July 3, 2007
SFist Blotter
Authorities are worried that the violent weekend is a harbinger for a bad July 4th. With 12 people dead (two more people were shot after the articles about 10 people killed went up), and half of those killings in Oakland, the Oakland PD is going to be upping patrols this Wednesday.
Yikes. A Golden Gate Transit bus driver is on trial for allegedly deliberately hitting a bicyclist after becoming enraged that the bicyclist had rapped on the side of the bus for getting too close to him. In trying to force the biker off the road, the bus driver ended up hitting him and causing arm and leg injuries. The Marin County DA pressed charges. The bus driver took the stand yesterday and said while he was angry about the biker rapping on the side of the bus, he didn't actually mean to hit him.
And if you were going to paddle on out to McCovey Code see if you can catch a splash hit at the All Star Game, you'll have to do it on a rubber raft: the Giants are banning all motorized boats and non-motorized boats over 20 feet long from the area from July 7-10 for security. Members of the press, however, can rent out one of those Bay Quacker boats and watch the game from there.
Picture of kayakers in McCovey Cove trying to catch Barry Bonds' 714 in May 2006 off flickr, by revolute.
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But your honor, he really pissed me off. I didn't mean to splat his brains out all over the street with my bus.
I was just trying to scare him, when the wheels just kinda kept going over his head, over and over again ...
I was wondering how they were going to try to prevent bombings from the cove. Closing 3rd and King by the ballpark were obvious choices. Let's pray for a safe Wild In The Streets/4th of July/All-Star Week in San Francisco!
That "half the murders in Oakland" thing seems to be wrong...possibly an error, combined with the assumption that just because it's OAKLAND it HAS to be the worst (also, Cbs5 are the only guys claiming the "half" thing).
According to other articles, 4 people were killed in SF and Oakland (with what looks like a 5th for Oakland, shot in the head, maybe he's dead now). Richmond and North Richmond each had 1. And Hayward had 1.
So that's 11 total. Maybe 12. And either way, Oakland doesn't have half the total number under it's belt anyways.
Maybe they got confused seeing the old number (10), and seeing the NEW homicide total for Oakland (5), without taking into account the fact that more people were killed later this weekend too. Whatever...
It's not like it really matters, it just irks me that when ever violence is an issue, Oakland is made the poster boy, when there's PLENTY of violence elsewhere in the Bay Area.
Also, I've always wondered what the was up with those "Bay Quakers" busses/boats...where the hell did that name come from?