Friday, November 11, 2011

Vigilante Justice is Condoned in New York

The New York Times reports on the latest incident of vigilante justice condoned by the authorities.

It was 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday on a Bronx street. The shots erupted as Mr. Baltazar struggled fiercely over a gun with one of the three men, identified as Mauricio Acosta, who, armed with a.357-caliber pistol, strode toward him and his son, the authorities said. 
As the gun fell to the ground and the three assailants fled, Mr. Baltazar picked it up and chased them, first a half-block south on Grand Avenue and then west along Evelyn Place, in University Heights.
After chasing the 17-year-old would-be robber for a couple blocks, Baltazar shot him in the back of the neck, leaving him in critical condition.

So much do they love vigilante/cowboy justice in New York City, that even a convicted drug dealer on parole, like Baltazar is, and even after he hides the gun in an attempt to cover up his crime, only later confessing everything to the detectives, like Baltazar did, no charges are filed.

What's your opinion? Isn't it odd or ironic that New York which is so despised by gun-rights advocates for its laws, allows this kind of thing? Shouldn't the pro-gun crowd be opposed to this? Isn't shooting someone only permitted when an active threat exists?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

1 comment:

  1. No chance that Baltazar was involved in the same sort of activity that got him in prison in the first place?

    And we know for sure that it wasn't Baltazar who initiated the contact?

    I'll wait to see how this one plays out.

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