In a disturbing display of pedestrian zeitgeist, last Saturday a man walking along Capitol Hill’s Broadway Avenue allegedly pushed a woman into oncoming traffic, according to a police report filed by SPD Officer Daniel R. Enriquez. The alleged attack marks the second time a pedestrian reportedly shoved another person into traffic in so many weeks.
According to the police report, the woman was walking past the Broadway Avenue QFC while talking on her cell phone when she got an uncomfortable feeling. She looked up and noticed a man watching her. She instinctively attempted to evade him, telling police later that he had “an angry look on his face.” As she veered away from him, the man shouted, “Are you talking about me!” (The woman later stated that she’d never seen the guy before and was not, in fact, talking about him.)
The man then allegedly charged the woman and reportedly shoved her so hard that she flew off the curb, past the parking lane, and landed head-first in oncoming traffic. As he approached the prone victim with clenched fists, a witness intervened, holding the suspect off as other passersby contacted the police.
The only silver lining of this strange and seemingly unprovoked attack is the general decency exhibited by witnesses to the assault. Gallant bystanders called the police, tended to the victim—who reportedly sustained a concussion, a head laceration, and significant bruising—and trailed the suspect until he was apprehended by responding officers.
Gee… If only the State could forcibly commit the mentally ill, like it used to be able to do, so that the rest of us could walk down Broadway without fear of being thrown into oncoming traffic.
Alternate Title: Schizophrenic Hobos Attempt to Play Frogger with People
Shit happens. Ive stepped in an prevented fights on Broadway once or twice, its really odd how one little thing sets someone off and next thing you know, its a 3 on 1 beat down until someone steps in. Of course, feeding the homeless every Saturday can attract some real scumbags to the neighborhood.
@1: The state can still forceably commit people, but not without due process of law.
@4
So not until AFTER they play frogger with pedestrians? Cool.
You probably want to say “the pedestrian zeitgeist”, otherwise it sounds like “zeitgeist” is a quality a pedestrian might have, like “chutzpah” or something.
This is very sad. Obviously it’s very sad and scary for the woman. But for the man too. He is mentally ill and will be treated as a scumbag rather than as a very sick man in need of help.
Am I the only person shocked that this doesn’t happen more often?
One might think that one incident like this — attempted murder, really — would be sufficient for the state to forcibly commit this person but it probably won’t happen. He’ll likely remain free until he’s successful at killing someone.
If you tried forcibly institutionalizing all the bums that deserve it you’d have homeless “advocates” blowing a gasket.
@5/10 As I understand it, a person can only be involuntarily committed if they pose a danger to themselves or others. This certainly fits the bill.
11/T, while it does seem to fit the bill, I also bet it won’t happen. And then, when he finally succeeds in killing someone, there will be all kinds of hand-wringing and “why didn’t someone do something?” laments.
@5 – Are you complaining that they don’t put people away until they commit a crime? That seems about right to me. Actually, it seems like the basis for our whole legal system.
What alternative do you suggest? Locking up people because they might one day commit a crime?
Of course, if this nutbag has a long history of violence (i.e., crime), then I agree that he shouldn’t have been on the street today.
Plus the living hell of being an unmedicated, untreated schizophrenic left wandering the streets. It’s a happy confluence of civil libertarians run amok with fiscal conservative tightwads who don’t want to pay for mental health care. Hope they’re proud of themselves.
@14 ftw, inasmuch as that IS a win. It’s wretched reality.
@14
well said.
what is capitol hill anyways, the land of violent schizophrenics? sheesh someone find a fucking treatment center for these folks. oh, right, we don’t think it’s worth our precious tax dollars