Thread started by gregb at 05.26.10 - 2:11 am

Charges against Ontario Canada's former Attorney General for killing a bicyclist were dropped.

http://www.youtube.com/user/honestedits#p/u/3/ufM7zvX3-tM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRZQgmsE4KA

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/05/25/bryant-sheppard-charges943.html

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It's a pretty complicated story...

TL:DR - Don't be an abusive drunk cyclist.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/813872

Sheppard’s blood alcohol level was measured after his death at 0.183 — more than twice the legal limit for driving — and he had a history of altercations with other motorists, Peck said. Also earlier that evening, before the encounter with Bryant, police received a 911 call from a resident of a downtown apartment building about a possible domestic assault involving Sheppard at his girlfriend’s apartment. Peck noted the assault was denied by the occupants “and which the Crown makes no determination about.” There was also another alleged assault outside the building.

The prosecutor outlined six other incidents that came to light after Sheppard’s death, including one in which an elderly woman described Sheppard as a “mad man.”

Peck said four of the previous incidents happened during the month of Sheppard’s death, and showed “an escalating cycle of aggressiveness toward motorists.” All of the motorists who came forward were interviewed extensively, he said, and in one case surveillance photos captured the altercation.



JB
05.26.10 - 11:02 am

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While it is a complicated story, please watch the two youtube videos.

They clearly show the car move towards the stopped bicyclist, stop, then accelerate into the bicyclist knocking him onto the hood then to the ground. Then the car stops and attempts to drive around the downed bicyclist. At which point the bicyclist gets off the ground and latches onto the car and possibly attacks the driver. At which point the car driver accelerates and causes the bicyclist to hit some outside obstructions which kill him.

The fact that the bicyclist was BUI and had previous run-ins with cars doesn't change the fact that Michael Bryant, the former DA for the province of Ontario, used his car as a weapon to attack a bicyclist and then attempted to escape. It also doesn't change the fact that all charges were dropped against the former DA.





gregb
responding to a comment by JB
05.26.10 - 1:25 pm

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This was not a complicated situation, Mr. Bryant is a maniac and should be in jail. After he accidentally hit the cyclist he should have stopped the car and apologized profusely, NOT tried to drive off.

And most seasoned cyclists will have a history of confrontation with drivers due to drivers being aggressive. I'm one of the most passive people I know, and I've only been riding a few months on a regular basis and already I've had to confront dangerous drivers for almost driving me off the road.

I hope that the family continues to pursue legal action against Mr. Bryant. He is a road-rage homicidal maniac and deserves to be lock up for many, many years.



Girl Power
responding to a comment by gregb
05.26.10 - 10:03 pm

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You're right the incident is not that complicated.

I don't understand how anyone who watches the video of the beginning of this incident can not see that Michael Bryant intentionally hit the cyclist with his car.

However the enitre situation, with Mr Bryant being the former DA and not receiving any drug/alcohol testing after the accident, on the night of his 12th wedding anniversary, and with the cyclist having a history of bad interactions with cars, is complicated.

I am somewhat surprised to see so little response to this story, and half of it siding with the motorist! Maybe if I knew how to embed video people would have watched.



gregb
responding to a comment by Girl Power
05.27.10 - 6:48 pm

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Ugh. All charges dropped!? That is disgusting... it seems clear that this guy used his car as a deadly weapon. I'm sure there was a conflict preceding the ramming, and maybe the driver felt threatened, but it's no excuse for using a car in that manner. Fucking legal bike lynching.. what the hell is wrong with people.



adamthelizard
05.27.10 - 9:55 pm

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Also, just wanna point out that this guy was *Attorney General* not District Attorney (or DA as has been said.) Big difference.. this guy was at the top levels of Ontario's government. No wonder the charges got dropped..

I read the story linked below from 8 months ago and it sings a very different tune.. says there were a half dozen witnesses who saw the car drive down the wrong side of the road trying to dislodge the dude from the driver's side of the car. This was before the driver left the scene of the incident and after he intentionally rammed the downed biker.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/01/toronto-cyclist-collision-death481.html



adamthelizard
05.27.10 - 10:14 pm

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The video is pretty conclusive. The AG assaulted the bike rider and in fact I believe he should have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon. BUT, to see it from the other side in this case the Bike Rider should have gotten the guys info as best he could.... plate description etc... rather than trying to retaliate or climb into the car and grab the dude....



Roadblock
05.27.10 - 10:48 pm

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any way you slice it, the AG got away with murder, and the cyclist didn't deserve to die. many of us have found ourselves in the situation where we we've tried to stop aggressive motorists who struck or endangered us or our friends.

Oh, Canada!



tortuga_veloce
responding to a comment by Roadblock
05.27.10 - 11:17 pm

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Holy fucking shit. Thanks for posting, I'm so glad I read this when I did. I'm going to organize a protest at Montreal Critical Mass tomorrow.



vladster
05.27.10 - 11:20 pm

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Yea, the rider needed to let that car go and do his best to get the plate#. You never win if you try to fight with cars, but adrenaline can make people nutty. Still, not worth killing someone over.. the AG really should have been held responsible for his actions.



adamthelizard
responding to a comment by Roadblock
05.28.10 - 12:06 am

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How different is the law in Canada? Is there a double-jeopardy law? In other words, can you be tried for something you've been tried for before? Since these charges were dropped, does it mean that he can never be charged again?

I have a feeling we all know how this will end. Bryant will remain free and we will all walk away frustrated that evil has been done and that there is nothing we can do about it other than try to prevent these things from happening in the future. Which is really impossible, unless any of you guys knows how to just remove evil and corruption from the world.



outerspace
05.28.10 - 9:17 am

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