Man Mugged In St. Albans Corner Of Main & Kingman Streets

[Henry]

Police are looking for witnesses in a late-night mugging in St. Albans.

Police became aware of the attack after a man checked into the Northwest Medical center emergency room with traumatic injuries to his face and head.

The 24-year-old man told police he was attacked at the intersection of North Main and Kingman streets at about 3 a.m. Dec. 5.

The man had multiple injuries to his face and head, police said, but was able to tell police about $270 was taken from his wallet after the beating.

Police said the victim knows at least one of his attackers and that there were potential witnesses to the attack.

Police want to speak with anyone who saw the attack and are asking witnesses to call 802-524-2166.

[slpott]

What was he doing at 3:00 a.m. There is a time and place for everything I know but...... maybe the innocent should not be out at that time of hour. It is just asking for trouble.

[cestreet]

I find the "Blaming the victim" sentiment in the previous post disturbing.  Maybe the guy is a third shift worker, out for a walk on his lunch break.  Maybe he was out getting emergency Tums for his pregnant wife at home.  Maybe he was the designated driver for friends and accidentally locked himself out of the car while helping an especially inebriated friend into their home.  Maybe he was out drinking, was drunk as a skunk, and decided to walk home instead of driving.  Regardless of whether you think that is an appropriate use of a Saturday night, it would be well within a person's rights to expect to do so without being brutalized.  There is no justification for mugging or beating someone on the street like that. 

Clarice Streets

[slpott]

In no way, shape or form was I saying that. I was just saying that because of the way things are today, I would be afraid to be out after dark. It seems there is a lot of trouble out there and although it is a right, it is unfortunately very dangerous too. It was not my intent of offend you or anyone else.

[Stand Alone Defense]

I would be willing to bet that the 24 year old victim is not telling the whole story.  Like SLPOTT asked why was he out at 3 am and with $270 in cash on him?  There is also the fact that he knows one of the people that attacked and robbed him.  I would put my money on it that the $270 was going towards something Illegal.  Which by no means makes it OK to beat and robb someone but if you are going to partake in that type of activity I'm not gonna feel bad for you if you get robbed and beat up.  Sorry just the way I feel.  As my dad says "You play with fire enough at some point you will get burnt"

[slpott]

I have always been the type that believed if you are not there then you can not be blamed. I raise my kids the same way. If you want trouble, go where you know there is trouble, if not, stay away from it. Unfortunately our rights have to be replaced with common sense. Is it a shame, yes, but it is what it is. I choose to stand up for myself rather than my rights when it comes to stuff like this. Right or wrong it is the way I live.

[Loctavious]

You are entitled to blame the victim, if that's truly how you feel.  What does that accomplish though?

It's kinda saistic really..... "  Oh you've just had a great misfortune..... Well, you deserved it - if you didn't want trouble, you should've not have walked on a St Albans, Vt Street, under street lights, at 3:00 a.m.  that's the asking to be mugged and beat."  REALLY?  REALLY?

      If he was some punk that just robbed a drug dealer - than his stupidity might have just given the police just what they needed to bust the dealer .... and stupidity begets goodness for once.
       If he was that 3rd shift worker, who had his paycheck with him because his alcholic/drug addict parent or spouse would steal it anyway, and he didn't have nor felt safe locking it in a car, then i hope that stings a bit to know he's been so quickly and coldly misjudged.

[Suzy]

Yes, the innocent should be locked in every night so they don't get mugged.  There should be a curfew of 8:30 PM, and anyone out after that should wear a sign that says, "MUG ME, AND BEAT MY FACE TO A BLOODY PULP."  Women should not be allowed outside, or to wear mini skirts because they might be asking to be raped.  Anyone murdered past 10 PM is just asking for it.  We must all be afraid of the dark.  How far should we take this, and who is going to pass the bills into law?

Let's not judge people because they are a victim.  I don't know this person, but I'm sure they didn't ask their friend to beat them up and take their money.  Just because you're hanging out with someone, or because you know who they are...doesn't mean you are by default a part of their illegal activities.  I believe most victims of sexual assault know their abuser...are they asking to be assaulted/abused just because they live in the same house, or think they are on a date with a friend?  Everyone talks about Stranger Danger, but most often people are abused and beaten by their own spouse, or domestic partner. 

I agree people should be careful and cautious at night with their personal safety...but I don't want to lose my freedom, and refuse to.  One can obviously not prevent this sort of thing from happening, but it could have happened in broad daylight just as well.  I refuse to let violent people take over the streets at night.  If it kills, me, well, I must have been asking for it.  (I'm not...by the way!)

Peace,
Sooz

[Suzy]

To all you emergency service workers who go out in the middle of the night, thank you for what you do!  I hope you never get mugged or beaten responding to an accident or violent incident just because you are near the danger...which is a real reality.  I'm sure you are not asking for it either.  I'm sure you are there to help innocent people, as well as a few guilty ones. 

[Suzy]

I think about Alicia Shanks being murdered in her elementary school classroom....it breaks my heart.  Here is a compassionate, caring person, minding her own business as well as looking after the lives of generations of children.  I know she wasn't asking to be murdered.  I don't think it matters when violence occurs, day or night, nobody is asking to be killed or assaulted.  I'd like to hold onto ideals that we can live in a safe and free world and expect to...not give in to "these days."  I hate that we live in such a vindictive society that we have to blame a victim for anything when we know nothing about the incident, or people involved ourselves. 


I'm just saying...let's try to have a little spirit of compassion, forgiveness, and caring we all hear about in church on Sunday, especially during this holiday season.  This person was traumatically injured and they could be your brother, your father, or your friend.  Let's show a little mercy.   I'll try to keep a candle burning in my heart, and try to remember this myself.

Okay, you've heard way enough from me  today!  Sooz

[Loctavious]

Well Sooz, i think sometimes people find it easier to blame the person who has something bad happen to them - it's an effective way of not letting one's self experience any compassion or feeling for the person at all.  After all - that person is a stranger - 'why invest myself emotionally by feeling for them, when i don't know them and there's no return?'

 I can see it - there's so much negativity and badness in the world - it's everywhere - it seems like that's all the news ever reports.  How is a sane person to operate when faced with all this bad and negative information about theworld we live in?  lock ourselves away from all we cherish about existence because were afraid of death?  Well that's not so hard to see.

i think that's where, whatever it may be, your faith comes in.  Whether it be in God, Or Fate, Or Karma, Or The Law of Conservation of Energy, you have to put your faith in the belief that everything happens for a reason and there's a reason why.

[Sue W.]

My dad was mugged in Winooski in the 1990's.  He was an assistant to the medical examiner.  The next time my dad saw the guy was on the exam table for his autopsy.  There's karma.....

[mirjo]

As one who sees both sides (most of the time) I understand what Shelley is trying to say about being out late and I understand what Suzy is saying about the state of things.

The way I see it is like this: the majority of people who live life in a standard routine of daytime work hours are usually in bed fairly early, by 10p as a rule for most. It is difficult for the very routined to understand that not everyone lives the same way. There are many shift workers out there that work odd hours that don't fall into the 9-5, 8-4 or 7-3 range. They fall all over the clock. For some folks being out in the wee hours is normal. As a 2nd shift worker, I used to buy groceries and go to the laudromat in the middle of the night and not go to bed until about 4am.

With ATMs all over the place, we really needn't question why someone would have that much $. he could have just went to the bank. I have also done a fair amount of banking in the wee hours. I think there is a bank in that area of the mugging. We are always so quick to judge when we don't know the whole story.

It's totally possible this guy did have some questionable activity going on, but we don't know for sure. I think it's best practice to give the benefit of the doubt to the victim  until more information proves differently.

[cedarman]

SO, since there is "trouble" in Fairfax with people cars and even housed being broken into, would you say that people should move out of fairfax???

[slpott]

Absolutely.  It is always better to be realistic.