Man arrested in slashing of Obama campaigner

[Book Lover]

Source: SFGate

A man was arrested Thursday after he verbally abused and then allegedly slashed the face of a Barack Obama campaigner in downtown San Francisco, police said.

The 6 p.m. attack on the unidentified 35-year-old male campaign activist occurred as he was working at Fifth and Market streets, police said. The campaigner had a permit, and officers nearby witnessed what happened next.

According to police, the unidentified suspect approached and began to shout slurs and insults at the campaigner, who listened, thanked the man for his views and asked him to leave.

The angry man complied, but quickly returned and pulled out a knife and slashed the victim in the face. The two officers who witnessed the attack responded, one arresting the suspect and the other driving the victim to the hospital. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/29/BAJO12KNGU.DTL

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No more to the article, but I expect lots of fun comments at the Gate...

[SpookyCat]

1. ...

Don't know how to title this without profanity. I'm signing up for Camp O right now.

If this can happen in my little City, imagine how bad this could get elsewhere.

148 comments on SF Gate...I'm not sure I want to check those...

[Dogtown]

2. Wondering

The article fails to identify the slurs/insults: was this a mental defective or a RWer?

I don't like it when the mob dashes in to proclaim the perp as a Hate-Radio Devotee, without any hard evidence. Makes us sound as if we WANT to be attacked; sort of an odd, political "munchausen-by-proxy". I certainly suspect it in many cases, but we really shouldn't shout, "WOLF!".

I'll watch the thread for updates.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. 5th and Market...

is smack dab in the middle of an area with many, many unmedicated and/or homeless people.

I read this story this morning and will be the first to encourage folks to not jump to the conclusion this was politically motived.

[Dogtown]

11. thanks for the back-up!

The turning-back-to-attack aspect is troubling. Not the sort of thing I'd expect from a political hitter. More like a person unable to resist an impulse.


Hope we get more information.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Back in the day....

I used to do filings at the 9th Circuit Court on 6th & Mission (one block away) and I'll be honest, it scared the crap out of me to make that walk to the court. As a small woman, I felt very vulnerable. There were just so many people who were not in full control of themselves -- be it mental illness or drugs/booze -- hanging around there. :scared:

I'm just glad the Obama worker will be OK and the person who commited the crime is in custody and can get the help they obviously need.

[Dogtown]

13. That's a tough beat.

Good on you, but I'm glad that's over for you.

[EFerrari]

17. I used to work on Turk, some blocks away from the Fed Building.

It was scary. We had one guy that came and slept in front of the office every day at noon that we called our boyfriend. because he was obviously out of his mind and really frightening.

Oh, geeze. I'm glad that person is in custody. :(

[SpookyCat]

4. It is a pretty bad area, to be sure.

So it could have been random whack-o. I just think we're all on edge.

Oh, btw...political "munchausen-by-proxy"? That's beautiful!

[Dogtown]

5. Thanks, SpookyCat

Love your nick.

:hi:

[northernlights]

7. um....is there a difference?

between "a mental defective or a RWer?"

To be honest, this is why I'm afraid to put Obama/Biden signs in my yard or stickers on my bumper.

My whole life I dreamed of having my own home. Now I do, but I am surrounded by rw KK nutcases and I honestly fear to acknowledge my political beliefs. I simply avoid my neighbors as best I can -- literally slipping out the back door when they get too obnoxious.

It's not my personal safety. I've already had my property trashed And that was only for being a "transplant masshole." Heaven forbid the neighbors should learn that I believe in science and ownership of my body.

On the other hand, I was poisoned by my employer, had early morning hangup calls and my *horses* attacked -- first a sweet baby slapped in the eyes, and then the elderly gelding that came over to reassure her. That was for being, in their words, "a liberal baby-killer."

It has been truly terrifying for single women for the past 8 years, even in "liberal" Massachusetts (and now in Maine).

[Dogtown]

9. I cetainly believe that violence against democrats

is real.

I just don't want this to turn into a witch-hunt until we know if this was some guy with sterno DTs, a Xanax withdrawal, or a bonafide RW asshole.

I suspect some of the intruders fan the flames of those stories to make us look all aglitter.



Sympathy for your personal troubles. I have some "Sons of Confederate Veterans" stalking me, as well. Non-violent because they're cowards and I'm not helpless, but I fully understand your concern.

[bertman]

15. Damn!! northernlights, that's some scary shit!! Please elaborate on "poisoned by my employer".

Can't the local law enforcement help you at all. If not, how about the Maine Sec of State?

Pardon my thickness, but why do you have asterisks around "horses"? Is this literally true that they were abusing your horses?

I'm sorry you're being subjected to such atrocious behavior.

Are these fundamentalist-types or just ignorant red-neck Mainers? Do you live in a town or village or are you out "in the country"? No specifics, please. I'm just curious as to how these types of terrorist-style acts could be happening.

[BreweryYardRat]

22. Would you care to elaborate on these problems with your neighbors?

If it's not too painful to recall, of course.

I might be able to give some suggestions.

[Liberal Dose]

8. "was this a mental defective or a RWer?"

There's a difference? Could. Not. Resist.

[Dogtown]

10. hee-hee

:hi:

[Doug.Goodall]

20. Given the set of all mentally defective humans

Out of all humans who are mentally defective, not all of them are Right Wingers.

However, the probability of a Right Winger being a member of the set of mentally defectives approaches 1.

[davidinalameda]

6. I'm willing to bet that this was some homeless guy

or maybe a drug dealer

I stay out of this area as much as possible

[diane in sf]

14. Could've been a maddened right wing Nordstrom shopper.

[EFerrari]

18. The report was a knife, not a fingernail. n/t

[FreakinDJ]

16. Glad to see "Hate Radio" is working so well

[slampoet]

19. In other words the Cops sat there and watched it happen.

Friggin great.

[Pamela Troy]

21. No, the cops responded, that is, they intervened before it could get worse.

Sheesh. I'm no apologist for police brutality but really, why do people have to look for police misconduct where plainly there was none?

[fascisthunter]

23. More Right Wingers Having More Mental Break Downs

right wingers are a very unstable crowd.....