston says.
Hutson says all three men were armed legally. The Salt Lake County District Attorney will screen the case.
You just laid out exactly what I was thinking. I’m guessing head-up-and-locked syndrome for all three men involved.
Sad story, but that was a bad move right there.
And that little factoid will be a critical issue to the finish.
That fact is now changin in the story. So I think Campos is toast.
Moron is right. My first and proper reaction would have been to call the cops, then grab my cell phone, then my weapon - to vector said cops when maybe catch up to the “alleged goons.”
These days you're lucky if you even know your neighbor's name.
So very true...in today's society with two income families, overwrought families, incessant demanding schedules...one is too stressed, too tired, too time limited to get to know one's neighbors.
I'm fortunate that I reside in a great residential area that assembled a neighborhood watch directory with phone number, voluntary contributed family bios/interests, home/cell numbers, e-mail addresses.
Great for neighborhood safety, holiday get togethers/picnics, area announcements.
And most importantly...knowing your neighbors.
Lt. Don Hutson said, "They both got out of the vehicle. They were both armed with handguns ... words were exchanged, there was a verbal altercation, and unfortunately Mr. Campos, who is the father of the young lady, fired two rounds, possibly three rounds, at Mr. Serbek."
The question is, what was said verbally, and what sorts of body language was involved? Can Mr. Campos plausibly claim that Mr. Serbeck's behavior put him in fear of his life?
This whole incident sounds like a series of mistakes, each of which escalated the situation. I can't absolve the Neighborhood Watch guys of their role in making this happen.
The same goes for Mr. Serbeck and his neighborhood watch partner, who decided to take matters into their own hands rather than do as you suggest: call the cops, then grab my cell phone, then my weapon - to vector said cops when maybe catch up to the “alleged car thieves.”
They were the ones who set this train of events in motion in the first place. Mr. Serbeck was not merely a bystander at the time of the shooting: he was an armed man who had exited his vehicle to confront an angry armed man. To call it a "tense situation" would be an understatement.
I doubt that Mr. Serbeck was either trained or prepared to deal with and defuse that sort of situation. The likelihood of unpleasant consequences was very high.... and realized.
Mr. Serbeck is no doubt a fine man, just as his neighbors and friends have said. But that doesn't mean he's immune from screwing up in a tense situation... sorry to say, I think he's partly to blame for what happened.
I'm a big fan of the intended Victim turning the tables on their attacker. It's why I think every man, woman, and responsible child should be taught how to shoot and carry starting in grade school.
This guy went looking for trouble. Period.
I did Neighborhood Watch for years, decades actually. We never went out on patrols without magneticized signs on the car to clearly identify NW. Even if the girls didn’t see the signs, if they had them, the father should have.
We had very clear guidelines about calling police if there were an questions. We were NOT to take action ourselves.
Our patrols included 3 separate subdivisions in one citizens association, over 600 homes, with all age groups. Kids even went to different schools till high school and belonged to different community pools. There was no cohesion whatsoever. Then, again, the worst crimes were either papering trees or removing stop signs around high school graduation time. Otherwise, it was delightfully boring.
One of them was president of the homeowners association and both had concealed weapons permits. Yeah, just a couple of young punks stalking girls. sheesh. Glad I am not you.
What, you can't approach girls on the street without getting shot? That's crazy. Talking to someone isn't a violent act. At worst they asked them what they were doing, and then followed them home to make sure they didn't get up to any mischief. Please explain how that hurt the girls so terribly that their father felt the need to shoot someone because of it?
If I ever get questioned about following teenage girls around, I'll keep that one in mind. Heh, Heh. That'll work. I'll just say I'm the unelected neighborhood watch person, in my unmarked truck, watching out for these cute little thangs.
If you are telling the truth, and have honest motives, as these guys did, it will work. At any rate following someone isn't a crime. They might question you but so what? You haven't broken the law and neither did the neighborhood watch guys. They certainly didn't deserve to be shot by a moron.
Try following some random young lady around and let me know how that works out for you.
Reminds me of the story a few months back where the girls wrecked a guy on a motorcycle, then raced home, told daddy, who went out in the street and shot the guy on the bike in the back as he drove by the house the second time, killing him.
AS I said, you might be questioned, and if you didn't have a plausible explanation as the neighborhood watch guys did, then you might have a restraining order put on you in which case it would be a crime for you to keep following them, but you wouldn't be arrested, and you wouldn't be jailed, because IT ISN'T A CRIME. Got it?
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