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Blocking the road may or may not be a crime. But it is not a crime against the motorist. So of course the motorist should call 911. But that is not a license to attack the protesters.
And of course the guy with cerebral palsy was being attacked and had every right to hit the gas. And I cannot imagine why he did not have his car locked down and he did not get himself out of there as soon as the protesters attacked his car.
And it is not some perceived threat level. That would be utterly absurd. Some feel a Black male on the same block is a deadly threat. That is not going to fly.
So you need a reasonably clear threat. Like hitting your car or something tangible. Being scared does not do it.
Go back and read my first post.
So, Mrs. Soccer mom has just picked her kids up from school. She's a busy mom raising a family and pretty much indifferent to what has been going on, and wasn't aware that a protest was planned on her route home. She gets caught in it. the mob has her and other vehicles surrounded. Some people maybe smacking the car, bouncing off it, screaming profanities. At that point really no violence has broken out.
She was scared, her kids were scared, her vehicle was getting smacked , no windows broken, just hit and jarred by the people walking by. Justified to floor it or not ?
Hey folks if I go lay down in the middle of the road and you see me and just decide to run over me then while I was guilty of obstructing traffic, you're going to face a murder charge plain and simple.
You absolutely cannot run someone over if they are merely blocking the street although you could arguably creep through them at a few mph the same as if someone tried to block my entrance to a store and I were to push past them.
I've seen several cases on video where someone has tried to slowly move through and gotten attacked for it which then means the people in front of the van are the ones that then get run over when the driver reacts and they will generally be in the clear legally in those instances.
You can peacefully block but if they gently try to move past you and you get violent then you've changed the game.
P.S. Whomever mentioned "revving your engine" as a justification to try to attack the vehicle...sorry, it's not. You're in the road, they can rev their engine if they want. If it bothers you, well you shouldn't be in the road.
Hey folks if I go lay down in the middle of the road and you see me and just decide to run over me then while I was guilty of obstructing traffic, you're going to face a murder charge plain and simple.
You absolutely cannot run someone over if they are merely blocking the street although you could arguably creep through them at a few mph the same as if someone tried to block my entrance to a store and I were to push past them.
I've seen several cases on video where someone has tried to slowly move through and gotten attacked for it which then means the people in front of the van are the ones that then get run over when the driver reacts and they will generally be in the clear legally in those instances.
You can peacefully block but if they gently try to move past you and you get violent then you've changed the game.
P.S. Whomever mentioned "revving your engine" as a justification to try to attack the vehicle...sorry, it's not. You're in the road, they can rev their engine if they want. If it bothers you, well you shouldn't be in the road.
Agreed.
And there is no such thing as "peacefully" blocking. It is a sign of intimidation.
So, Mrs. Soccer mom has just picked her kids up from school. She's a busy mom raising a family and pretty much indifferent to what has been going on, and wasn't aware that a protest was planned on her route home. She gets caught in it. the mob has her and other vehicles surrounded. Some people maybe smacking the car, bouncing off it, screaming profanities. At that point really no violence has broken out.
She was scared, her kids were scared, her vehicle was getting smacked , no windows broken, just hit and jarred by the people walking by. Justified to floor it or not ?
Depends.
If they are trying to break the windows but haven't succeeded, you don't have to wait for that to occur and them to be able to reach your kid...yes.
Profanities generally no, but if they're yelling things like "break the window, let's get that Karen while bouncing a brick off your window"...then yes.
Just marching by, car getting jostled a bit? Probably not.
Given any number of high-profile incidents, a mom with kids in her car is going to get A LOT of latitude from a DA or jury, moreso than a guy by himself in a vehicle.
So, Mrs. Soccer mom has just picked her kids up from school. She's a busy mom raising a family and pretty much indifferent to what has been going on, and wasn't aware that a protest was planned on her route home. She gets caught in it. the mob has her and other vehicles surrounded. Some people maybe smacking the car, bouncing off it, screaming profanities. At that point really no violence has broken out.
She was scared, her kids were scared, her vehicle was getting smacked , no windows broken, just hit and jarred by the people walking by. Justified to floor it or not ?
I agree that it is best to avoid confrontation all together and avoid escalation. In this situation though, I can see if they are banging on the car, surrounding it, and bouncing off it, then she is within her right to flee from the situation, however that may be. Banging on the car and bouncing off of it, shows intimidation and is an act of aggression.
All it would take is someone to start breaking the windshield and then her visibility is impaired and makes it harder for her to navigate her way out of that precarious situation. Avoid any confrontation first, if that doesn’t work and you get acts of aggression, then all bets are off. However, if one is speeding at the protestors and trying to run them over, then that is an act of aggression on the part of the driver and they are unnecessarily escalating the situation at hand.
Gads, I agree.....a mob stopping cars and issuing beatings is total
justification for "leaving the area" at a rapid clip.
And these geniuses who try to stop a vehicle by standing in
front of it.............getting ran-over/squished/clipped in the process,
that is what they deserve for being mushminded.
And there is no such thing as "peacefully" blocking. It is a sign of intimidation.
Sorry, but yes you can peacefully block. My example of laying down in the street would be one.
Try the intimidation defense in front of a court in that instance.
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