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.
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