Folk Hero or Aggressor?

Short version: 4 teenagers are having a sleepover, they ring doorbells and run away. Homeowner was standing 4 ft. from the door when the front bell went off and someone was banging on the back door. He flew out the door, tackled a 14 year old, brought him back into the house, called the cops.

Kid threatened the guy, said he had a knife, blathered profanities etc. Cops come, guy is arrested for mistreating a minor.

Big debate locally.

Chat among yourselves.

The story:

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=953421

Bloggers:

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=953429&category=OPINION

I realize this is the internet, but I might suggest that that the truth is somewhere in the middle of this continuum.

Mm.

The kid may have been tackled in his yard, or maybe down the street. That does indeed make a difference. Just like shooting a burgler coming into your house is different than shooting him running away after you've scared him off.

The home owner is a hockey player, and the kid tackled has scrapes, a fat lip, a bruised eye, and maybe some front tooth damage. Sounds like a hockey tackle to me. When you've got the power, you need to know how to control it.

I agree with the bloggers comments under the "in a saner world" section.

hard to say where I stand here. Both seem to be in the wrong.. but it seems WAY blown out of proportion for a SMALL prank.

Maybe if there were a bag of flaming poo, eggs, or some other more destructuve things going on.. but for ringing the doorbell and running?

And that town seriously needs to chill

If those kids are like me and my friends they had a circuit they made and rang the same doorbells about every 30 minutes. This infuriates people that are trying to sleep. We got chased by irate people that caught on to our system several times. Dumb , slow kid got caught, so what it goes with the game

I am not reading the links.

Boy acted on the man and knew there was a threat of harm/danger that is why boy ran.
Man dished out the harm in larger doses than expect but it was still harm as expected.
Assumtion of the risk on the kids part.
Keep in mind, it is really the threat of risk that makes this game fun.

The kid's parents are pushing this saying they don't condone what the 14 year old did. but ...

Bet the kid won't be doing it again.

I don't see a problem here. Kids played stupid, got caught, and suffered the penalties. They should be grateful the homeowner didn't have a shotgun.

It seems a lot depends on whether the kid was tackled on private or public property. Conflicting stories.

One of these tied into the door bell at eye level. Only flashes after midnight.

Kid got what he deserved. Parents are shiny happy people. If that had been my kid he would be cleaning/mowing that guy's yard for free for a month.

He rang the doorbell. As far as shenanigans go for teenagers, that rates pretty low.

That's why my doorbell is not hooked up.

I thinking tackling the kid was a bit extreme. Yes in the heat of the moment emotions take over, but come on. A firm grip on his arm and that kid probably would have stopped dead. However, there's information missing. Was it only once or did they ring his door ever 30 minutes like PIlotbraden said? Had they maybe done this before? I applaud the man's intentions, which I think where to hold the kid accountable for his actions. But it seems like he used a lot more force than was necessary to control the situation.

Teach them kids to be more respectful...

These days, minors can operate with impunity it seems. While this is probably an extreme example, parents need to take charge of their childrens actions.

Also, I probably woulda messed the kid up worse than that, and I'm no hockey player. A fat lip? Get over yourself.

GI_Drewsifer wrote: However, there's information missing. Was it only once or did they ring his door ever 30 minutes like PIlotbraden said?

One was ringing the bell up front while another was banging on the back door.

914Driver wrote:

GI_Drewsifer wrote: However, there's information missing. Was it only once or did they ring his door ever 30 minutes like PIlotbraden said?

One was ringing the bell up front while another was banging on the back door.

So, they're getting the guy for abuse of a minor. What those kids were doing sounds like harassment to me. Ol' boy should lawyer up and go to town.

Serious thread is too serious.

Won't even mention some of the pranks I and some of my friends pulled when we were young and dumb.

I had to 13-14 year old girls ring my doorbell and then go hide behind the tree the other day. As I walked outside they ran off laughing, I giggled myself.

It seems like nowadays people are just looking for a reason to get pissed off, act like a shiny happy person and take some "supposed" moral high ground.

mndsm wrote: So, they're getting the guy for abuse of a minor. What those kids were doing sounds like harassment to me. Ol' boy should lawyer up and go to town.

Seriously, sue the kids or the parents, over this?

Perfect example of the mindset that is destroying this country.

See, calling the cops was the mistake. If you send a kid home scared and sporting only deep body bruises he will hide them rather than explain how he came to receive them. I learned this first-hand in a similarly aggravating past time of a mis-spent youth: snowballing cars. I was not about to explain to my car loving father how I got knocked silly by some random guy for wailing on his pride and joy from behind a bush on main street. All that would get me is another whoopin.

I am more of a sympathetic sort who isn't up for slapping a bunch of kids around... but I would find it particularly hilarious to ruin their clothes giving out paintball welts while they learn who is and isn't going to be a fun target for pranks. Its practically my civic duty to hide in the dark recesses of my deck this Halloween and see who has the audacity to throw the first egg.

z31maniac wrote:

mndsm wrote: So, they're getting the guy for abuse of a minor. What those kids were doing sounds like harassment to me. Ol' boy should lawyer up and go to town.

Seriously, sue the kids or the parents, over this? Perfect example of the mindset that is destroying this country.

Yeah, it is. But at the same time, the mindset that the guy is being charged for that is a load of crap too. Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire. If they're gonna pull bullE36 M3 charges on him, he should fight back.

z31maniac wrote: I had to 13-14 year old girls ring my doorbell and then go hide behind the tree the other day. As I walked outside they ran off laughing, I giggled myself.

This is pretty tame as a prank, but it's not so funny for some victims. Lots of older (and some not-so-old) folks risk a fall every time they get out of a chair or bed to answer the door.

Prank your friends - and only your friends.

In reply to mndsm:

I agree that the old man should fight fire with fire...and go ring the kid's doorbell and run away.

Otto_Maddox wrote: In reply to mndsm: I agree that the old man should fight fire with fire...and go ring the kid's doorbell and run away.

If that's the case, he needs to make sure he pounds on the back door at the same time.

Well he shouldnt have had a door bell button by the front door, he was askin' for it

/george carlin voice

In addition to cuts on his elbow, a bruise over his eye and a fat lip noted in the police report, Hanson said the Madeo boy suffered four broken braces. A visit to his orthodontist revealed two loose front teeth and possible root damage from the trauma may cause the teeth to die off and perhaps require root canals and false teeth, she said.

That seems pretty serious. Sure, the kid is a dumbass. But if somebody did that to my child, I'd probably be more than a little angry.