Bike Ride Gone Bad

Can't even go for a bike ride...

Oh well

~~~

Pennsylvania man, 65, fatally shoots teen who pushed him off bicycle

READING, Pa. – A 65-year-old man shot one teenager dead and wounded another after they pushed him off his bicycle and tried to rob him in Pennsylvania, police said.

The man was cycling on a trail in Reading, Pa., shortly before 11:00 am local time Wednesday morning, when a group of teens pushed him off the bicycle and two of them assaulted him, investigators said.

The 65 year old then took out a handgun and shot them both, the Reading Eagle reported.

One of the teens -- a 16 year old from Reading -- was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:17 p.m. local time.

The second teenager was taken to the hospital but his condition was unknown, according to the newspaper.

Cops arrested a third boy at the scene and took him in for questioning. The 15 year old was later taken to a county youth center in nearby Bern Township where he was held on unspecified charges.

Police decided to release the 65 year old and charge the juvenile after consulting with District

Attorney John Adams, who attended the scene with forensic detectives, the Reading Eagle reported.

Authorities did not release his name or the names of the teenagers.

WTH

good for him

I'm glad that the man defend himself, some of these young teens & adults have no respect for anyone or anything. From reading the article these young men would be nothing but a burden on society

I’m a firm believer in the “Castle Doctrine” that was recently passed & enacted in Pa.
If someone thinks you may be armed, they think twice about attacking you.



http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=361731&obref=obinsite

No charges for man who shot teens 65-year-old city man acted in self-defense in killing, wounding of teens, DA says

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Mike Urban
Reading Eagle




Reading Eagle: Bill Uhrich
Cumru Township Police Chief Jed Habecker, left, and Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams on Thursday discuss the fatal shooting, ruled justifiable, of a teenager by a would-be robbery victim.
A 65-year-old Reading man who was riding his bicycle was justified in shooting two teens - one fatally - who tried to rob him on a Schuylkill River trail as part of a crime spree, the Berks County district attorney said Thursday.

The teens, age 16 and 15, and another 15-year-old boy skipped school Wednesday and robbed two pedestrians in West Reading before they attacked the man as he rode on the Thun Trail in Cumru Township at 11 a.m., police said.

The man, whose name authorities withheld, will not be charged for shooting the teens because he acted in self-defense, which is legal under Pennsylvania's Castle Doctrine, District Attorney John T. Adams said.

"While I don't condone violence, the bike rider had no choice," Adams said. "It was justifiable homicide."

Julius Johnson, 16, of Reading was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday morning after he was shot in his chest with a handgun, officials said.

An autopsy Thursday by Dr. Supriya Kuruvila, a forensic pathologist at Reading Hospital, determined Johnson died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the county coroner's office. The death was ruled a homicide, officials said.

The 15-year-old shot in the neck remained in Reading Hospital on Thursday, officials said. Information about his medical condition could not be obtained. Police did not release his name because he has not been charged.

The third teen, Michael Gonzalez, 15, address unavailable, was charged with robbery, aggravated assault and related offenses and committed to the county youth center in Bern Township.

Officials said an investigation continues.

Johnson was a Reading High School student, and the 15-year-olds are Gov. Mifflin High School students, Adams said.

Adams gave this account:

Johnson was on probation for previous offenses. Juvenile probation officers had gone to his Oakbrook residence earlier Wednesday and found the three teens playing video games.

They told the two 15-year-olds to leave. The officers put an electronic monitoring device on Johnson's ankle, ordered him to stay home and report to their office with his parents at 4 p.m.

Instead, the three met up and decided to jump and rob random victims.

They first robbed an elderly man in West Reading shortly after 10 a.m., taking money from his pockets, then tried to rob another man in West Reading, kneeing him in the stomach and pushing him to the ground. Neither man was hurt.

The bike rider was on the trail between Reading and West Reading.

As he rode past the teens, the 15-year-old whose name was not released punched the man in the face, knocking him from his bike. Johnson ran and kicked the man, who was sitting against a chain-link fence along the trail.

As one of the teens ran toward the man, he shot Johnson and the 15-year-old.

People who found the man called 9-1-1 and waited for police to arrive. It was unclear if the people heard the shots or were on the trail.

The teens weren't armed, but the shootings were legal because the man was unable to escape, thought his life was in danger and had a permit to carry his gun, Adams said.

The man told investigators: "I was scared for my life. I was in big trouble. If I could have kept my bike on the trail, I would have gotten out of there."

The man was unhurt but shaken by the shootings, Adams said.

Adams did not know if Johnson's monitoring device had GPS tracking capabilities or if it simply triggered an alarm when he left his home. Adams said juvenile probation officers acted appropriately.

Cumru Police Chief Jed Habecker credited his department for its quick investigation.

He said the crime was only the second robbery to occur along the Cumru section of the Thun Trail in about a decade.

Adams said he has heard from many people in the community that the bicyclist was a hero for successfully defending himself.

"When your life is in danger, you have no choice but to use deadly force," he said.

Contact Mike Urban: 610-371-5023 or murban@readingeagle.com.

Good article... thanks Grizz.

Way more to the story then what I first read.

Nice Job to the reporter also, Mike Urban - Reading Eagle

Good to see the guy defended himself.

bet he still gets sued by the parents of the kids.

Yippee. Never get tired of hearing stories about the good guy/gal (who's minding their own business) turning the tables on punks. It's still sad though. Today, even "kids" are capable of very violent actions. A product of their/our environment and so-called role-models. I feel mostly bad for the guy that wanted no part of what happened. At least he isn't locked up. And hopefully he won't be harrassed by any sort of lawsuit.

That is how it should have been handled. Make others think twice before they try robbing someone.