Former Houston City Counselman carjacked...

[stevie_d_64]

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/ ... 6807b.html

Mike Berry is a good friend of mine...

My first question was, "Where was your carry piece?"

But then again he was coming out of the Firehouse...

But then he was getting into his truck...

But...ah, just skip it...

[Venus Pax]

My first question was, "Where was your carry piece?"

I was wondering that too.
Isn't he the talk show host that is pro RKBA & has a CHL? I'm not sure if I'm thinking about the right person.

[GKings1]

I know that Ed Hendee on KSEV has his license, not sure about Michael Berry. However, from the Top Gun website via google, it seems like he also has a chl.

[stevie_d_64]

My first question was, "Where was your carry piece?"

I was wondering that too.
Isn't he the talk show host that is pro RKBA & has a CHL? I'm not sure if I'm thinking about the right person.

Yep...

[Stupid]

Even with a carrying piece, I still think what he did would still be good. I still believe when we have the chance to escape - avoid a confrontation which may lead to shooting someone, we should do so.

[Paladin]

He's fortuanate to be alive, well, and to have gotten his vehicle back.

So I wouldn't second guess his actions too much.

That said, bars and their parking lots can be risky for many reasons. If you have to go without your gun... defensive spray, a knife, and knowing how to fight are assets.

I bet you next time he's a bit more alert leaving the bar...

[BradGroux]

Not sure why he called a cab, went home and then called the police. Knowing the SUV had On-Star (guessing it is a GM) I'd call the police and get them on the phone with On-Star to catch the bad guys as soon as possible. I'm sure he was shaken up but I see myself wanting to catch the bad guys before I did anything else so they couldn't pull this crap again... him going home cost the police any chance of catching these guys because they could have very well been illegals, especially if the car ended up off of Gulfton.

[seamusTX]

Not sure why he called a cab, went home and then called the police.

Lessee ... Comes out of bar. Gets carjacked. Doesn't call the police immediately. Hmm. I don't know why someone would do that.

- Jim

[BradGroux]

Not sure why he called a cab, went home and then called the police.

Lessee ... Comes out of bar. Gets carjacked. Doesn't call the police immediately. Hmm. I don't know why someone would do that.

- Jim

If he was so drunk that the cops would give him a DUI for being carjacked in a parking lot then he has bigger problems, lol... they can't exactly give him a DUI when he doesn't even have a car to drive : He could have easily of said too if he was drunk that he was going to his car to place a call for a cab or his wife... bottom line for me is, I'd much rather get the bad guys so they can't do it again then worry about covering my own butt.

[USMC-COL]

Not sure why he called a cab, went home and then called the police.

Lessee ... Comes out of bar. Gets carjacked. Doesn't call the police immediately. Hmm. I don't know why someone would do that.

- Jim

+1!

[lawrnk]

Not sure why he called a cab, went home and then called the police.

Lessee ... Comes out of bar. Gets carjacked. Doesn't call the police immediately. Hmm. I don't know why someone would do that.

- Jim

+1!

I really do not think Berry was drunk. That bar/concert is one I frequent myself. 3 attackers would shake most anyone up pretty good.
I can't claim to be a friend, but I've met him once or twice and he is an outstanding individual.

[BradGroux]

I just don't see how any man wouldn't want to get the people who did it as soon as possible... or how one could even think "let me call a cab, go home, tell my wife and then the police" when he could have easily gone inside where I'm sure there was probably at least one off duty officer (concert security) and/or help from security/bouncers... just makes absolutely no sense to me the path he took. I'm sure he wanted to get home but because he did what he did the police lost the only chance to catch the bad guys, and for someone that lives in that area and is there all the time I don't believe he did his civic duty. Calling a cab on that side of town at 1AM takes at LEAST 10-15 minutes after you make the call, yet he waited until he got home before he reported it? Because he waited those criminals who had no problems pulling a weapon on a civilian may escalate to further violence in future attacks.

There are over 200 comments on the Chronicle story...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5422719.html

[Venus Pax]

LEOs have told me that crime victims do things immediately after an attack that don't make sense.
I imagine that they are shaken up and aren't thinking clearly. For example, rape victims will often go home and shower before reporting this. They do this b/c they feel gross and disgusting, and want to "wash off" their attacker. In reality, their examiner needs anything on and in their body as evidence.

I wouldn't be too quick to just the car jacking victim, regardless of who he is or where he was. He probably wasn't thinking clearly, and I don't imagine alcohol helped him in this situation.

[stevie_d_64]

Some good points made here...

Lets just say a lot of things could have been done, and some assumptions could be made to his sobriety at the time...All good points...

Put yourself in his exact shoes at that time, and think how you would have really reacted...I'm not being critical at all, I'm just saying this is another good example of how not to put yourself in a position to not be able to deal with this kind of issue...But we are all adults, we do adult things, and we mustdo our best to react as such...

Sure, he has the ways and means to take care of something like this, its not a big secret...But in this particular situation, he chose to open himself up to a little more risk of not being able to do so...We all have done this as well...And it doesn't matter what our station in life is...Stuff like this can happen to any of us at anytime...

I'm sure a few folks from the bar took note and helped with what they could...But what was anyone there going to do that had not been done already???

I don't blame him very much for getting home and taking care of the call from there...Draw up anything you want to about that...

Crime is not going to stop overnight because of one "timely" phone call...Sometimes these things don't ever get reported...

[BradGroux]

I'm not saying the guy was drunk or not or that what he did was wrong... I've never been carjacked so I can't honestly say what I would do if I was, I don't know the guy so I can't judge his character I can simply base my opinions on the facts I have at hand. I can however say as someone who lives on the SW side of Houston close to this area I am frustrated as hell with the rise in crime and the fact that someone who has intimate knowledge of the city and it's crime (former City Councilman) didn't do the right and logical thing, which would have been to immediately dial 911.

To me, from the facts I have and not knowing the guy personally... this is a cut and dry case of a guy trying to cover his actions which is sad. I'm not saying he was drunk, he may not have had a drink at all... but from his actions to me it is quite obvious the state he must have been in to simply forget or choose to not dial 911 after being carjacked. People dial 911 under duress all the time, I realize people who are involved in violent crimes do silly things afterwards but a carjacking and a rape are two completely different types of crime... psychologically there isn't even a comparison.

I also question the timing of his "coming out" about the incident, why did he wait 11 days before coming forward? I imagine (again all speculation) that he got wind that someone in the press was going to come out with a story or had information regarding his drunken night... so he came clean before it came out and played the "I was too scared to call 911" card. In the end I know I am making a mountain out of a mole hill and I should probably feel bad for the guy since he was carjacked but for some reason it just really rubs me the wrong way when I think someone could have easily helped police nab three violent criminals yet they chose to cover their own tail instead.