Man Beaten By Mob, In Critical Condition

[Beetree]

Quote: (snip)According to police, Owens fussed at some kids playing basketball in the middle of Delmar Drive about 8:30 Saturday night. They say the kids left and a group of adults returned, armed with everything but the kitchen sink. (snip)

I guess the police didn't hear the story from other witneses. (see below)


Quote from post #75: (snip)They were not playing basketball. It was dusk almost dark and the kids were going house to house going on people's porches. My friend's daughter saw one of them take something off a porch and that is when Matthew approached them and told them they need to go home.(snip)

Big difference between stealing and a children's basketball game!!

[mzkitty]

Quote: (snip)According to police, Owens fussed at some kids playing basketball in the middle of Delmar Drive about 8:30 Saturday night. They say the kids left and a group of adults returned, armed with everything but the kitchen sink. (snip)

I guess the police didn't hear the story from other witneses. (see below)


Quote from post #75: (snip)They were not playing basketball. It was dusk almost dark and the kids were going house to house going on people's porches. My friend's daughter saw one of them take something off a porch and that is when Matthew approached them and told them they need to go home.(snip)

Big difference between stealing and a children's basketball game!!

Yeah, I wondered that too.

Here's the comments direct link. You will find many people who think like most of us do here:

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/apr/2...91/#fbcomments

[mzkitty]

This is odd. I don't know where to put it. So I'll stick it here.

My son just came home from work. As he was driving on part of the expressway that goes through the city he saw a new billboard. A picture of a black middle-aged man in a tux, and with an arm draped over the guy's shoulder a young black cop. Caption on the billboard? "We Got Your Back." Um, like WTF?????? I have no clue what exactly they're trying to convey. Could be several things, seeing as most of the murders here are black on black. Just thought I'd note this.

???

[mzkitty]

Update, unfortunately:

Updated: April 25, 2012 - 12:45 AM
» 1845 Comments | Post a Comment
MOBILE, Alabama --

Wednesday 12:45 a.m.

Mobile police did not make an arrest before the end of the day as they expected. But police are in the process of serving warrants.

Neighbors say Matthew Owens chased off a group of black kids with kitchen knives after the boys lost a basketball in his sister's yard. He was attacked by as many as 20 people with chairs, pipes and paint cans a short time later.

Based on the accusations from angry neighbors, News 5 did some digging and learned Owens has a violent track record. The Mobile County Metro Jail log shows police have arrested Owens numerous times over the past 12 years for things like domestic violence, assault and sex abuse. His first arrest was November 4, 1990 for assault. The last time officers transported Owens to jail was last March on a domestic violence charge.

Regardless of what happened Saturday night leading up to the beating, police and most people would agree that it is not an excuse to put Owens in the ICU.

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/apr/2...91/#fbcomments

[Dobbin]

Regardless of what happened Saturday night leading up to the beating, police and most people would agree that it is not an excuse to put Owens in the ICU.

Yes. As it is he'll be released from the hospital, hook up with a shy, er, legally dubious lawyer, and turn around and sue the belt buckle, spray can, pipe humans for personal bodily injury - and probably win.

The proper course for the basketball players would have been to call 911 and let the local police handle the knife wielder. Criminal Threatening is a crime. Video or cellphone could document knife-man's transgression for the benefit of the prosecutor. And once convicted, knife man could have been out of their hair for likely a good while. Enough certainly to get that forward court press down pat.

Whatever happened to donkey basketball games?

Dobbin

[mzkitty]

Like it says in the article though, not a nice man. But still not an excuse to beat him almost to death. His bad karma caught up with him in this life. Ugh.

[Altura Ct.]

Like it says in the article though, not a nice man.... His bad karma caught up with him in this life. Ugh.

It may be true and maybe not. As the Zimmerman fiasco has clearly shown the press is not to be trusted in racial matters. Why is the press reporting on his background ? Trying to soften or make excuses for the beating? What about those who beat him? If we are going to look into his background let us also look into the background of the perps. Wonder what we would find there?

[mzkitty]

It may be true and maybe not. As the Zimmerman fiasco has clearly shown the press is not to be trusted in racial matters. Why is the press reporting on his background ? Trying to soften or make excuses for the beating? What about those who beat him? If we are going to look into his background let us also look into the background of the perps. Wonder what we would find there?

I don't know, Altura. But there is a picture of his latest mug shot at the link this morning.

[Dobbin]

What about those who beat him? If we are going to look into his background let us also look into the background of the perps. Wonder what we would find there?

And this may be the rationale to WHY the basketball humans did not call the police. Probably the police are not basketball humans No. 1 "pick and roll" partners. (sarcasm there.) So basketball humans (and likely their parents) took the law into their own hands.

Not supportive of this choice. I'm a peace loving horse.

And questioning the media reports MUST be part of any intelligent examination of the situation.

Wot a tool this Internet.

Dobbin

[Sasquatch]

I don't know, Altura. But there is a picture of his latest mug shot at the link this morning.

And to night (if there is an arrest) we'll see "their" 1st grade school pics.

[mzkitty]

And to night (if there is an arrest) we'll see "their" 1st grade school pics.

The article I posted this morning says warrants, so I would imagine more than one person will be going down at some point.

What a mess.

[Gercarson]

I don't know, Altura. But there is a picture of his latest mug shot at the link this morning.

So, it's going to be HIS fault after all. Why in heck are they showing HIS mug shot? He gets beat nearly to death and HIS mug shot is what they show . . .

[mzkitty]

So, it's going to be HIS fault after all. Why in heck are they showing HIS mug shot? He gets beat nearly to death and HIS mug shot is what they show . . .

As it says in the article, the neighbors complained about his violent past, so they checked it out.

???

[PilotFighter]

So last nights WKRG news, was a report on how this man has been arrested several times, some of them from assualt, and some dumb assed black woman saying how the guy that was beaten hated black kids. Seems like they are trying to turn this shit around and make it look like the man beaten was the problem.

[Sasquatch]

The moral of this story is:
If you are going to allow yourself to get pummeled by ghetto rats, you better have a squeaky clean history or you will be crucified by the media.

[Dennis Olson]

sigh


White trash cracker vs ghetto-rat n*ggers. No one to root for...

[mzkitty]

Tag Archives: Mathew Owens criminal record
New Developments in Mathew Owens Case
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tuesday came and went with no arrests made in the beating of Mathew Owens, despite the national spotlight coming down on the case. Mobile Police are preparing to serve warrants, and at least one suspect is expected to be arrested with more to follow. Both police and Mayor Sam Jones came out and stated publicly that they did not believe the attack was a hate crime. They also downplayed any connection to the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, despite one of the assailants apparently mentioning justice for the slain teenager.

Police are now releasing new information on what happened before Owens was attacked. According to WKRG News 5, Owens chased some of the neighborhood kids playing basketball out of his yard while wielding a pair of kitchen knives. Neighbors have reported problems with Owens in the past. It should be noted that Owens is white, and the children he chase out of his yard were black. The group of people accused of beating him were also black.

News 5 was able to dig up Owens’ criminal record, which is fairly extensive. Over the past 12 years he has been arrested many times for crimes ranging from sex abuse, assault, and domestic violence. He was hauled in just last March on a domestic violence charge.

Despite all of this new information, the actions taken by the mob of people is not justified. We live in a nation of laws and order. People can not take the law into their own hands. That is what our police officers are for. The assault committed upon Mathew Owens was a criminal act and must be prosecuted.

Calling the attack a hate crime is a bit far fetched given the new light shed on the case. It appears more to be a crime of passion committed by a group of parents and relatives protecting their kids. To call the assault a hate crime, you have to believe that the attack was motivated by Owens’ race. In this case, it appears the motivation was Owens’ chasing someone’s kid with a kitchen knife. I don’t think the color of his skin mattered at that point.

Join the Forum discussion on this post

http://www.northmobilepost.com/tag/m...iminal-record/

[Bolt]

"Calling the attack a hate crime is a bit far fetched given the new light shed on the case." Shock!

Like none of us saw this coming. Granted, seems the guy has some issues, but even if he had been giving away bibles door-to-door on his way home from volunteering at a leper colony, the media would have come up with a justifiable reason to turn this around. In comparison to Trayvon, the media certainly isn't dwelling on his suspensions, previous encounters with the law, possible drug encounters, nor where the jewelry came from.
Maybe Owens' anger issues with the darling neighbors were initially brought on by their refusal to live in his neighborhood like civilized people. Maybe he was tired of them stealing off his porch. Maybe he was tired of their loud noise into the wee hours of the night. How many times have we seen clean, decent neighborhoods ruined by a few savages? Each of us has a breaking point. He fussed at the kids. If he had a kitchen knife for protection, it would seem he had it in his own yard. Nothing illegal about that. He didn't stab or cut anyone. He wasn't the one who attacked with various weapons. Gotta love how the media is going to spin this into a "He deserved it" scenario which is only going to set people up for more of the same once they see how their behavior will be excused and/or dismissed. No mention of the fact that these kids were trespassing and possibly stealing, which is what started this mess to begin with.

[prepgirl44]

Tag Archives: Mathew Owens criminal record
New Developments in Mathew Owens Case
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tuesday came and went with no arrests made in the beating of Mathew Owens, despite the national spotlight coming down on the case. Mobile Police are preparing to serve warrants, and at least one suspect is expected to be arrested with more to follow. Both police and Mayor Sam Jones came out and stated publicly that they did not believe the attack was a hate crime. They also downplayed any connection to the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, despite one of the assailants apparently mentioning justice for the slain teenager.

Police are now releasing new information on what happened before Owens was attacked. According to WKRG News 5, Owens chased some of the neighborhood kids playing basketball out of his yard while wielding a pair of kitchen knives. Neighbors have reported problems with Owens in the past. It should be noted that Owens is white, and the children he chase out of his yard were black. The group of people accused of beating him were also black.

News 5 was able to dig up Owens’ criminal record, which is fairly extensive. Over the past 12 years he has been arrested many times for crimes ranging from sex abuse, assault, and domestic violence. He was hauled in just last March on a domestic violence charge.

Despite all of this new information, the actions taken by the mob of people is not justified. We live in a nation of laws and order. People can not take the law into their own hands. That is what our police officers are for. The assault committed upon Mathew Owens was a criminal act and must be prosecuted.

Calling the attack a hate crime is a bit far fetched given the new light shed on the case. It appears more to be a crime of passion committed by a group of parents and relatives protecting their kids. To call the assault a hate crime, you have to believe that the attack was motivated by Owens’ race. In this case, it appears the motivation was Owens’ chasing someone’s kid with a kitchen knife. I don’t think the color of his skin mattered at that point.

Join the Forum discussion on this post

http://www.northmobilepost.com/tag/m...iminal-record/

Arrested, not convicted. Lots of people get wrongly arrested.
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

And sure, the picture painted is that the victim is not a nice guy and maybe he is not. But a person (or persons) should not take the law into their own hands. This was a group of blacks, taking the law into their own hands and moving forward with a group mentality to beat an individual white man nearly to death. AND then to top it off, one of the assailants states it is justice for Trayvon.

Please, someone tell me....How is a black on white beating where one of the black assailants makes a comment about it being justice for Trayvon have nothing to do with race and not be a hate crime?

[Dennis Olson]

This was a group of blacks, taking the law into their own hands and moving forward with a group mentality to beat an individual white man nearly to death.


That's true enough, but now we have no idea how provocative the man's actions had been in times past. had he threatened the kids before? Had he brandished a weapon at them before? Was he know in the neighborhood as an outspoken racist? The problem with the man's history is that now there is doubt as to whether or not the "mob" felt justification in what they did. Lord knows, we've talked often enough on the forum about how "Well, if I was the parent of the kid that had xxxx happen to them, I'd have beat the perp to within an inch of his life." And we always get a chorus of "HELL YEAH!" in replies.

So I can't say at this point whether or not this guy "got what was coming to him." Maybe he did. Maybe it was a race attack on the part of the blacks. But there's enough uncertainty now that I won't say EITHER side was "more right" than the other...

[mzkitty]

Whatever happens, the police said at the beginning that the people they arrest will be brought up on at least assault charges.

[Bolt]

So I can't say at this point whether or not this guy "got what was coming to him." Maybe he did. Maybe it was a race attack on the part of the blacks. But there's enough uncertainty now that I won't say EITHER side was "more right" than the other...

Media mission accomplished (again).

[Dennis Olson]

Sorry, but in this case, the man's criminal history is at fault. All the MSM is doing is creating doubt. But the man's own actions are what enabled this aspect of the story to come out.

If a man has a history of beating people up, and gets beaten by a crowd of people who know one of his victims, can you say that the man's history had nothing to do with the beating? Come ON!

[minkykat]

"Calling the attack a hate crime is a bit far fetched given the new light shed on the case." Shock!

Like none of us saw this coming. Granted, seems the guy has some issues, but even if he had been giving away bibles door-to-door on his way home from volunteering at a leper colony, the media would have come up with a justifiable reason to turn this around. In comparison to Trayvon, the media certainly isn't dwelling on his suspensions, previous encounters with the law, possible drug encounters, nor where the jewelry came from.
Maybe Owens' anger issues with the darling neighbors were initially brought on by their refusal to live in his neighborhood like civilized people. Maybe he was tired of them stealing off his porch. Maybe he was tired of their loud noise into the wee hours of the night. How many times have we seen clean, decent neighborhoods ruined by a few savages? Each of us has a breaking point. He fussed at the kids. If he had a kitchen knife for protection, it would seem he had it in his own yard. Nothing illegal about that. He didn't stab or cut anyone. He wasn't the one who attacked with various weapons. Gotta love how the media is going to spin this into a "He deserved it" scenario which is only going to set people up for more of the same once they see how their behavior will be excused and/or dismissed. No mention of the fact that these kids were trespassing and possibly stealing, which is what started this mess to begin with.

THIS!

We have an entitlement neighbor like them who blasts her TV to the wee hours of the night. Requests to turn it down are greeted with a variety of 4 letters words. Calling the landlord did no good; she screamed at me for being a "snitch". My guess is the guy reached boiling point from having to live with their scum asses.

[Altura Ct.]

Sorry, but in this case, the man's criminal history is at fault. All the MSM is doing is creating doubt. But the man's own actions are what enabled this aspect of the story to come out.

If a man has a history of beating people up, and gets beaten by a crowd of people who know one of his victims, can you say that the man's history had nothing to do with the beating? Come ON!

I not saying the guy's history is irrelavant nor that he is a'good' guy but really? And what about the history of the perps? Lets look equally and with equal prejudice at the criminal history & social leanings of all the perps not just the white guy? Then maybe we can have a clearer picture of 'karma'. As it is the press is trying to make the victim seem like he deserved it with the neighbors being just peachy keen. It would be one thing if the press was trustworthy. If they didn't constantly go out of their way to paint a particularly biased picture in crimes or incidents invloving race. Just like they did in Sanford, Fl and they do in multiple crimes involving black & white.

As another example, anyone remember this? Omar Thornton murdered 8 people and the press went out of their way to sympathize with the murderer and cast derision on those murdered.

Company says Connecticut gunman never filed race complaint
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-05/j...ah?_s=PM:CRIME

[Dennis Olson]

What, "it's all the niggers' fault"? Spare me. IF this guy has a history of incitement, then the people that beat him may well have been justified.

[mzkitty]

What, "it's all the niggers' fault"? Spare me. IF this guy has a history of incitement, then the people that beat him may well have been justified.

No. They should have called the cops. If they had time to run home and get mommy and daddy all up in arms, and get in 4 cars and drive to his house, they had time to call the cops, Dennis.

They let emotions get them, and now they will go to jail too.

[Kathy in FL]

Sorry, but in this case, the man's criminal history is at fault. All the MSM is doing is creating doubt. But the man's own actions are what enabled this aspect of the story to come out.

If a man has a history of beating people up, and gets beaten by a crowd of people who know one of his victims, can you say that the man's history had nothing to do with the beating? Come ON!

It doesn't matter. If he was doing nothing wrong at the time he got beat on then the ones doing the beat down are the ones that are wrong. Just that simple.

You do not take the law into your own hands. Self defense while something is occurring is one thing. Vengeance is quite another. There is no law in this land that allows for vengeance to be above the law. If you are going to participate in vengeance then you accept the consequences of your actions.

Also, the man who was beaten up did it as an individual. Those that attacked him acted as a mob.

Justice isn't just for the perfect among us or there would be no justice.

[Altura Ct.]

All I know Dennis is that I don't trust the press as far as I can throw them on racial matters. Good luck to you.

Justice for Trayvon!

[Dennis Olson]

I don't give a DAMN about the press. I care about:

- What specifically did the man do with regard to the "yoots" in question?

- Does he have a history of violence and/or incitement?

- Does he have a history of active racism/taunting/epithets?

- How is he thought of overall in the neighborhood? (Regular guy, loner, crack-pot, dangerous?)

- Did he draw the knife and threaten the kids with it?

- Did the kids provoke him in some way?


You can bitch and rant about the MSM all you want, but regardless of that issue, the above questions need to be answered. And not by the damn MSM.

[NC Susan]

Samuel L. Jones

Mayor
Contact:


Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1827
Mobile, AL 36633-1827
Office: (251) 208-7395
Fax: (251) 208-7548

Email Mayor Jones

."......Tuesday came and went with no arrests made in the beating of Mathew Owens, despite the national spotlight coming down on the case. Mobile Police are preparing to serve warrants, and at least one suspect is expected to be arrested with more to follow. Both police and Mayor Sam Jones came out and stated publicly that they did not believe the attack was a hate crime. They also downplayed any connection to the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, despite one of the assailants apparently mentioning justice for the slain teenager...Calling the attack a hate crime is a bit far fetched given the new light shed on the case. It appears more to be a crime of passion committed by a group of parents and relatives protecting their kids. To call the assault a hate crime, you have to believe that the attack was motivated by Owens’ race..." snipped from http://www.northmobilepost.com/tag/m...iminal-record/

[NC Susan]

did the basket ball players violate the curfew??
the beat down happened after 8:30 Saturday night.....
and little children do NOT play basket ball. Teens and PreTeens do........

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

http://www.cityofmobile.org/curfew/

Note: Mobile's Juvenile Curfew Goes Into Effect: Nighttime, November 1 and Daytime, January 1, 2012



Dear Citizens:

Our citizens, especially the children, are among the city’s most valued assets. Therefore, it is extremely important that we do all we can to insure the safety and well-being of our entire populace. The city’s new Juvenile Curfew is not a tool to randomly arrest youngsters, but a process that will protect them. In addition, it will also make parents, guardians and adults more accountable for their children.

Like many cities throughout the country, Mobile has seen a surge in juvenile violence. We feel the Juvenile Curfew is a proactive measure that will address many of the issues we see that are hampering our children’s future and giving the city a tainted image.

We have received a tremendous amount of support and feedback from citizens who share my concern. Please know that we value your input and appreciate your efforts. Together, we can build a better future for our children and the city.


Sincerely,

Samuel L. Jones
Mayor



CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE ORDINANCE.

The curfew basically restricts juveniles under the age of 17 for the citywide curfew; and under 18 for the downtown curfew from gathering and roaming in public places and streets during the following times:

Curfew

Start

End

Effective

Citywide Weekday Night-time Curfew
(Sunday - Thursday nights)

11 p.m.

6 p.m.

November 1

Citywide Weekend Night-time Curfew
(Friday – Saturday nights)

12:01 a.m.

6 a.m.

November 1

Downtown Curfew
(CLICK HERE FOR MAP)

10 p.m.

5 a.m.

Now

Citywide Daytime Curfew
(Monday – Friday public school session)

9 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

January 1, 2012

The curfew ordinance includes a list of exemptions for which it would not restrict juveniles’ movement during certain sections of or the entire curfew ordinance.


How does the curfew work?
The Police WOULD NOT be involved in routinely gathering up of juveniles for the sake of enforcing the curfew ordinance. Instead the new law would give the Police “probable cause” for enforcement and the DISCRETION tool when encountering suspicious or dangerous behavior, either on patrol or when responding to a citizen’s complaint. Police would confront the juvenile due to suspicious, menacing or violent behavior. Those juveniles would be asked to give their age and purpose for being in a public place. If they are under 17 (or under 18 in downtown) and the purpose for being out is not exempt, the juvenile would be advised of the curfew and instructed to return home. If the juvenile complies, no action is taken. If the juvenile is stopped by Police with no defined purpose or parental authorization, the parent, guardian or authorized adult is called. The juvenile is then released to them with only a verbal warning. If non-compliance to the curfew persist and no adult is located, the juvenile is either taken to the Curfew Assessment Center at St. Anthony/Broad streets (CLICK HERE for map) (for no more than 3 hours) where several things could happen: the Alabama Department of Human Resources is requested; Enforcement of the ordinance against a parent, guardian or against an owner, operator or employee of a business by the issuance of Uniform Non-traffic Citation, enforceable in Mobile Municipal Court. Please note that juveniles who commit criminal acts will be transported by the Police to Strickland Youth Center.


Exemptions
• When accompanied by a parent, guardian or authorized adult;
• When accompanied by another adult authorized by parent or guardian for a specific purpose;
• When on an errand, approved by parent, guardian or authorized adult;
• To and from employment;
• In an emergency;
• Prom, sporting events, religion-related activities, school related events, all approved by parent, guardian or authorized adult;
• When on the property/sidewalk where the minor lives. Next door neighbor’s home if no complaints registered due to minor’s presence;


Penalties

A curfew violation would be a status violation punishable by a fine of a $100 for the first offense and up to $500 for the second offense (and all subsequent violations) within one year or by imprisonment of up to six months; or both fine and imprisonment. Please note that the parent, guardian or authorized adult are the ones liable for the fine and imprisonment.

An owner or operator of an establishment commits an offense if he or she knowingly allows a juvenile to remain on the premises of the establishment within curfew hours. Any owner or operator of an establishment not exempted under the curfew, after repeated verbal warnings, will be subject to a $100 fine for the first offense and up to $500 for the second (and subsequent) offenses.



Meet the FIT Members

The City of Mobile Family Intervention Team (FIT) will be in charge of the curfew center. They are responsible for processing the curfew violator and taking action against parents or businesses as specified above. FIT members include: (front row, left to right) Supervisor Sergeant Zandra Thornton-Jackson, Meosha Martin, Gloria Hill, Iris Smith, (back row, left to right) Patrick Kidd, Johnnie Franklin, Wilmer Sigler, and Donald Scott.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why penalize good children because of the actions of a few bad children?
The intent of the curfew ordinance is not to penalize juveniles, but to prevent unlawful behavior and to safeguard law-abiding juveniles. We know that the majority of juveniles in our community are responsible members of society. That is why the Mayor/City Council included a list of exemptions to the curfew ordinance. As designed, the ordinance will have minimum impact on juveniles who are not causing any trouble. The curfew ordinance purpose is to protect you and adults from becoming victims of crime, as well as, give the Police probable cause to prevent crimes committed by juveniles.


Will juveniles be allowed to work past curfew hours?

Of course. If your job requires you to work past curfew hours, you are exempt from the ordinance. However, please note that once your shift ends, you are expected to return directly home without making any stops along the way.


Will juveniles still be able to go to late-night movies?

Yes, as long as a parent, guardian or authorized adult are present or have given consent. The curfew ordinance exempts juveniles attending such activities as the Prom, sporting events, school and religion-related events, etc.


Will the curfew allow the Police to racially profile juveniles?

The Police would not be stopping juveniles based upon race. Their focus will solely be on juveniles who are in a particular situation that appears threatening, disruptive or criminal. Their response would be based on activity, not race.



FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

Can businesses provide goods and services to juveniles past the curfew?
Businesses should support the curfew by not allowing their establishment or property to become a gathering place for groups of juveniles who potentially could cause problems. There are some exemptions in the curfew ordinance that would allow juveniles on the premises. However, business owners not exempted from the curfew are obligated to reasonably uphold the curfew. A business owner could be held legally accountable for knowingly providing a location for an unruly group of juveniles to gather during curfew hours.


Can my business hire a juvenile when I know that their shift goes beyond the curfew?

Yes. Juveniles with jobs are exempt from the curfew. However, when shift ends, they are expected to go home.


For more information, Call the Curfew Assessment Center at (251) 208-6141.

If you have any other questions, send an email to buck@cityofmobile.org.

[NC Susan]

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/crim...-owens-assualt

video at link
(the basket ball goal has been moved onto a driveway and the 'kids' are snickering at the little guy who is telling tall tales to the news reporter)


Mayor addresses Matthew Owens assault

Updated: Tuesday, 24 Apr 2012, 10:53 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 24 Apr 2012, 10:21 PM CDT

Paige Malone

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Mobile Mayor Sam Jones is asking people to stop making assumptions in an assault case that left a man in serious condition.

Police said they are looking for a suspect, and the suspect told them he was going to turn himself in.

Police said it started Saturday with a game of basketball.

David Dinkus was playing with his friends when the game of hoops turned into something more.

"We were playing basketball. And the basketball had rolled down there, and he said, ‘God bless us.’ And we said, ‘God bless you, too.’ And then the ball rolled back in the other yard, and he said get your...out the yard," said Dinkus.

There are still questions about exactly what happened next.

What we do know is that police said a group confronted Owens shortly thereafter. They said Owens was beaten severely with bats, bricks and a paint can.

Immediately, rumors surfaced that the motivation behind the assault was racial.

Tuesday, Mayor Jones urged the public to be patient.

"Wait for the facts as far as we’re concerned right now. But, I would caution people to not jump to conclusions right now. This is really very divisive in communities throughout the country, and I don't think we have any reason to be divisive here because I don't see any evidence of that," said Jones.

Jones said he is shocked with the national attention this crime has gotten.

“It’s really been blown out of proportion, and I would just caution people not to be a part of threat,” said Jones.

Police said this is not the first time they have been called to the street for confrontations between Owens and his neighbors and the suspect who's supposed to surrender.

According to Metro Jail records, Owens has a lengthy arrest history.

He's been booked several times for charges ranging from assault, domestic violence, harassment and public intoxication.

[byronandkathy2003]

Tag Archives: Mathew Owens criminal record
New Developments in Mathew Owens Case
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tuesday came and went with no arrests made in the beating of Mathew Owens, despite the national spotlight coming down on the case. Mobile Police are preparing to serve warrants, and at least one suspect is expected to be arrested with more to follow. Both police and Mayor Sam Jones came out and stated publicly that they did not believe the attack was a hate crime. They also downplayed any connection to the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, despite one of the assailants apparently mentioning justice for the slain teenager.

Police are now releasing new information on what happened before Owens was attacked. According to WKRG News 5, Owens chased some of the neighborhood kids playing basketball out of his yard while wielding a pair of kitchen knives. Neighbors have reported problems with Owens in the past. It should be noted that Owens is white, and the children he chase out of his yard were black. The group of people accused of beating him were also black.

News 5 was able to dig up Owens’ criminal record, which is fairly extensive. Over the past 12 years he has been arrested many times for crimes ranging from sex abuse, assault, and domestic violence. He was hauled in just last March on a domestic violence charge.

Despite all of this new information, the actions taken by the mob of people is not justified. We live in a nation of laws and order. People can not take the law into their own hands. That is what our police officers are for. The assault committed upon Mathew Owens was a criminal act and must be prosecuted.

Calling the attack a hate crime is a bit far fetched given the new light shed on the case. It appears more to be a crime of passion committed by a group of parents and relatives protecting their kids. To call the assault a hate crime, you have to believe that the attack was motivated by Owens’ race. In this case, it appears the motivation was Owens’ chasing someone’s kid with a kitchen knife. I don’t think the color of his skin mattered at that point.

Join the Forum discussion on this post

http://www.northmobilepost.com/tag/m...iminal-record/

my question is who told the cops he had a knife????.
a black or white person as the story does not say who said that to the cops..

if Zimmerman is found not guilty there very well may be a white Vs ghetto rat war!!.
i am not saying he should be found guilty so the ghetto rats will be happy either.
but i feel that whether he is found guilty or not they will go on the war path anyway..
with the excuse of they found him guilty so all whites are guilty and if he is found not guilty they will do the same will the call be see we get no justice so lets get whitey ??..

[mzkitty]

An update from the same link as above:

MOBILE, Alabama --

Wednesday 11:40 a.m.

The Mobile County District Attorney's Office tells News 5 a warrant has been signed for one person involved in the beating of Matthew Owens.

Owens and the suspect have had an ongoing feud since 2009, according to the DA's Office. They're expected to surrender today.

We're checking to see how many people the DA plans to charge.

The controversial case is the talk of Mobile. Callers lit up the phone lines this morning at FM Talk 106.5. Sean Sullivan and Wayne Gardner say they've never had that many calls about a single topic before.

[mzkitty]

Someone posted this elsewhere too. It's just a snip, it's a long article :

OWENS WAS TROUBLE, OR TROUBLED: From Brendan Kirby of the Press-Register:

Records from Mobile County Metro Jail show that Owens has been arrested numerous times. [Cpl. Christopher Levy, a spokesman for the Police Department] detailed 3 violent confrontations he has been involved in since 2009.

In July of that year, Levy said, police took a report that someone hit Owens with a baseball bat. At that time witnesses told police that Owens yelled racial slurs and threats at a black man in the neighborhood. No one was charged in that incident, Levy said.
Parker said his brother-in-law was walking peacefully down the street at the time and that he was talking to himself but that assailant thought he was talking to him.

In an Oct. 29 incident, police said, a black man walking up the street asking for cigarettes eventually stopped at Owens’ home. An apparent disagreement ensued, and the man hit Owens in the face, police said.

Then on Dec. 16, Levy said, Owens was accused of fracturing the nose of a 53-yer-old white man after an argument.

FWIW, there are reportedly two witnesses to the "Justice for Trayvon" shouting - Owens' sister and a white neighbor.

ERRATA: Weapons included "brass buckles" not "brass kuckles".

http://blog.al.com/live/2012/04/tens...eating_of.html

[Dennis Olson]

What's a "brass kuckle"?

[LittleJohn]

What's a "brass kuckle"?

It's obviously a kuckle made of brass...

Sheesh...

You need to get out more, Dennis.





LittleJohn

[lgsracer]

Brass knuckles carried by Abraham Lincoln's bodyguards during his train ride through Baltimore.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_knuckles

[Kathy in FL]

I don't give a DAMN about the press. I care about:

- What specifically did the man do with regard to the "yoots" in question?

- Does he have a history of violence and/or incitement?

- Does he have a history of active racism/taunting/epithets?

- How is he thought of overall in the neighborhood? (Regular guy, loner, crack-pot, dangerous?)

- Did he draw the knife and threaten the kids with it?

- Did the kids provoke him in some way?


You can bitch and rant about the MSM all you want, but regardless of that issue, the above questions need to be answered. And not by the damn MSM.

Except that none of those things determine who the aggressor was in the particular incident where the guy was put into intensive care. Each incident is treated separately. Basically two wrongs don't make a right.

There is either moral high ground or there is not. No excuses. No rationalizations. No justifications.