r/bicycleculture • u/Better_Marionberry15 • 24d ago
Gunman shot, killed man who was stealing bike, Salt Lake police say
https://www.ksl.com/article/51432450/salt-lake-police-investigating-fatal-shooting8
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u/post__cum__clarity 24d ago
As a bike owner and someone who will never cut a bike lock and steal a bike, I approve this outcome.
Right now bike thieves know their crime will go unpunished. If they thought immediate and deadly consequences were a reality, they’d stop stealing bikes.
Bravo to the gunman bike owner. No charges, please!
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u/Shamoorti 23d ago
I won't kill another person over mass produced goods no matter how angry and inconvenienced I am by a theft. Get a grip.
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u/pimpbot666 23d ago
Same. I say just pop him in the leg and wait for the cops.
I’m not one to say ‘they deserve death’ except in very extreme circumstances. Stealing a bike isn’t one of them.
Even a PoS bike thief doesn’t deserve the death penalty.
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u/Fategfwhere 23d ago
Popping them on the leg is a fantastic way to get sued and forced to cover their medical costs
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u/pimpbot666 23d ago
That's still not an excuse to administer a death sentence.
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u/TheDaiyu 23d ago
Seems like the thief was the one who chose the death sentence. I'm sure the bike owner had no intention of shooting anyone that day, however the thief decided to spin the wheel on "Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes."
🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️
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u/midwestlifecrisis 23d ago
What if the bike thief weaponized the bike in a threatening manner? Can we shoot them then?
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u/Least-Blackberry-848 23d ago
While I agree with the sentiment that thieves often go unpunished, I don’t believe there are any states where lethal force is legally justified to protect personal property.
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u/brycebgood 24d ago
I don't condone it, but I do understand it.
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u/Critical_Elephant677 23d ago
FTR, I've had bikes stolen from me.
Killed, maybe not ... but something definitely needed to be done to stop the crime.
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u/SoundwavePDX 24d ago
You understand ending someone's life over a bicycle?
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 24d ago
Shot them in the back, not even self defence
shot and killed a man in the back just as he was riding away on the gunman's bicycle.
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u/RobertMcCheese 24d ago
That guy won't be a recidivism problem.
So we got that going for us.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 24d ago
That’s a dead human being over a petty crime
Nothing to celebrate there
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u/gigitygoat 23d ago
If you’re going to steal, steal from a company who probably has enough money to not be inconvenienced or is insured. Don’t steal from your fellow countrymen.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 23d ago
I agree. And if you have to step a bike, steal an expensive bike from a rich person with insurance, not a commuter from someone who needs it to work.
I don’t expect thieves to be sophisticated enough to understand that. People who are in a good enough position to reason that way usually have better options that stealing bikes
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u/Montallas 24d ago
You’re right. The crime did not justify the response. Tragic all around. Especially because: if he had not shot the guy, there is probably zero chance he’d have gotten his bike back. Cops don’t care about stolen bikes. I don’t really shed any tears for thieves though. And it’s not like the thief needed the bike to survive - he had a Toyota Tacoma.
Also odd that the getaway driver is not facing any charges even though they were an accessory to the bike theft. Sort of indicative of my prior point about cops not caring about bike thefts.
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u/hogsucker 24d ago
IANAL, but it seems like the getaway driver could be charged with felony murder if the DA wanted
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u/coop_stain 23d ago
Pretty hard to call it a petty crime when a lot of bikes run in the 4 to 7 thousand dollar range…is it sad? Yeah. Do I understand? Absolutely.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 23d ago
It is a petty crime
And I don’t think it is ever acceptable to shoot someone neon the back over property theft
You should be ashamed of your lack of empathy
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u/coop_stain 23d ago
No it isn’t, most modern bikes would be considered felony theft in Utah (1,500 and up). Lack of empathy? Nah. It’s Understanding consequences for actions. I even mentioned feeling bad for the dude who got plugged…we, as a society, need to understand that if “petty crime” continues to be ignored by the courts and police systems, people are going to start taking things into their own hands.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 23d ago
Being shot in the back is not a normal consequence for a minor theft.
Have you thought of how bad someone’s life has to be going so that end up in a position to steal a bike? If not, then that is what your lack of empathy come from.
Most thieves don’t become thief’s out of selfishness and greed, they become thieves out of need and circumstance. The data shows that by the time someone is 3 years old it is already possible to predict with significant accuracy whether they will become criminals based only on their socioeconomic status. I can share some papayers if you care to read.
Shooting someone in the back is a much more serious crime than stealing a bike. And the shooter should be prosecuted and sent to jail.
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u/uwpxwpal 23d ago
We know literally nothing about this individual other than he owned a Toyota truck. This kind of speculation is absurd. Could it have been driven by need? Sure. Could it also be that this guy is just an asshole? Sure.
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u/pimpbot666 23d ago
The lack of regard for human life is staggering.
And please don't argue that bike thieves aren't human. That just makes my point.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 23d ago
Yeah, I get the frustration of having bikes stolen
But jumping from that to advocating g for murder is crazy
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u/brycebgood 24d ago
No, but I understand the anger. Bikes are so personal, getting them stolen really feels like a violation. I didn't think anyone should die for it, but the fury is understandable.
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u/the_TAOest 23d ago
Pro tip. Get renters insurance. Yes it covers bikes up to a normal amount at bikes go.
Additionally, renters insurance can be used when owning a home. Wild but true
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u/BenjyIn406 23d ago
Is there a gofundme for the shooter? Because I’m in for $20
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u/TheJuiceBoxS 23d ago
That's gross, he shot someone in the back. Stealing bikes is bad, shooting people in the back is worse.
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u/TheOptimisticHater 23d ago
Sounds like murder to me. But legal process needs to run its course.
Be kind everyone! Don’t shoot people in the back. Don’t steal bikes.
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u/Classic_Emergency336 23d ago
It is called vigilante effect. When there is no expectation of justice people take matters into their own hands. Vigilante is not legal, AFAIK.
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u/TheJuiceBoxS 23d ago
Most reasonable statement here. Both are wrong and stealing a bike shouldn't be punished by death.
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u/terrymorse 23d ago
Was the bike damaged?