Proof idiots & guns don't mix.

[rideit]

Firefighter charged with shooting at bicyclist

Josh Boatwright • July 27, 2009 12:15 AM

ASHEVILLE — Police charged a city firefighter with attempted first-degree murder Sunday after witnesses said he fired a handgun at a bicyclist along Tunnel Road, barely missing his skull.

Charles Alexander Diez, 42, apparently fired at the Asheville man after arguing with him about riding his bike on the busy road with his 3-year-old child in a bike seat behind him, Asheville Police Capt. Tim Splain said.

Diez was driving his car off Interstate 40 at Exit 55 at about 11:24 a.m., when he saw Alan Ray Simons and his wife riding bikes up the road with Simons' 3-year-old son behind him in a bike seat, he said.

“He decided he needed to tell them he thought it was unsafe that they would do that and have their child out there in an area where they had a lot of traffic,” Splain said.

Diez stopped his car and confronted Simons near 1360 Tunnel Road. When Simons began to walk away, Diez shot at him, Splain said.

The bullet blew a hole through the outer lining of Simons' helmet and went straight through both sides of it, but he was not hit.

Simons and others who witnessed the incident took down Diez's registration plate number and called police.

After consulting with the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office, police charged Diez with one count of attempted first-degree murder.

“A matter of an inch or less in either direction would have meant that bullet could have easily killed Mr. Simons,” Splain said.

Buncombe County Sheriff's deputies found Diez's vehicle at his home on Rowland Road in Swannanoa and arrested him. Diez was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting and has no prior criminal record, Splain said.

He is employed by the Asheville Fire Department, according to warrants.

Diez was being held Sunday night at the Buncombe County Detention Center

on a $500,000 secured bond

.

link

[Danno]

"that is unsafe to be out there with your child. To make my point, I will now kill you!"

[iceman]

The biker doesn't exactly sound like Mensa material either. It sounds like they were riding up an off-ramp for I-40. wtf?

[Tippster]

Nope, Ice - it's a relatively small road that the exit dumps onto: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...,0.043945&z=15

[iceman]

Oh. Well it's still U.S. 70, probably not the best place in the world for a bike ride but I guess he didn't deserve to get shot in the head for it.

[Obstruction]

The bullet blew a hole through the outer lining of Simons' helmet and went straight through both sides of it, but he was not hit. .....

“A matter of an inch or less in either direction would have meant that bullet could have easily killed Mr. Simons,” Splain said.

The bullet went through the hole in the fellas head then?

[gtdrew]

Tunnel rd is definitely not the safest place to ride a bike but to his credit there are not many alternatives to the section that he was riding. It is four lanes with a middle turning lane.

[Phineas]

yeah, more of a reason than that to shoot someone.... mayB he was wearing a red sox cap????

[Sir Jongalot]

What the fuck, what's coming next!?!?!?- you'll probably be arguing for some sort of gun control in order to take firearms from the hands of Americans!!

We CANNOT have gun control. The constitution/bill of rights of the USA lays out crystal clear:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

And don't tell me the regulated militia part meant ANYTHING to do with either regulation or militia, nay it meant the latter part of the sentence, not the former.

[iceman]

yeah, more of a reason than that to shoot someone.... mayB he was wearing a red sox cap????

Over his helmet? okayfine.

[rideit]

Uhhh...you are over-reacting. Just like this gun-toting douchebag.

[Tippster]

Over his helmet? okayfine.

Clearly it must have been a Red Sox helmet...

[woodstocksez]

"that is unsafe to be out there with your child. To make my point, I will now kill you!"

It's a compelling argument, you must admit. I've used it often in my practice. Not so much any more, though; almost all my cases now settle right away.

[summit]

Great... here come the next helmet laws... you must have a kevlar combat helmet to go biking.

[Jer]

Round two:

Wow - some dipshit over there shot himself last night trying to clean his .45.

Check it...

^^^
Not only is the guy dumb enough to shoot his own leg while cleaning his .45, but he immortalises the dumbness by starting a thread all about it on a gun message board. Dude - you shot yourself - you should probably just leave it at that.


Jongy - could you tone down the douchelevel just a wee bit?

[sfotex]

Neighborhood safety advocate charged with attempted murder:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12923426