Students Catch Cyclist Assault On Tape - Canada

[narra]

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_10783.aspx

 

Students Accidentally Catch Cyclist Assault On Tape

Tuesday May 8, 2007

 

 

A group of students on a field trip in Toronto investigating the pros and cons of public surveillance cameras ended up catching a slice of big city street hostility on their own cameras Tuesday.

The Grade 12 students caught a road rage incident between a

driver and a cyclist on tape, and could play a key rule in the meting

out of justice after turning their evidence over to police.

The kids' mini-cam was pointed at the scene near Queen and Bay

when the driver on four wheels got into a dispute with a cyclist on

two. As the students watched in disbelief, they saw the motorist get

out of his still idling car, approach the cyclist and punch him boldly

in the face. He pushed the stunned bike owner onto the sidewalk where

the assault appeared to continue for several more moments.

Apparently the driver was enraged that the cyclist,

who lost a tooth in the attack, had stopped at a yellow light and

blocked him from going through.

"I'm going to pray for that guy, you know, because

why he did it, I don't know. Maybe he's sick. Maybe he needs help,"

bike rider Andre Sokol said after he was assaulted.

Allison Mann, the media teacher at Ursula Franklin Academy,

was with her charges when the incident took place. "We're on a field

trip with about 40 students and looking at public and private space in Toronto. It's ironic this happened this morning because each group had a video camera."

"Surveillance is a hot-button issue in the media, so

one of the things we're looking at is the usefulness of cameras. So

it's interesting that they caught this on tape," she adds.

Mann, who gets rave reviews from her pupils on "Rate My Teacher.com",

claims she's proud her students kept rolling and capturing clear images

of the incident. A copy of that tape is now in the possession of Toronto Police. It will eventually be used as evidence in court.

"Initially when the cop came over, he didn't look

like he would have believed him," said Gabriele, one of the students on

the trip.  "With video footage, you can't deny it any more. It's right in front of your face."

 

To see unedited video of the incident, click here.

 

[gianni]

why does everyone resort to praying for these people ?

will they magically become more sensitive and punch someone a little softer ??

 

just lock him up...preferably with a guy called Baba or even better take his licence away and force him to cycle to work and back for 5 months, preferably in peak traffic.

[BIG MAMMA]

Gianni lock him up with big mamma i will drive him nuts.

[AndreZA]

force him to cycle to work and back for 5 months' date=' preferably in peak traffic.

[/quote']

 

I cycle to work in peak traffic and don't see it as punishment. He must rather clean porta-potties at a cycling event.

 

 

 

 

[gianni]

force him to cycle to work and back for 5 months' date=' preferably in peak traffic.

[/quote']

 

I cycle to work in peak traffic and don't see it as punishment. He must rather clean porta-potties at a cycling event.

 

  

 

he'd probably hate cyclists even more then  

 

hmmmm will have to think about this one....maybe we can e-mail the coppers in Canada once we get a good one.

[Sporza]

Die ****!

[Mudsimus]

They should do something to that camera man! Couldnt he just cross the road and take some decent footage. Damn those cars that interupt the view are irratating!

[phoenix]

Hy kan bly wees dit was nie 'n taxi drywer van SA nie, dan was hy plat gery!!

[shaunh]

Just goes to show, we are not unique here in SA.