Man was feeding homeless at midnight with pregnant wife, 3 & 7 year old

[Liberal_in_LA]

what that heck was he thinking? Best comment following article: "I applaud the Good Samaritan's efforts. But at 12:30 a.m. you should be home and in bed. Feel free to feed the poor all day long, but keep your kids home at night."


Oakland shooting badly wounds friend to homeless

A man known to the homeless people he helps as "Brother John" was shot and critically wounded early Wednesday as he and his family were serving a meal to an acquaintance on an East Oakland street.

Paris Powell, 29, had just handed William Holloway, a formerly homeless person he had befriended over the past year, a hot dinner of fish and chips from the family's van on the 1000 block of 47th Avenue when a vehicle drove past, stopped and then backed up.

Without saying a word, the driver fired five shots. Powell was hit in the head. His 3-year-old stepdaughter was shot in the arm, and a bullet grazed his wife's shoulder.

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

Powell was on life support late Wednesday at a hospital. His 35-year-old wife of three years - who is pregnant with Powell's child - suffered minor injuries, and the 3-year-old was released from a hospital after being treated for wounds that were described as non-life-threatening, relatives said.

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

Brother John routinely drives the streets of Oakland in the middle of the night to drop off hot meals to homeless people, knowing they might be hard to find during the day, Holloway said. Records show that Powell operates the Rise Above Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists the homeless and battered women and children.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/27/BAIM1KFPAD.DTL#ixzz1TPyodoUX

[ZombieHorde]

1. "But at 12:30 a.m. you should be home and in bed"

Why?

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. cuz you have a pregnant wife and 2 little kids

[ZombieHorde]

4. So? Why does that matter? My family stays up late sometimes.

No horror has befallen us.

[Dappleganger]

6. Staying up late and driving to a sketchy area of town are two different things.

[TheWraith]

8. Hell, drive to a sketchy part of town if you want.

But don't take your fucking three year old daughter! You may be old enough to know the risks, and your wife may be willing to accept them too, but there is sure as hell no way in which the kids should have been there.

[Cid_B]

55. Guy seems like a "Look at me" type...

He was a dumbass who put a hot pocket in front of the safety of his pregnant wife and two small children.

[Raine]

70. I got to agree. His first priority should be his own family

now his "good deeds" has put them in a precarious position where they will probably need help.

[Liberalynn]

63. +1

I applaud the good deeds but he should have left the wife and kids home.

[ZombieHorde]

9. I agree, but "driving to a sketchy area of town" was not the complaint in the OP.

The complaint was: "But at 12:30 a.m. you should be home and in bed. Feel free to feed the poor all day long, but keep your kids home at night."

That is very specific, and very different than "keep your kids away from the sketchy area of town." It is a completely different argument.

[Dappleganger]

13. For some people, the sketchy areas of town are everywhere at night.

For others, you have to drive a certain distance in order to get to that area of town. That needs to be taken into consideration. The place where dh and I go to during the day to help serve meals, there is no way I'd go there at night as a woman (even with a gun). Dh would be foolish to do so but he might choose to, depending on the situation--there are usually bullets flying that time of night in that area and no police presence until after the fact. All the good, law-abiding citizens in that area lock their windows and doors up at night and stay away from outside walls. During the day they all go out, life is not as bad. I have to drive to get to those sketchy areas, if I stay up late here (which we usually do, well past midnight) we are safe outside. Not so in many other areas of town. Does this make more sense?

[ZombieHorde]

20. Yes, that makes sense. I can understand violent people wanting to get together at night,

when there are less witnesses.

My town doesn't have any bad areas at any time of the day. So I never have to worry about that.

[Dappleganger]

22. You are very blessed...

there are many who have little choice as to where they live, unfortunately, so being in a violent-prone area with no police presence is a way of life or death. :(

[ZombieHorde]

26. I know. I love Missoula, Montana.

Very liberal, and relatively safe.

Not great for young, single people, but fantastic for families.

[Dappleganger]

40. It sounds wonderful, did you grow up there?

[ZombieHorde]

68. Moved here when I was eight. Then I moved to Portland, OR for a while

in my early twenties, and then I moved back when I had kids.

[11 Bravo]

60. Dude, at some point you need to clue her into the joke!

I thought that "Missoula, Montana" would have sufficed, but ...

[ZombieHorde]

69. Ha! But I really love Missoula. Peaceful and beautiful. nt

[japple]

72. I visited Missoula (and Helena) last summer. Beautiful country,

and a very nice university town with a hip culture and lots to do. Bob Dylan was coming to town that day. I'd be happy to raise a family there.

[Kurmudgeon]

19. I guess it's just become normal that people can be shot for no reason.

If they don't stop that in the areas that is happening at, how long before it spreads elsewhere.

[Dappleganger]

24. It is spreading elsewhere...

and the sheriff's office has made it clear that they have no intention of upping the police 'presence.' They only show up after the fact.

[hack89]

53. Actually, it is becoming rarer.

violent crime is at historic lows - you have to go back to 1960 to find lower rates of murder and other violent crimes. You have never been safer.


http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr

[Kurmudgeon]

73. That would be nice if it's true and not just statistics. However, I don't feel safer.

[hack89]

76. Facts are a good safeguard against irrational fears. nt

[pnwmom]

43. Homeless people are usually in the sketchy areas of town.

But I don't understand why they can't be found earlier in the evening.

[Evasporque]

14. so demonize the victim not the drive by shooter...wtf...

The homeless probably easier to find at night....and what business is it of yours if he took his family with him...kids can sleep in vans...

[MattBaggins]

51. Girls who dress like sluts are the ones at fault.....

sounds familiar

[Cid_B]

71. If I walk through the bad part of town with a big wad of cash in my hand...

... and then I get mugged, I am still the victim and also a dumbass. Just like the guy from the story...

[demwing]

77. "Just like the guy from the story"?? Are you shitting me?

What did he do that was wrong? What if his job were Night Security Guard in that neighborhood. Would any of the complainers have a damn thing to say?

But GOD FORBID people live outside of the boxes that we design for them, god forbid we feed the poor rather than work a 9-5 job.

God, or SOMEONE OR SOMETHING save this me-first fucking country.

[Cid_B]

82. He wants to go feed the homeless that is fine...

... but he knowingly endangered his pregnant wife and children to do it. That is the dumbass part of the equation.

Women and children first... always...

[uppityperson]

18. Do "pregnant wife" turn into a pumpkin at midnight? The kids into horse for the pumpkin carriage?

I don't understand why people think others should be home at a certain time. Anyone with a pregnant wife should be home by some time? Anyone with 2 little kids should be home at some time? Huh.

[woo me with science]

47. You know, we might need a law about this.

Eventually.

[Warpy]

2. He was probably thinking he needed his wife's help

and that paying a baby sitter would have cut down on the amount of food he could afford to serve hungry people.

I think it's likely the kids were sacked out somewhere in the truck most nights while their parents worked.

This is a sickening tragedy all the way around. I hope they find the shooter and get him off the street forever.

[Dappleganger]

5. While it's understandable the time of night he was there...

IMO it wasn't wise to take a pregnant wife and little girl with him on that mission of mercy at 12:30 in the morning. That part makes no sense to me.

[madmom]

39. Maybe he thought they were safer with him than home alone, some men

are like that, not to disparage men, but some think they, alone, can keep their family safe.

[BNJMN]

42. Some women think that too, sometimes for good reason.

Not every woman can 'take care of herself' and (even if they can) are still *seen* as easy targets by predators. This is how my own wife thinks despite my urgings. 'Urgings'? Thats a word, right?

[pnwmom]

50. Then he should have stayed home with them and done his

charitable works before his daughters' bedtimes.

[BNJMN]

54. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Probably, he learned this lesson better than anyone here can imagine.

Or lecture him at this point.
:D

[pnwmom]

57. This was a terrible tragedy. But it could have been even worse,

since the three year old was also shot.

[tsuki]

52. You know, that is what they used to say to my grandfather when

he had grandmother dress the older children and take them to the black church to celebrate weddings, christenings and funerals. Mr. John, you shouldn't oughta do that, you're gonna get shot someday. Luckily, he did not get shot, but all my aunts and uncles remembered it.

[ret5hd]

7. I bet he was asking for it by the way he was dressed!

(just paraphrasing some of the other comments here)

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gratuitous]

11. Damn straight

And the DIYD-DIYD Brigade will explain in great detail how meeting people's needs where and when they can be reached is certainly deserving of getting shot, so it's his own goddam fault and fuck him.

Then, having successfully dispatched with this matter, the DIYD-DIYD Brigade will retire to the comfort of their homes, still untroubled by so much dearth in their land of plenty.

[Brickbat]

12. Note to self: Don't ever, EVER get caught bringing kids to something after 8:30 p.m., 7 on a school

night, that might be educational, interesting, life-changing, or the tiniest bit dangerous, because the world is full of Judgy McJudgerpantses.

Oh, and pregnant women apparently can't decide a damn thing for themselves. Jayzus H.

[uppityperson]

15. +10000

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. This. n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

38. Very life changing - he's on life support. Little girl has bullet wound

[Brickbat]

41. Devastating.

And shit happens at all hours of the day and night.

[sudopod]

66. The important thing is that you've found a way to feel superior. nt

[fishwax]

16. very sad n/t

[Shagbark Hickory]

17. Ammendment #2 strikes again. nm

[slackmaster]

21. This is gobbledygook

Nothing in the Constitution or Bill of Rights protects a "right" to commit violent crimes.

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. Quit calling me that. It's offensive.

[slackmaster]

28. Calling you what?

I don't believe I have written anything about you at all, ever.

Would you prefer having me refer to your ridiculous posts as bafflegab, or gibberish?

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. I'm not going to repeat it. It's an offensive slur.

[slackmaster]

30. What on Earth are you blathering about?

:crazy:

[Shagbark Hickory]

32. Nice edit.

[slackmaster]

33. All I did was remove an imporperly placed hyphen, after checking my spelling.

What is your problem?

[Shagbark Hickory]

34. Your use of a disparaging term was my problem.

[slackmaster]

35. I never used a disparaging term for anyone, and I specifically said nothing about YOU

You may be hallucinating.

[Shagbark Hickory]

36. Nope. not hallucinating. You edited it. Problem solved.

[slackmaster]

37. The forum rules specifically allow the attacking of ideas and not people

That's all I did.

BTW there is only one "m" in the word "amendment," and it's too late for you to fix it now.

[Xithras]

27. Might have been a drug dealer.

The drug market in Oakland is very violent, and gang-banging drug dealers regularly take shots at each other if they think someone is moving in on their "turf".

The shooter saw one person pull a small package from a van in a bad part of town in the middle of the night and hand it to another person. The shooter assumed it was a drug deal, and that the guy with the van was a competing dealer, and opened fire.

Crap like this is why my wifes family moved out of Oakland. A lot of the gang members have a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude, and they don't really care if they gun down a few innocents in the process.

[pnwmom]

49. The same thing occurred to me. n/t

[LanternWaste]

31. My guess is he believes that charity and hunger are not dependent

"what that heck was he thinking?..."

My guess is he believes that hunger is not dependent on what time of day it is. That quite often, good deeds may be answered with little more than ugly violence-- regardless of whether it's day or night; that charity towards the least of us may come at an unwarranted price, yet charity is not a cost/benefit calculation but rather a strong desire in many people.

But that's just a guess... :shrug:

[tsuki]

46. +10,000

[pnwmom]

48. What was he thinking by bringing his three year old with him?

I think that was the only question here. She could be dead, too. And she should have been safe in bed at home.

[Liberal_in_LA]

44. Update - he died today

Oakland man who delivered meals to the homeless and downtrodden on the streets has died after being shot while checking on a friend, authorities said today.

Paris Powell, 29, was removed from life support at about 11 p.m. Wednesday at Highland Hospital in Oakland.

Powell was shot in the head at about 12:30 a.m. after handing William Holloway a hot dinner of fish and chips from his family's van on the 1000 block of 47th Avenue. Bullets struck Powell's 3-year-old stepdaughter in the arm and grazed his wife's shoulder. Powell's 7-year-old stepdaughter was also in the van but was not hurt.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/28/BANJ1KGA0C.DTL#ixzz1TQdWVOfB

[Blue_Tires]

56. Very tragic...

It seems like the world has a history of punishing people who try to do the right thing...

And to answer the 12:30 question: Chances are if you're in a place where you could be shot at midnight, then you could be shot at pretty much any hour.

[pnwmom]

58. But the likelihood is much higher in the middle of the night. n/t

[pnwmom]

45. Since both girls are probably step-daughters

(the younger was identified as one), if there's another father he would have an argument for custody -- if bringing the girls along was a common occurrence. The children should have been at home in bed, not dragged along on their step-father's late night mission, no matter how well intended.

On edit: I just saw that the step-father died. I hope they find the shooter. What a tragedy.

[Liberal_in_LA]

64. +10

[Lyric]

59. How about instead of asking what the guy with the kids was thinking, we ask

what the guy with the gun was thinking.

Blaming the victim is never a great conversation strategy.

[pnwmom]

65. The three year old got shot, too. She could have died,

but she shouldn't have been there in the first place.

[Starry Messenger]

61. Wow. Over 50 comments and no one thinks to wonder why East Oakland is so fucked up.

Interesting. I guess it is just considered inevitable...

[Gormy Cuss]

62. +1

[jtuck004]

67. Should he have told anyone on the street to take their kids home?

They are out there, so well hidden in some cases that people must bring them to you.

This good man did nothing, not a thing, wrong. Why it happened is more important than what time.

From the story

"Brother John routinely drives the streets of Oakland in the middle of the night to drop off hot meals to homeless people, knowing they might be hard to find during the day, Holloway said. Records show that Powell operates the Rise Above Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists the homeless and battered women and children."

So very likely this was just one of many, some of whom included women and children and he took his kids rather than separate them from these neighbors of his.

Maybe if we didn't send our money to thieving, greedy investment banks and insurance companies, and instead created jobs so there would at least be safe places for families to go, and told our police to arrest, 24 x 7 the people that are most likely to hurt someone instead of those with a joint, good people like this wouldn't have to be out doing what our freakin' cities are failing to do.

[alp227]

74. Holloway recently got a job n/t

[jtuck004]

75. Maybe that last little bit of effort from Mr. Powell helped.

I hope he rests in peace, and that Mr. Holloway does better.

thank you for that.

[marzipanni]

78. Sometimes being at home is really not much safer

As Dappleganger said in reply #13, people in these areas learn to lock windows and doors, and stay away from outside walls.

On news reports I've heard of far more children being hit in houses, by stray bullets coming through windows, than on the street. Perhaps even thugs don't usually shoot toward children, if they can see them.

A recent example-
SAN FRANCISCO -- An 11-year-old girl who was nearly killed by a stray bullet during a sleepover in the Western Addition was improving Sunday, as San Francisco police investigated a spurt of gun violence across the city that wounded four others.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-07-25/bay-area/29811589_1_stray-bullet-san-francisco-police-shooting

[BeliQueen]

79. A lot of the responses here soud like "blame the victim"

Here's a tip--if you have the urge to shoot up a van with a family in it no matter what time it is, resist it. Just stay home and keep your neighborhood safe.

[Mz Pip]

80. Blame the victim

Sure sounds like it. People get shot and they should have known better not to go out after dark. A woman gets raped but she was out in a mini skirt (and after dark.)

We should not be forced to be afraid to leave our homes just because it's late.

[txwhitedove]

81. Stupidity is timeless, infinite, and some people just can't stand goodness in the world.

So sad to lose anyone who tries to do good in this world. My son has started a non-profit organization and is in Peru now checking out charities. I worry that someone will think it means HE has money, which he doesn't, just a big heart.

www.goodwillglobetrotting.org