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In reply to the discussion: More on Matthew Owens beating - He did pull a knife on kids playing basketball. [View all]Skip Intro
(19,768 posts)excuse a mob beating the guy nearly to death.
There is too much unknown about what lead to the beating, but the beating is the one thing we know happened, and I don't see how that is ever justified. It appears they specifically sought out Owens with a probable intent to harm him. The people engaged in that beating should be arrested and charged, and given a trial so that the facts can be established and presented.
Questions I have now are: if he flashed knives, did he do it from the porch while the kids were in his (his neighbor's) yard? Or did he run at them with the knives? Did he ask them to leave the yard, maybe repeatedly, and they didn't? The original story said neighbors claimed the kids refuse to move to allow traffic to pass. Or were they there momentarily and Owens just went nuts?
We've got witnesses saying several different things. The neighbor where Owen's was staying said he didn't think the knives were a factor. The kid says Owens flashed them. At least two witnesses say "justice for Trayvon" was yelled by one or more of the attackers. The police, from what I've read, say the Zimmerman/Martin case isn't a factor.
As with the Martin/Zimmerman case, let the facts come out, let the facts determine the eventual resolution.
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