Missouri man arrested after machete attack in downtown Lawrence / LJWorld.com

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October 27, 2005

Lawrence police have arrested an Independence, Mo., man accused of attacking a transient with a machete as the victim was sleeping late Wednesday night in downtown Lawrence.

Police spokesman Sgt. Dan Ward said the transient was sleeping under a blanket near 10th and Massachusetts streets about 11 p.m. Wednesday, when the 40-year-old suspect approached him and began hitting him with a machete.

Ward said the 42-year-old victim's blanket and multiple layers of clothing prevented him from suffering any injuries.

Witnesses saw the suspect get into a vehicle and leave the scene. Police officers stopped a car nearby and arrested the suspect on aggravated battery and disorderly conduct charges. Police recovered a machete believed to be used in the attack.

Ward said the suspect and the victim knew each other but would not elaborate on their relationship.

"The victim said that the two of them have had problems in the past," Ward said.

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Discussion

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27 October 2005
at 12:27 p.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

I don't even blink an eye when I read this type of stuff anymore.
27 October 2005
at 12:34 p.m.

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princess (Anonymous) says…

Woah.
27 October 2005
at 12:39 p.m.

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blue73harley (Anonymous) says…

Missouri Ruffian?
27 October 2005
at 12:59 p.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

Probably one of Quantrill's decendents.
27 October 2005
at 1 p.m.

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bluedog (Anonymous) says…

The_Original_Bob — hehe…I was thinking the same thing.
27 October 2005
at 1:04 p.m.

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BJ (Anonymous) says…

What are we paying money to the shelters for if they decide to sleep on the street anyway?
27 October 2005
at 1:13 p.m.

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glockenspiel (Anonymous) says…

A homeless guy gets wacked with a machete and everyone thinks its funny or complains about the homeless guy sleeping on the streets?

Have at least a little pity…

27 October 2005
at 1:30 p.m.

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captain_poindexter (Anonymous) says…

I didn't think the missouri game was until saturday.
the incident is incredible. should be charged with attempted murder. a machete!? jesus.

quantrill's ghost.
27 October 2005
at 1:38 p.m.

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hottruckinmama (Anonymous) says…

holy cow!
27 October 2005
at 1:40 p.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

I think it's hilarious. The bum didn't get hurt. The assailant got arrested. I'm going to go out on a limb and hazard a guess that a fair amount of alcohol was involved in this.
27 October 2005
at 1:41 p.m.

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OldEnuf2BYurDad (Anonymous) says…

I don't think he was trying to give him a haircut or make a salad out of his blanket. Yes, that would be attempted murder.

And, there should also be an additional charge of 2nd degree incompetence. He snuck up on a sleeping man with a machete, whacked away with all he had, but never even cut the guy. A guy who tries to kill a man in his sleep is a loser. A man who fails to kill a man who is sleeping (even though he's armed with a jungle-clearing blade), is far worse than what we normally think of when we think “LOSER”. That guy is a danger to society on many levels.
27 October 2005
at 1:49 p.m.

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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…

I see that guy or guys like him virtually every Friday and Saturday in Beautiful Downtown Lawrence. If the City doesn't come up with a better solution than “homeless licenses” I expect the problem will get worse.

BTW, does the City provide homeless shelters? I thought all the shelters were run by charitable organizations like the Salvation Army and various denominations of christian churches.
27 October 2005
at 2:15 p.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

OldEnough… - I believe this would warrant a 1st Degree Incompetence Charge.
27 October 2005
at 2:23 p.m.

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Confrontation (Anonymous) says…

Maybe the sleeping man was wearing a Muck Fizzou shirt, and the other guy just got ticked off.
27 October 2005
at 2:25 p.m.

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blue73harley (Anonymous) says…

Ban machetes.

27 October 2005
at 2:27 p.m.

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blue73harley (Anonymous) says…

Or at least supply free buckets for severed limbs.
27 October 2005
at 2:39 p.m.

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born1980 (Anonymous) says…

Mom was right, always wear lots of layers.
27 October 2005
at 2:43 p.m.

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kujeeper (Anonymous) says…

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
27 October 2005
at 2:52 p.m.

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Carmenilla (Anonymous) says…

“vigilante justice”?

Holy imbeciles, Batman!
27 October 2005
at 3:30 p.m.

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Bubarubu (Anonymous) says…

Hey good idea, let's kill people for being poor, that will solve all of our problems!
27 October 2005
at 3:31 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

The “victim” in this is extremely well-known to lpd and has a long history. not just alcohol…

KUJEEPer is right, our downtown suffers because the bums and bumettes are all over! they make downtown much less safe.

tenth and mass, hmmm, you suppose Louie [the vic] was just trying to get a game of chess?

does somebody need to offer the guy from MO sharpening services/knife-weilding lessons?
27 October 2005
at 3:33 p.m.

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captain_poindexter (Anonymous) says…

yeah, he definitely had a muck fizzou t-shirt on….

oh wait, if we was really from missouri, he wouldn't be able to read, so that's not it.
27 October 2005
at 3:34 p.m.

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born1980 (Anonymous) says…

Since the city commission likes to pretend it is so progressive, they should devise a rotating calender so the various bums can shack at their houses.

27 October 2005
at 3:48 p.m.

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tropregular (Anonymous) says…

New tradition for the MU/KU game this weekend .. bum bashing….Next year we send some Kansas bums and hope they don't make it back…
27 October 2005
at 4:03 p.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

Bearded…. Is Louie one of those bums because that's all he can aspire to or is it by choice (ie Lazy)? I sympathize with someone down on their luck but not deadbeat alcoholic drug addicted machete cusions.
27 October 2005
at 4:10 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

criminal, bad choices, lazy…check all of the above. he has a nice family (I know them in my neighborhood).

not deserving of death penalty etc., but I bet there's a lot more to this story…
27 October 2005
at 4:13 p.m.

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cutny (Anonymous) says…

born 1980….that's a genius idea, surely coming from a genius himself. Are you sure you weren't born yesterday?
27 October 2005
at 4:16 p.m.

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Crispian (Crispian Paul) says…

I agree it is crazy to refer to this attack as “vigilante justice”…since when was being homeless illegal and something which requires “justice”. If there is to be any justice in this world, perhaps we should review the reasons people are or become homeless. Sure there are those who “choose” to be homeless, but we know this is the exception, not the rule. And no, the city does NOT provide homeless shelters. The only shelter in Lawrence currently is the Salvation Army Shelter and there are problems within this shelter. For example, they are able to turn anyone away whom has been using alcohol or drugs. Sure, this is good, you might think. Realistically, though, that precludes a lot of homeless individuals from using the Shelter. The Shelter is not open trhoughout the year, to my knowledge. They have limited space, so on and so on. This is why there is a push within the city's social service workers and others to provide an “open” shelter for year round assistance, despite drug or alcohol use.
27 October 2005
at 4:20 p.m.

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Crispian (Crispian Paul) says…

And, Oh, yea, the Lawrence homeless sure are a danger…..Right.
Personally, I am more scared of date raping college boys in this town than the homeless people here.
27 October 2005
at 4:22 p.m.

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Crispian (Crispian Paul) says…

Personally, I am more scared of the acquaintance sexual assaults that are frequent events in this town than any of our homeless individuals.
27 October 2005
at 4:32 p.m.

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badger (Anonymous) says…

You can say that again, Crispian.

Oh, wait. You did.

27 October 2005
at 5:24 p.m.

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rousseau108 (Anonymous) says…

how is that so many people turned this into “vigilante justice” against the “victim” just b/c he is homeless. didn't any of you catch the part in the story where it said the suspect and victim knew each other. like someone else already said, the “victim” has a long record in this town, and rarely as the victim. as for making it an attempted murder charge, there's probably some details that preclude that that weren't released, such as maybe the machete was duller than a butter knife and the suspect didn't ever strike near the head, or statements made by the suspect, etc. all the pseudo-lawyers should bite their tongues until all the details come out before second-guessing the police and da's office about what the charges should be. besides, without incidents like these, downtown lawrence wouldn't be as quaint or have as much character.
27 October 2005
at 7:25 p.m.

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METALQ2 (Anonymous) says…

rousseau108, what???????????????????????????????
27 October 2005
at 9:44 p.m.

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captain_poindexter (Anonymous) says…

I hope KU takes a machete to missouri this weekend.
I hate mu.
27 October 2005
at 10:09 p.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

Crispian: An “open” shelter, one that does not restrict because of the individual being drunk or on drugs would be nearly impossible to manage. If people have intentionally rendered themselves unable to make rational decisions, can you imagine all of the conflict that would occur in a shelter? Who will be responsible for the problems and/or damages that are bound to happen? If workers have intentionally allowed them in — wouldn't the staff be the ones responsible? I am not being argumentative, just wondering how you would suggest such a shelter be maintained.
27 October 2005
at 10:22 p.m.

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Colt45 (Anonymous) says…

There is something to be said about the right to self defense there.
28 October 2005
at 12:58 a.m.

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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…

The City Of Lawrence, Kansas has ordered that a dog which has hurt NO ONE be killed.

Please help.

Thank you.

The story is here:

http://www.rivercitytalk.com/forum/in…
28 October 2005
at 7:47 a.m.

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smitty (Anonymous) says…

Crispian, Ceallach has explained what it is like at an open shelter very well. There is an open shelter at 10th and Kentucky. Major problems and a high incidence of violence, disorderly conduct, drug dealing in the parking lot, booze and food containers all over for blocks, poorly trained and arrogant staff and a general slumming of the entire area.

There has been multiple stories on this incompetent open shelter just this summer. How could you miss it?

The chess playing guy was at the alley beside the wet shelter to get his drug supply from one of the residents the same weekend that the shoes got hung from the power lines, a street language that says drugs sold under the hanging shoes.

If this situation had been taken care of months ago there would not have been this knife incident. Where's the drug unit besides giving quotes for a public relations articles for the JW? wink wink
28 October 2005
at 9:42 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

The “victim” in this has a very good family in our community, and is a walking example of what is wrong with homeless services here. through the homeless services, he is fed, and sheltered when he wants it, and thus provided for in his irresponsible life choices, instead of making all that support contingent on his moving towards quitting homelessness!

this is the human cost of the homeless services here.

also, more homeless means more public lewdness; more property crimes; more arson; more violent crime; more drunk; more frug etc.

and, how many homeless are wanted in other jurisdictions? here avoiding a rap?

our downtown is under attack and we're paying for it.