Why citizens in Mount Clemens, Michigan might exercise RKBA for self-defense -- gang violence.

[jody]

Mob of young men attacks

Police suspect a mob of 20 to 30 young men who brutally attacked a motorist in Mount Clemens on Saturday may also be responsible for at least two other violent crimes that took place the same night.

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The trouble began late Saturday and into early Sunday starting on North River Road near the Macomb Daily building when more than two dozen men wearing ball caps and baggy shorts blocked traffic in the street as they spread out in the street.

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"We had a rash of similar incidents all within about an hour's time frame," Hackel said. "There is a carnival going on at Gibraltar Trade Center which is where we believe the this group had been congregating before the trouble broke out."

Mob, carnival attacks may be linked

Police are investigating whether a violent group of young men wanted for a series of brutal beatings and robberies in Mount Clemens first assaulted three people attending a nearby carnival.

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The assaults occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, less than an hour before a mob of between 20 and 30 young men and teenagers hurled rocks and motorists on North River Road, just west of the entrance to Gibraltar. Two men were attacked - one suffered a skull fracture - when they got out of the vehicle they were riding in after a brick was hurled through a window.

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Koester said he was told one person was punched and that a group of approximately 30 people between the ages of 14 and 25 fled to the woods to the north of the trade center to elude security personnel and police. He said that other than the occasional fistfight, "we have never had an incident occur like this in the past."

[Hugabear]

1. I don't think that more guns is the answer in this case

Gangs like this thrive on violence. Citizens arming themselves and taking matters into their own hands seems like it might be more likely to escalate the violence. Instead of throwing rocks and injuring a few people, we could be talking about gangs shooting at vehicles and several dead victims.

No, the answer to this is better police work. Get competent people on the force, increase patrols in problem areas, and increased anti-gang programs. But it has to be done intelligently, not in a manner that will simply create more gang-bangers.

[Tejas]

2. With all due respect......

Gangs like this thrive on violence. Citizens arming themselves and taking matters into their own hands seems like it might be more likely to escalate the violence.


.......waiting on more LEOs to be hired and programs to be instituted is admirable, BUT it is a long-term goal. Any suggestions for the immediate future, as in the next 24hrs of those citizen's lives?


No, the answer to this is better police work. Get competent people on the force, increase patrols in problem areas, and increased anti-gang programs. But it has to be done intelligently, not in a manner that will simply create more gang-bangers.

Better police work

such as.....?

will simply create more gangbangers?

Huh?

[azureblue]

3. And your suggestions will

take how long to implement? And your suggestions are pretty vague in execution. All well and good, but nebulous, unfunded and too long term. How about something that will work that can be engaged in the next 24 hours to stop this gang? As much as some try to avoid violence, this sort of situation requires immediate aggresssion to stop, much like a tyrant invading a country.

[jody]

4. Mt. Clements has a population of 17,000. How can they implement your solution with their budget? n/t

[Irreverend IX]

5. Gangs like this thrive on violence...

When the violence takes the form of 20 on 1 beatdowns. If those thugs thought there was a chance that they could be maimed or killed in the course of attacking people they would be a lot less bold. And it's very unlikely that they would start packing guns because they know that if they started shooting people in public there would be a much harsher response from the authorities. They get their kicks from the fact that they can bully people without consequences, and if the possibility of lethal consequences is introduced they'll back down.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Hard to get the mushroom cloud back inside the steel casing.

When their disregard for the law has progressed to this point, armed individuals will not solve the larger social issue. It can perhaps protect individuals, and that is good, but it will not disarm these kids, or punish them for their crimes, nor will it rehabilitate them back into society afterwards.

More armed individuals, refusing to be victims prior to this point may have helped. Too late now.

[maxidivine]

7. It isn't "taking matters into their own hands"

to equip yourself to survive an attack by a group of people. Sorry dude but say the guy who had his skull fractured had been armed and had shot back, most likely the bulk of the group, if not the entire group, would have dissipated in a lively fashion. It wouldn't turn into a gang war of people roaming up and down residential streets shooting willy-nilly, because this wasn't a "gang" problem, it was a "mob" problem. The people involved may very well have been gang members, but that doesn't mean they were involved in gang activities at the time. Gang problems tend to revolve around making money, and this was a bunch of yahoos who were looking to hurt people. Not a lot of money involved in hurting people for the hell of it.

I for one do not view every life as equally valuable, your life is your own responsibility, it is what you make it, and if you want to make it a threat to someone else's life then who is to blame if they rapidly respond with overwhelming force? Is it the motorists fault that he was attacked? no. Is it the motorist responsibility to make sure all those violent assholes made it home safe that night? no. It is the motorists responsibility to make it home safely, and he would have been well within his rights to fire on those people who have now changed his entire life.

[Longtooth]

8. Good reason to get rid of the 86 assault weapon ban.

My M2 sure would come in handy there.

[east texas lib]

9. Sometimes these things get worked out on their own, one way or another...

Eventually the merry little mob of beat-downers will choose the wrong victim and the herd will be
thinned down, so to speak. Ya' pays yer money an' ya' takes yer chances.