VIGILANTE RIFLEMAN GETS 9 YEARS

New York post ^ | 7/20/02 | CLEMENTE LISI

[kattracks]

July 20, 2002 -- A fed-up Bronx man who blew away a crackhead thief who was rifling through his car was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison.

Victor Vicenty, 54, whose car had been burglarized at least four times in the past, shot and killed Kevin Bethea in May 2001 in the hand, chest, shoulder and buttocks with an unlicensed .22-caliber rifle near the Soundview Houses.

[Movemout]

Another good reason not to live in New York.

[TomGuy]

"I cannot send out a message to the community that this is acceptable behavior," Judge Martin Marcus said before sentencing Vicenty. "Indeed, the message I must send out is the opposite."

The opposite message? That being, that good citizens who have no criminal record should succumb and allow crackheads, excons, and the like to rummage, steal, destroy, take over their possessions, etc.

Judge Marcus, where does it end? Where do the rights of the good citizens start, then? Just maybe, Your Honor, had you and others like you given tougher, longer sentences to those "ex"cons, they wouldn't be out on the streets committing additional crimes. Your Honor, the "system's" rehabilitation program sure hasn't worked. Now, you prohibit allowing the free citizens to defend their lives and property, and you protect the "ex"cons so they can continue to pillage, steal, rummage against the good citizens with no criminal records. Your Honor, your priorities have been skewed.

[Carbonsteel]

Of course, if the crack had been the one that had killed someone, he would have probably gotten probation.

Our entire criminal justice system favors the scumbag.

[sourcery]

Cops can shoot an innocent man in the face and walk, but this victim must serve nine years? Wake up, folks: unless you're a cop, you're a second-class citizen subject.

[chance33_98]

Had my car broken into once, but they caught the perp. Have often thought about sitting outside out of view and waiting on some scum to break into and surprise them. Maybe a shot in the leg or something to start with :) I think though I would rather videotape it, push hard for the prosecution, and while they are in jail send them letters daily about how nice life is outside, and that I might swing by their house while they are in prison, etc and so on. Psychological torture would bring me much more pleasure :)

[Tokhtamish]

Bethea was shot in the "hand, head, chest, and buttocks". One shot is a righteous shoot. Four shots is an execution.

Had the lawyer gone for a jury trial, there would probably have been a hung jury at best. I doubt whether there would have been a conviction.

[Rome2000]

Anybody that still lives in NYC deserves everything that happens to them.

The worst is yet to come.

[fporretto]

The clear tendency of rulings such as this is to destroy property rights and, by extension, all rights.

A right is something one may legitimately defend with force when invaded or infringed. If the use of force is denied to the defender, so is the right.

Now, as others have already noted, the judge would not have faulted a policeman for firing on this perpetrator, even if the perpetrator had merely tried to flee the scene. That makes police officers an elevated category, who possess special privileges to wield force that non-policemen do not.

You have just witnessed the creation of an American nobility. Isn't it grand to be present at a millennial event?

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit the Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[Zeroisanumber]

The opposite message? That being, that good citizens who have no criminal record should succumb and allow crackheads, excons, and the like to rummage, steal, destroy, take over their possessions, etc.

The message is that you can't shoot someone for stealing your goddamn stereo, get it?!!

Vicenty's life wasn't in danger, the only things that were in danger were a stereo system and the change from his ashtray. You don't shoot people when they break into your car, you call the cops.

[HiTech RedNeck]

In principle not even police may shoot someone for mere fleeing. There has to be some basis to believe the person poses a danger to humans of serious bodily harm or death.

The bible echoes this theme. A burglar may be killed during a break in of a home ("make my day") but a thief may only be forced to provide multiple restitution.

[Boonie Rat]

"I cannot send out a message to the community that this is acceptable behavior," Judge Martin Marcus said before sentencing Vicenty. "Indeed, the message I must send out is the opposite."

Thieves should be coddled, not shot! They need help, call a shrink.

Boonie Rat

MACV SOCOM, PhuBai/Hue '65-'66

[neutrino]

said he shot the 43-year-old crook five times because he caught the ex-con rummaging through his 1998 Toyota Corolla.

Tut, tut. Hunting over a baited field. Not sporting at all...

[Movemout]

"Tut, tut. Hunting over a baited field. Not sporting at all... "

My apologies for interrupting the thread but I had to laugh. A good friend of mine, dead these last ten years, was participating in a poker game with about a half dozen of us at a deer camp in WV. We looked out the window and spotted a deer munching on some corn that managed to find its way into the meadow out back. Well anyway, he shot the grazing deer and as we all walked out to survey the dastardly deed and he said, "Brush that corn off him, it just doesn't look sporting." I sprayed Budweiser through my nose at that observation.

[packrat35]

Here in Memphis, this isn't a crime. Killing car thieves is a normal thing.

[stylin_geek]

The problem with this whole picture is the devaluation of working for what you have. If you confront someone stealing from you, and they turn to run, by law, they get a free pass. However, defending ones right to ones property is illegal. So, where is there a consequence for the action of theft? Call the cops? In the Bronx? Or, in any major city? The person will be long gone, and you will still have to work to replace the stuff that was taken. Stuff that was yours, by right of having to earn it. Seems to me the prospect of getting their a** shot off might deter a lot of casual criminals from theft. And, nothing like shooting and killing criminal to lower the burden on our court system. It would keep a judge from sending him back out on the street to commit more crime.

[csvset]

Victor Vicenty should have sniped Kevin Bethea and left it at that.

"Shooting? What shooting? Rifle? Whoa, dose tings are illegal ain't dey? Geeze, too bad about dat guy, good luck officers, I'll let you know if I hearz anyting."

[Movemout]

LOL. Good one. In Virginia it's called the three esses, Shoot/Shovel/Shut up

[GBA]

""I cannot send out a message to the community that this is acceptable behavior," Judge Martin Marcus said before sentencing Vicenty. "Indeed, the message I must send out is the opposite.""

The judge should be sentenced to live in this guy's neighborhood for the entire time he's in prison. What was the guy's real crime? Having an "unliscensed" gun?