Kalamazoo Student Attacks School Bus Driver (Violent Content)

What follows is the video of a teenager attacking the school bus driver on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. WARNING: The attack is violent and brutal.

School Bus Video of the Attack



Entire WWMT NEWSCHANNEL 3 account of violent attack:

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - She drives students to school each day, but on Tuesday a driver's morning route became a violent nightmare.

Police say the driver became the victim of a student's rage, and instead of driving the bus to school, she was rushed to the hospital.

The Kalamazoo school-bus driver is recovering on Wednesday after being badly beaten.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, around 7:30 in the morning near the corner of Gull Road and Brook Drive in Kalamazoo Township. Police say that a 16-year-old male repeatedly punched the driver in the face and head.

The teenager is being held at the juvenile home, charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.

Newschannel 3 pulled the young man's records, we can't reveal his name or show his face because he is a juvenile, but we did learn that he has been charged with five assaults going back to 2005.

A source has told Newschannel 3 that several of the victims in those cases were para-pros, or teachers at the teen's school.

The bus driver who was assaulted on Tuesday is a veteran Kalamazoo Public Schools bus driver who was filling in on a route on Gull Road. Police say some of the students on the bus became agitated when she made a stop where there were no students.

At that point the 16 year old got out of his seat, and despite the driver repeatedly telling the teen to sit down, he continued to yell at her, took off his jacket and walked to the front of the bus.

As the student threatened her, the driver grabbed the radio to call for help, and the beating began.

Newschannel 3 watched the video with Kalamazoo Township Police Chief Tim Bourgeois.

"It was very violent," said Chief Bourgeois. "First punch that's followed by repeated punching to the head, at that point she is trying to cover her head with her hands."

As the attack continued, another student tried to put a stop to it.

"The suspect curses at him, pushes him away, and then continues the assault," said Bourgeois.

Eventually students managed to push the suspect toward the back of the bus, allowing the driver to get on the radio and make a call on her cell.

The suspect got off the bus, and took off at the urging of another student before the police arrive.

"When our first officers arrived, the driver was off the bus and the officer contacted her outside," said Bourgeois. "It was obvious she had severe facial injuries and had injuries to her hands."

When police questioned the remaining students on the bus, they refused to give any information. Police did eventually track the student down at his Kalamazoo home.

Newschannel 3 did speak to the victim in the case. She told us that she is doing okay, although her hand was broken while she was trying to fend off the teen and she has broken blood vessels in her eye.

Entire WWMT NEWSCHANNEL 3 story of the teen's parents' defense:

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - On Tuesday, a bus driver for the Kalamazoo Public School system was brutally beaten by a teenager on her bus.

The attack happened around 7:30 Tuesday morning near the corner of Gull Road and Brook Drive in Kalamazoo Township.

Police say a 16-year-old student at K-Resa repeatedly punched the driver in the face and the head.

Looking into the incident, Newschannel 3 learned that this is not the first time the young man has been involved with violence.

Newschannel 3 spoke with the victim of the attack on Wednesday, she didn't want to go on camera for fear of further attacks, but the beating she received left her with a broken hand, burst blood vessels in both eyes, cuts and contusions all over her head and face, six stitches in her lip and a cheek that had swollen to the size of a softball.

Newschannel 3 also spoke the parents of the attacker, who also asked not to be revealed, but told us that their son isn't responsible.

"Our son has stated to us several times he's got twins living up in his head," said the suspect's mother, "and yesterday when I talked to him he said something about the twins in his head."

The parents say their son has been diagnosed with both bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia.

"[He's] been hospitalized several times," said the suspect's mother, "but you know it's working with the medication, trying to get him on the right medication, right now he's working with an excellent doctor."

The suspect's father believes something must have happened on the bus to set his son off.

"We know he's not a bad kid, something else must have went on to provoke him," said the father, "he wouldn't just do that."

The suspect told his father that he was provoked.

"The bus driver had hit the brakes real hard and he said he fell and hit his shoulder on the seat," the suspect's father said.

Video of the incident shows where the suspect loses his balance after the bus driver taps the brakes, but he never falls or hits anything. The suspect's father says that his son doesn't remember anything from then on.

The video shows the suspect calmly taking off his jacket before walking back to the bus driver and beginning to beat her.

~ ~ ~

plez sez: this isn't normally in my jurisdiction, but the sheer violence and total lack of respect shows an utter bankruptcy of morals on the part of this young man. he is a bad ass who needs to have his ass beaten... and then thrown in a small dark cell away from the rest of humanity!

i don't buy the "sorry" excuses from his parents who expressed no concern for the welfare of the woman who was so brutally attacked by their son. to my way of thinking, they should shoulder a portion of the responsibility of letting such an animal leave their home on a daily basis... an animal who is capable of this level of barbarism toward his fellow man.

there is no other word for this... but "sick"! i have no doubt that this is a troubled young man, but to my way of thinking, he is incorrigible and needs to be put away for a long time!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the WWMT Newschannel 3 article about Kalamazoo school bus attack.

Read the WWMT Newschannel 3 article about the kids' parents explanation for his behavior.

Read the WWMT Newschannel 3 article about the victim's husband knows his wife's attacker.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Georgia's New Laws

Georgia has a part time legislature, they go to work in Atlanta in early January, and then pack up and go home by the end of March. Most of the bills that get passed by the Georgia State Legislature (Republican dominated House & Senate) and signed in to law by its Republican Governor take affect on July 1st.

What follows is a short list of changes as published by the AJC:

GUNS

Georgians with carry licenses will be able to tote concealed guns on public transportation, into restaurants that serve alcohol, the parking lot of their employer, and into state parks.


BOOZE

Georgians may buy wine over the Internet or by phone directly from wineries.

They also may take half-finished bottles of wine they ordered at restaurants home with them.

Wineries will be able to sell beer and wine in tasting rooms.

Limousine companies will be able to sell customers alcoholic beverages.


MONEY

A new $21 billion budget takes effect, with a 2.5 percent pay raise for about 200,000 state employees and teachers and $1 billion in construction projects.


CRIME

Penalties will go up for having or selling fake IDs.

It will be a felony to be caught driving without a license four or more times in five years, and the first conviction will require a minimum two-day jail sentence.

Jailers will have to check the nationality and legal status of those convicted of driving without a license.

It is illegal for sex offenders to photograph minors without parental consent. And sex offenders also will be prohibited from volunteering at churches.


SCHOOLS

Clayton County high school sophomores and juniors will be eligible for the HOPE scholarship even if their school system loses accreditation.
(This law will come in handy, since it appears that Clayton County Schools will loose accreditation in the Fall.)

Georgians wanting to start charter schools will be able to make their case to a state commission if they run into opposition from their local school board.


IMMIGRATION

Requires public employers, contractors and subcontractors with 100 employees or more to run new hires through the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify system to assure they are legally allowed to work in the United States.

plez sez: welcome to the wonderful state of georgia, where guns are allowed on MARTA buses and trains, and in restaurants that serve alcohol! i'm just wondering how long it will be before the fear and paranoia that would compel someone to carry a loaded gun with them into public will end in a serious injury or death? if you're that damned scared of other people, why don't you just stay home?!?

how long will it be before some trigger happy yahoo from Bumblefluck, Georgia feels intimidated on a MARTA train and decides to help the Atlanta Police with the crime problem that is a de rigour segment on the 6 o'clock news around here? how soon before two drunk patrons at a local watering hole decide to shoot it out over the waitress missing her two front teeth? how long before Atlanta's long heralded road rage turns deadly? and how long before some down-on-his-luck-and-mentally-ill homeless guy gets gunned down by a visitor to downtown Atlanta who felt "threatened" by a drunken panhandler?

i don't like guns in public and i've already had my rant about the SCOTUS 2nd amendment ruling from last week. i believe in a person's right to "bear arms" to protect home and property, but i'm leery about having that right extended to crowded public transportation or to establishments that contain individuals whose judgement may be impaired by alcohol. this Georgia gun law is a mistake.

Office Freak Out

"...don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge."
- from "The Message" by Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five

plez sez: surprisingly enough, i felt like this a couple of weeks ago. it would've only taken someone to bump into me or saying the wrong damn thing... and i would've wrecked the joint! *smile*

back in the day, this was referred to as "Going Postal."

Clinton Invokes RFK Assassination

While meeting with the editorial board of the Sioux City Argus Leader (South Dakota) on Friday, Hillary Clinton was asked why she hasn't dropped out of the race; mathematically, she cannot secure enough pledged delegates to win the Democratic nomination. She said that the nomination process is a long one and who knows what will happen between now and Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Clinton's reply follows:

“People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa... my husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it."

As would be expected, her comments set off a barrage of criticism in response to her invoking Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968, and within hours, she expressed regrets at a campaign stop:

“The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy. And I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive.”

Read the New York Times article on Clinton's assassination gaffe here.

Clinton assassination comment and regrets:

plez sez: hmmmm... i guess she isn't holding out for an invitation to be Barack Obama's veep... sounds to me, like she's betting on an assassin's bullet to secure her the nomination!

is it me OR is hillary clinton out of her freakin' mind?!? two weeks from today marks the 40th anniversary of bobby kennedy's assassination by a bullet fired by sirhan sirhan! although, there has been little publicity about death threats, it is obvious that Obama has been the recipient of credible threats since he announced his candidacy; he's had around the clock secret service protection for close to a year! i don't like to bring up such a grim prospect, but this blog published a post that white supremacist groups have been organizing to prevent Obama from ever taking the oath of office.

how can hillary be so crass? so unfeeling? so politically incorrect?!? when backed into a corner, she will say ANYTHING... and i mean ANYTHING to justify her claim to the white house!

and when she realizes how off base her comments were, she can't even muster the fortitude to properly apologize. she doesn't apologize to the kennedy family (she only expresses regret for her offensive remarks). she doesn't apologize to Barack Obama and his family for the implication that she's pinning her hopes of being the democratic nominee while dancing on Obama's grave prior the democratic national convention! if it was good enough for hubert humphrey in 1968, it's good enough for hillary clinton in 2008.

assassination of national figures is the ugliest of american history: lincoln, mckinley, harrison, kennedy, martin luther king, jr., robert kennedy, etc. a Black man is poised to ascend to the highest office in the land and hillary clinton doesn't want to get out of the race because the specter of him getting gunned down before the convention is too great!

some have decided to give her the benefit of the doubt... that could not be what she was thinking when she brought up kennedy's assassination. plezWorld is not so easily dissuaded and asks, if she wasn't implying that there is a good chance that Obama will get assassinated, what was she implying? and why did she bring it up?

keith olbermann commentary on hillary clinton - 10:42

some have called for Obama to offer the veep office to billary. how many weeks would it take for the clintons to plot his assassination? maybe i've watched too many seasons of "24", but something tells me that the clintons couldn't stomach being Obama's second banana for 8 years! something tells me that they couldn't stomach being his second banana more than a couple of weeks!

John McCain's Spiritual Guide

If you ever thought that aligning oneself with Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a bad political move, check out who Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain describes as his "spiritual guide", a pastor by the name of Rod Parsley. He hates Islam and speaks of the beginning of a Holy War with the religion.

Check out Rev. Rod Parsley of Ohio:

...have you seen these clips repeated over and over on the nightly news, lately?

A few Rod Parsley quotes:

"Islam is an anti-Christ religion..."
"America was founded - in part - with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed."
"Muhammad received revelations from demon spirits, not from the living God."
"When it comes to Islam, the greatest religious enemy of our civilization in the world, it's dangerous."

Read more about John McCain's spiritual guide in Mother Jones.


plez sez: hmmmm... i wonder how many times this wack-job's comments will get looped on fox news network?!?


ole johnny came out today to reject the endorsement of rev. john hagee after he said that hitler was sent by god to hasten the jews return to israel. mind you, this was an endorsement that sen. mccain had sought out to shore up the religious right vote. and in an obvious swipe at Barack Obama, mccain says that at least he didn't attend hagee's church for the past 20 years! soon there after, rev. hagee rescinded his endorsement of mccain... some would call that a draw!

now, it appears that sen. mccain enjoys being in the company of religious zealots! this rod parsley guy is an unabashed islam basher! and some of his comments rank up there as ridiculous: i'd like to see one instance where the framers of the constitution even mention islam during the founding of the united states.

plezWorld is of the opinion that mccain will repudiate this guy in a few days. he should do it over the memorial day weekend... that tends to be a slow news period!

Offensive Obama Picture in Roswell Beacon

A Roswell, Georgia newspaper is defending a controversial cover illustration that placed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in a rifle's cross hairs. The Roswell Beacon is a free weekly rag that has a distribution of about 65,000 in the city of Roswell, which is just north of Atlanta, Georgia. The controversial front cover was published on May 15, 2008.

The associated article states that north Georgia is the home to some serious racists, and whether we like it or not, Obama's candidacy has brought out the worst in a lot of people. Some have questioned whether there is a need for a newspaper to suggest assassination with such an incendiary cover such as this.

The paper's publisher, John Fredericks is quoted as saying, "Good, bad, or ugly, we tell the truth." The cover was approved with little debate about it being appropriate, though they were aware that it would likely cause a buzz in the community.

The cover's article was pitched and reported by veteran freelance journalist Alan Sverdlik, who said he was curious how law enforcement agencies were handling the increased number of threats lodged against Sen. Obama by white supremacist groups, some of whom are based around north Fulton. Sverdlik said Tuesday he had not seen the cover and had no input in its development.

A number of bloggers have written articles calling the Roswell Beacon to task for publishing such an incendiary cover.

Read the entire AJC article about the Obama cover picture here.

WARNING!
The Roswell Beacon article is a chilling and quite disturbing expose' that takes place just north of Atlanta; one of the subjects openly discusses the assassination of Obama and the beginning of a race war if he is elected President.

Read the actual article from the Roswell Beacon here and it is also re-posted on the Reporter-Cub blog.


plez sez: roswell, georgia is home to the whites who fled the city of atlanta to the south. north atlanta (and north fulton county) is probably the reddest part of red state georgia. the right leaning roswell beacon features syndicated columns from ultra-conservative michelle malkin, it is a free rag that panders to its constituency: a large community of right wing borderline racists! they see nothing wrong with giving comfort to those who would kill a Black man who would be so bold as to aspire to the presidency of the united states.

it is a sad commentary on the state of affairs in this country when a presidential candidate (more than likely, the presumptive nominee and quite likely the next president) is given the cover of even a fish wrapping rag in the crosshairs of a rifle! if the man who is singularly responsible for the wrongful death of over 4,000 americans in iraq isn't worthy of this publisher's ire (for those who are kind of slow, i'm talking about george w. bush), i can only wonder what Barack Obama has done (other than being born with brown skin) to endear such an honor? and my gut instinct tells me that the color of his skin has everything to do with it and concerns about his safety have very little to do with it.

the cover art is no longer accessible on the beacon's website. but i intend to let my feelings known by sending them more e-mail. a local holiday inn has already pulled support from the rag based on the backlash over the cover.

Kenya, Elections, Violence

The New York Times reports that Daniel Kibigo said he was there, hiding in the burned cornfields nearby, as the mob gleefully stuffed mattresses in front of the church’s doors and set them on fire. The women inside tried to claw their way out of the church windows as the building burned all the way down, killing up to 50 people inside. This is the state of Kenya as it teeters on the brink of anarchy on the heels of presidential elections last week.

Kenya’s president, Mwai Kibaki, declared victory by a narrow margin on Sunday despite widespread evidence of ballot rigging.

“Are we in a civil war? Is this Somalia? Is this Darfur?” said Alfred Mutua, Mr. Kibaki’s spokesman. “Our problem is with some hooligans. And we can take care of it.”

As for the opposition, its most recent proposal was a joint government for three months and then a new election, which the government roundly rejected.

Adding to the incendiary atmosphere, Raila Odinga, the opposition figure who said he was robbed of the presidency, has vowed to go ahead with a million-person rally in the capital, Nairobi, on Thursday. The government has said the rally is illegal, and busloads of police officers in helmets and padded suits have begun to muster downtown.

“We want to appeal directly to the people,” Mr. Odinga said on Wednesday. Many Kenyans are worried the rally will turn into an enormous brawl.

The Bush administration said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was calling both sides to urge them to do everything they could to end the violence, and the United Nations issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general, was “concerned with the deteriorating humanitarian situation, as large numbers of people have been displaced by the violence.”

Reuters reports that Attorney General Amos Wako called for an independent probe into Kenya's election after a day of battles between police and protesters disputing the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki.

What follows is a chronology of Kibaki's 5 year presidency:

Dec. 27, 2002 - Former Vice President Kibaki, candidate of the opposition National Rainbow Coalition, wins a presidential election on pledges to deliver a new constitution in 100 days. The victory ends Daniel arap Moi's 24-year rule and the Kenya African National Union's (KANU) four decades in power.

Nov. 22, 2003 - International Monetary Fund (IMF) resumes lending after three-year gap, saying the new government has shown commitment to end corruption.

Dec. 21 - Moi is granted immunity from prosecution on corruption charges.

March 15, 2004 - Government withdraws from a conference convened to write a new constitution after most delegates vote to trim presidential powers.

Feb. 7, 2005 - John Githongo quits as Kenya's first anti-corruption adviser, a blow to the fight against graft.

July 22 - Parliament votes to keep a strong presidency in a proposed new constitution. The vote leads to deepening divisions in the ruling coalition and triggers rioting in the capital.

Nov. 22 - Kibaki suffers humiliating defeat when voters reject the new constitution in a referendum; he fires his government the next day.

Dec. 9 - Twenty-six of 29 ministers are finally sworn in after Kibaki's struggle to form a new cabinet. Three refuse to appear although two of them later reverse that decision.

Feb. 1, 2006 - Finance Minister David Mwiraria resigns over a multi-million dollar corruption scandal, says he is innocent.

June 3 - Key ministers from the ruling coalition break away to form a new party, the National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya.

Aug. 22 - Government agrees to opposition calls for parts of the constitution to be amended ahead of 2007 elections.

Sept. 16, 2007 - Kibaki announces candidacy on the ticket of Party of National Unity, created as his re-election vehicle.

Dec. 27 - Voters elect a new president and parliament. Most opinion polls give a lead to Kibaki's opposition rival Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement.

Dec. 30 - Kibaki wins close-run election by the narrow margin of 230,000 votes and is hurriedly sworn in.

Dec. 31 - The government floods the streets with security forces and keeps a ban on live TV broadcasts after riots convulse the nation.

Jan. 1, 2008 - A mob torches a church, killing about 30 villagers.

Jan. 2 - President Kibaki's government accuses rival Raila Odinga's backers of "ethnic cleansing" as the death toll from tribal violence reaches some 300.

Jan. 3 - Attorney General Amos Wako calls for an independent probe into the election. After hours of police clashes with thousands of protesters, the opposition call off a planned demonstration.

Read the entire New York Times article here.

Read the entire Reuters article here.


plez sez: over 300 people have died as a result of violence in formerly peaceful country of Kenya. i learned about this country on the African continent as a youngster in the 3rd grade; i remember that we learned a few phrases in Swahili and found the country on the map. since i was the only Black kid in my class, to this day, i feel that my teacher, ms. karpinsky, took great pride in teaching the class (and me) positive lessons about the people of Africa.

fast forward close to 40 years and the country is on the brink of civil war and genocide. Kenya boasts of being a democracy with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch of a national government; a few archaic presidential election rules aside, this election cycle seems to hinge on accusations of corruption of the electoral process and sour grapes. the loser in the election, Raila Odinga, had a hand in making proposed changes to the constitution that would weaken the office of the president. after Odinga lost the election last week, the country erupted in violence and bloodshed.

there was outrage and indignation when george bush made off with TWO presidential elections - in 2000 in florida and in 2004 in ohio - but we never gravitated to such depths of violence... we expressed our outrage via talk radio and blogs! in light of Barack Obama's win in Iowa on yesterday, i wonder if violence will be used to derail his ascent to the white house (a la Robert Kennedy)? like Kenya, when rioting and violence erupts in the US, it is usually confined to areas of the country which are ill-equipped to recover from it: poor, Black communities (recent memory brings los angeles (watts), detroit, and newark to mind)!

plezWorld hopes that the United Nations will do its job and finally intervene in a crisis situation before more bloodshed. it is probably too late to "fix" the damage done by this election, but it is obvious that Kenya would benefit from some assistance from the world community in correcting its voting irregularities and finally creating a constitution that will work for the betterment of this once peaceful country.

Ron Pettaway - A Mother's Anguish

Ron Pettaway and his brother, Roy, were both shot by Fulton County (GA) Police officers on the evening of April 15, 2007 outside the Frozen Palace nightclub in metro Atlanta. Both men were unarmed. Ron Pettaway died as a result of the shooting. As you can imagine, the family of these young men are devastated.

Earlier today, I received an e-mail message from Ron's mother (Margaret Pettaway-Ferrer) that is addressed to the Fulton County Police. My first inclination was to touch up the message before posting, but I have decided to post the e-mail message as it was received. In its current state, this message speaks to the agony and hurt that has visited the Pettaway family. I call on everyone within the sound of my voice to speak out against senseless police violence and call for these officers to be prosecuted.

TO THE FULTON COUNTY POLICE Department

my name is Margaret Pettaway ferrer Iam Ron and Roy pettaway mother.we are in pain and grief seven days a week twenty-four hours a day because of the excessive force that you all use on my two sons. my son roy in his back and shot Ron in his head and his shoulder can not get over what my sons has gone throught.it so hard to believe that Ron died with a bullet to his head and shoulder Ron did not live that way. Ron would help anybody he could talk with Ron very often, he was the kind of son a mother would be so proud of, and indeed i was. because of fulton county police department use of excessive force and disregard for human life my son is dead, and my other son with a bullet in his back. My family shamaca,roy,cruse and roy jr. Ron father we struggle to get throught each day. we break down in tears asking why did this happen to roy and Ron. I want the fulton county police department to put themselfs into our shoes.to feel the terrific pain and to understand why we must get 100%justice we seek nothing less.you officer sworn to serve and protect.you must treat everyone with respect.you all need to learn how and when to use a weapon.the police department has not yet said you are sorry about my son life,but nevertheless you have straight out lied to the public and said that they shot roy in his stomach, knowing that you shot him in his back. which leaves me struggling every hour About what to do. I often wonder will justice be enough.iam mad as hell about what you did to my sons.your excessive force has ruin my life, your excessive force has ruin my children and their father life.the pain in my childerns face of missing their brother sometimes becomes too overbareing.my son cruse went to his prom with a broken heart.cruse who have a 4.0 will graduate with a broken heartBecause of your excessive force, and disregard of human life the family has to go to cruse graduation morning the lost of Ron our beloved son. because of fulton county police department our son lay in a grave at twenty-six years old.fulton county police department you are out of control, and Iam outraged. My heart bleeds, my soul weeps and my spirit is in disarray. my worst fear is will justice enough. This is what excessive force and disregard of human life does to a family.

plez sez: Ron's mother must continue to live with the agony of burying her 26 year old son who was enjoying the best years of his life. it appears that the GBI is investigating the incident and i pray that indictments against these police officers are forthcoming.