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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSkater kills coffee shop crazy with skateboard in self defense
A young man used a skateboard to fatally strike another man who was harassing him and other customers at a Santa Ana Starbucks on Tuesday, according to accounts from witnesses and police.
The incident occurred shortly after noon at a Starbucks in a strip mall near South Bristol Street and West MacArthur Boulevard, close to South Coast Plaza.
Two eyewitnesses told KTLA that a man was pacing back and forth, bothering coffee shop customers outside the Starbucks location, and then began punching the stores window. The man, who seemed to be on drugs, went inside and zoned in on a young skateboarder, the witnesses said.
The man approached the skateboarder aggressively, prompting the young man to stand up and whack the first man once in the head. The witnesses described the incident as self-defense.
Police were responding to an incident at a Starbuck in Santa Ana on Nov. 24, 2015. (Credit: Chip Yost / KTLA)
Police were responding to an incident at a Starbuck in Santa Ana on Nov. 24, 2015. (Credit: Chip Yost / KTLA)
"He just came abruptly into the store, looked at the kid, and said, 'Did I stutter?'" witness Jocelyn Martinez told KTLA. "He took a step forward towards the kid as if he were going to attack him, and that's when the kid hit him with the skateboard."
The man fell to the ground, and the skateboarder at first ran from the coffee shop.
"He did what anybody ... would do when they feel attacked. They're going to protect themselves," Martinez said.
She described the scene as "really traumatizing."
The man died, Santa Ana Police Department Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said on scene.
Bertagna confirmed the incident involved a skateboard.
The man who was killed was 50, and the skateboarder was 20, police on scene said.
The young man stayed at the scene and was cooperative with police but was not immediately taken into custody.
The incident occurred shortly after noon at a Starbucks in a strip mall near South Bristol Street and West MacArthur Boulevard, close to South Coast Plaza.
Two eyewitnesses told KTLA that a man was pacing back and forth, bothering coffee shop customers outside the Starbucks location, and then began punching the stores window. The man, who seemed to be on drugs, went inside and zoned in on a young skateboarder, the witnesses said.
The man approached the skateboarder aggressively, prompting the young man to stand up and whack the first man once in the head. The witnesses described the incident as self-defense.
Police were responding to an incident at a Starbuck in Santa Ana on Nov. 24, 2015. (Credit: Chip Yost / KTLA)
Police were responding to an incident at a Starbuck in Santa Ana on Nov. 24, 2015. (Credit: Chip Yost / KTLA)
"He just came abruptly into the store, looked at the kid, and said, 'Did I stutter?'" witness Jocelyn Martinez told KTLA. "He took a step forward towards the kid as if he were going to attack him, and that's when the kid hit him with the skateboard."
The man fell to the ground, and the skateboarder at first ran from the coffee shop.
"He did what anybody ... would do when they feel attacked. They're going to protect themselves," Martinez said.
She described the scene as "really traumatizing."
The man died, Santa Ana Police Department Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said on scene.
Bertagna confirmed the incident involved a skateboard.
The man who was killed was 50, and the skateboarder was 20, police on scene said.
The young man stayed at the scene and was cooperative with police but was not immediately taken into custody.
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Skater kills coffee shop crazy with skateboard in self defense (Original Post)
uhnope
Nov 2015
OP
With all the other things happening on Black Friday, this I think has to be close to the
LiberalArkie
Nov 2015
#2
In the moment, I am glad the victim of the aggressor was the one not hurt
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
Nov 2015
#5
ManiacJoe
(10,136 posts)1. KTLA link:
LiberalArkie
(15,720 posts)2. With all the other things happening on Black Friday, this I think has to be close to the
top. Maybe right under the poor Waffle House lady.
Weird day.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)3. No tears shed here
The guy was probably mentally ill, but once you cross over to violence, all bets are off.
DeadLetterOffice
(1,352 posts)4. So the mentally ill aren't even worth grief, huh?
Nice to know.
If the attacker was mentally ill, I feel awful for him - living in a society where we don't help people like him get better, and we don't cry when they die.
I feel just as awful for the skateboarder - hard to live with having caused a death, even accidentally, even in self-defense, even if the person who died was in the wrong, and even if the person who died was mentally ill.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)5. In the moment, I am glad the victim of the aggressor was the one not hurt
You can project whatever else you want to on to me. Don't care.
panader0
(25,816 posts)6. I feel bad for both
The dead guy, his family etc--obviously troubled. But the skater too--only20 and he goes the rest of his life knowing he killed a guy.