Man killed after bumping Metro bus passenger

[Geister]

None of the other 12 passengers on the bus was hurt.

let's take a look at this. "None... was hurt."
really?
The English Language that far gone that journalists don't even have to learn it.

Actually, I'm not too sure on this, but I think the word 'none' is considered singular.

[Mike1951]

Actually, I'm not too sure on this, but I think the word 'none' is considered singular.

Actually, I fall back on what a high school english teacher drilled into me.

Would they have been individually injured or injured as a group?

From a grammer site I keep bookmarked when I'm in doubt:

There’s a lot of disagreement about this one. “None� can be either singular or plural, depending on the meaning you intend and its context in the sentence. “None of the pie is left� is clearly singular. But “None of the chocolates is left� is widely accepted, as is “None of the chocolates are left.� If it’s not obvious to you which it should be, don’t worry; few of your readers will be certain either.

[fadlan12]

So the guy was a CHL? not good.

[austin]

We'll just have to wait and see.

I recall a case in Fort Worth of road rage where a man got shot during an "altercation" after an "accident." by a CHL holder.

The police pressed charges and the jury threw it out.

Turns out the dead man was whaling the tar out of the other man who was trapped in his car by his seat belt.

I rode the bus a lot when I was younger and there are people who harass you sometimes. Some of them are regulars. It can definately be not fun.

If you are so inclined, take the DART train out of Richardson down into Dallas or back, especially after 9pm on Fri or Sat. Gangbangers ride it a lot.

Most of us can easily avoid trouble, but some people can't. Lets see how this plays out.

[casselthief]

.......

[Paladin]

Looks like there's an update:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hea ... 75545.html

"The 24-year-old man accused of fatally shooting another passenger during an argument on a Metro bus Wednesday appeared in court this morning.

Prosecutors said Garrett Mallot first pulled a knife, then a .357-caliber Magnum pistol during the dispute with Otis James Francis, 31, as the two rode a Metro bus in the 11700 block of Westheimer around 11:45 a.m.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Katherine McDaniel said today that Mallot was getting on the bus and the two began arguing after Francis brushed Mallot's arm.

"That guy said he was going to kick my ___," Mallot told authorities. He told police he then pulled a knife and Francis repeated the threat.

Mallot, who had a license to carry a concealed handgun, then shot Francis in front of more than 20 passengers, McDaniel said.

Francis rushed to the front of the bus, where he collapsed and died, McDaniel said.

If convicted, Mallot faces a punishment range of 5 to 99 years or life in prison. Mallot's attorney, Alvin Nunnery, was not immediately available for comment."

-----------------------------------------------

Seems as though the reporting has been biased so far.

earlier it was reported:

“The suspect was on his making his way through the center aisle when he brushed up against the victim,� said Captain Dwayne Ready with the Houston Police Department.

“The guy bumped him,� said Effrom Mooring who was on the bus. “They exchanged words. The guy pulled out a gun and shot him. Just for bumping him.�

The victim, who was shot once in the chest, was an older African-American man.

Not that it's especially important who brushed up against who, but that point is unclear. The latest says that the shooter was repeatedly threatened, and the guy who got shot was not an old guy, but 31 years old.

If any of us got on a bus, accidentally brushed against a 31 year old male, and they repeatedly threatened to beat us for it, while the bus was moving and we couldn't leave, our options would start to dwindle.

But with the facts so far, it still doesn't sound like a justified shoot. The media wants a circus. I'm curious to hear what other facts haven't come out yet.

This case is all the more reason to have non-lethal tools in the toolbox.

[Lucky45]

Hey Paladin,
that knife and gun carry sounds like the M.O. of some people around this forum, but that is my opinion.
Isn't amazing how we only find after he appeared in court that he did pull a knife, then a gun and the victim was unarmed. Talk about dynamics. Look how the pendulum swings.

Seems as though the reporting has been biased so far.

Anyway, the report doesn't sound bias to me because today I would think they would be writing from what was said or transcript in COURT. Only facts are supposed to be submitted, I guess from sworn statements of all parties involved.

The victim, who was shot once in the chest, was an older African-American man.

Not that it's especially important who brushed up against who, but that point is unclear. The latest says that the shooter was repeatedly threatened, and the guy who got shot was not an old guy, but 31 years old.

I think 31 is older than 24.

I'm curious to hear what other facts haven't come out yet.

Yep, let's wait and see.

[Geister]

The victim was a total idiot, but I still don't see how this shooting was justified as far as the law is concerned. IF the victim proceeded to fight the guy, he could have simply used the knife.

But had the victim NOT got on the bus in Houston this would have never happened. There is NO way I'll ever ride a bus in Houston.

Casslethief, I don't think you should worry too much about the English usage in this article. The English language, like most other languages, are constantly evolving. Rules taught in classes fifty years ago are not the exact same taught today. Even the German language has been though a lot of changes in the past 100 years. Take a German book from the World War I era and compare it to a German book from today and you'll see what I mean.

[Paladin]

Seems as though the reporting has been biased so far.

Anyway, the report doesn't sound bias to me because today I would think they would be writing from what was said or transcript in COURT. Only facts are supposed to be submitted, I guess from sworn statements of all parties involved.

What I meant was the reports before this latest one from court. But what goes on in court can be biased too, depending on what the judge allows and who's arguing.

I think 31 is older than 24.

Yep, but when I read the original article it sounded to me like an old man got shot by some rude guy that got on the bus.

Now it sounds more like the 31 year old was the rude one and they were both overly aggressive...

Of course the truth is still uncertain.

[G.C.Montgomery]

On the assumption of innocence, I hope the CHL holder is vindicated in court. At the moment it doesn't sound like his actions are easily justified. Of course, this is based on media reports and witnesses that may be biased. Despite that, there is a good chance the suspect's statements were a contributing factor in his arrest. If all the suspect could come up with was the other guy kept saying he was going to kick the suspect's butt, that's insufficient justification for deadly force.

[Venus Pax]

The first and second report are two completely different scenarios.

If some stranger brushed up against me on a bus (or vice versa), then made a big stink over it, I would likely take the blame for it and apologize for the sake of making peace. It's an innocent bump. The worst consequence from bumping into someone should be catching their cold.

Now if he bumped up against me, threw a fit, then pulled a knife (as in the second situation), I would feel inclined to pull my gun. Afterall, I would be in an inescapable situation with a person threatening me with a deadly weapon.

I'm interested to see how this turns out and what actually happened.

And 31? Ahem... I'm 31. That is not old.

[Will938]

Like Venus said, I hear now that the guy who was shot pulled a knife.

Funny how reporting goes, and how fast we were to judge and disguard the guy.

[G.C.Montgomery]

Where did you guys hear the "victim" pulled a knife? All I've heard was the shooter pulled a knife, then escalated to a gun after the knife failed to impress the dead actor.

[Venus Pax]

My husband heard the second story on the news not long after the first one broke.

[zigzag]

Was there an evidence of a knife in the victim's hands? I hope so to back up the CHL holder. If that thing happens to me, saying sorry and taking the low road is easy. But if he threatens to butt talk and pull s a knife, its a different story.