‘Stupidity ran deep’ during ‘stab-proof’ vest demonstration

Edmonton Journal ^ | December 3, 2013 | Ryan Cormier

[Slings and Arrows]

EDMONTON - A young Edmonton man who grievously wounded his friend while testing a supposedly “stab-proof” vest was sentenced to six months in jail Tuesday.

Court heard that Justin Harder, 18, was bragging to his friend Calvin Wesley Clackson, 21 about a “stab-proof” vest he’d just acquired as they hung out in an apartment suite at 106th Avenue and 116th Street, Crown prosecutor Mark Huyser-Wierenga told court.

Harder was so confident in the vest that night in October 2012 that he believed it would deflect any attack with a knife. Harder eagerly invited his friend to stab him in the chest to prove the vest worked.

“Mr. Clackson foolishly obliged him,” Huyser-Wierenga said.

[Salamander]

LOL

[Salamander]

;D

[Salamander]

Dude, where’s my scar?!?

[Slings and Arrows]

There oughta be a law.

[Slings and Arrows]

You forgot the “eh?”

[melsec]

I kinda think his buddy should have joined him for the stretch but what to charge him with - criminal stupidity - aiding and abetting a moronic act? I suppose the wound will have to be his punishment!

Mel

[Kickass Conservative]

I doubt he got a refund. You have to return items in “like new” condition. The Blood stains would preclude that.

I do wonder if he purchased the Extended Warranty though. It might give him an out, but I think it wouldn’t cover Negligence.

Remember, when all else fails, read the Instructions.

[TChad]

Does the stabbing by itself merit a prison sentence? Both men thought that the vest would stop the knife. It is not unreasonable to believe that a vest designed to stop a knife would do so. There is no mens rea, and it seems very unlikely that the defendant would repeat the crime. It was just a very dumb mistake.

Should the baseball player who ironed his own shirt while wearing it be charged with assault and battery?

[Titan Magroyne]

I dunno, it reads like the ‘victim’ didn’t wanna testify against Mr. Stabby.

Life itself is gonna exact its own justice against these two. Far as I’m concerned, the System is just piling on.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

The dummy should’ve have made it with Mithril.

[Abathar]

When I read the headline the first thing that came to mind was this idiot who wanted to make bulletproof armor out of roofing tar and bathroom tiles

[IronJack]

I would have recommended he test it on a dummy first.

Oh, wait! He DID.

[Slings and Arrows]

*rimshot*

[Slings and Arrows]

It may not be a punishment issue - the court may have concluded that these two are slow learners.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Reminds me of what happened years ago in OKC when a salesman demonstrated a bullet resistant vest. He told an officer to stab him, then found too late that the vest was BULLET RESISTANT, not knife resistant.

One dead salesman.

[Slings and Arrows]

Ouch. Got a link to the story, please?

[zeugma]

Oh wow, dude fled the scene after stabbing his bud in the chest.

Therein lies his difficulties. If he'd stayed and helped his 'friend', he probably wouldn't have been charged for anything more than stupidity.

[Squawk 8888]

To all- please ping me to Canadian topics.

Canada Ping!

[TigersEye]

I have my own story about Cuervo Gold. After nearly 40 years
the mere mention of tequila still makes my stomach do a flip.

(More than one story really but the last one overshadows the rest.)

Molson's not so much. None that I can remember anyway.

[Salamander]

“None that I can remember anyway.”

Yeah...there’s some of ~those~ stories, too.

;D