# Cyclist Stabbed in Walnut Creek



## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

The Contra Costa Times reported that a cyclist was stabbed multiple times by three men who knocked him off his bike around 9:15 Friday night on the 2600 block of Kinney Way. It said he was alert when taken to the hospital, but had no details as to what provoked the attack. It also said the area was searched with dogs and a helicopter, but they didn't find the assailants.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

The question always is... is it an avid cyclist or just a person on a bicycle.

I try to find out before I get invested in a story.

fc


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

francois said:


> The question always is... is it an avid cyclist or just a person on a bicycle.
> 
> I try to find out before I get invested in a story.
> 
> fc


Does it make a difference? 

What is important to me (and something not explained in the Times) is whether it was a random attack or not. From the tone of the article it makes it sound like it was random, but then it didn't mention robbery/traffic confrontation, or anything else. I haven't seen anything else written on it. Maybe it's more important to me because I routinely ride within a mile of where it happened, and if it's random I doubt the assailants would differentiate between 'avid rider' and 'guy on a bike.'


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## singlespeed.org (Feb 14, 2006)

California L33 said:


> Does it make a difference?


I am with Francois. 

Unfortunately, our society does have violence and crime. So much so that I basically tune out a lot of it. Most of it seems pretty distant from the life I live.

But, I do tune in when something happens to an avid cyclist. I want to understand what happened, and try to figure out if it is something that could potentially happen to me.

The fact that this was Walnut Creek did catch my attention. Does make it stand out from the reports of cyclists attacked in places like Richmond or Bayview/Hunter's Point.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

There was a case in Minneapolis a few years ago---- turned out the cyclist was out on a "drug buy." And it does make a bit of a difference on ones perception of safety if you aren't out buying drugs on your rides.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

California L33 said:


> Does it make a difference?
> 
> What is important to me (and something not explained in the Times) is whether it was a random attack or not. From the tone of the article it makes it sound like it was random, but then it didn't mention robbery/traffic confrontation, or anything else. I haven't seen anything else written on it. Maybe it's more important to me because I routinely ride within a mile of where it happened, and if it's random I doubt the assailants would differentiate between 'avid rider' and 'guy on a bike.'


It makes a difference in regards to cycling issues on a cycling website.

A life is life so they are equally important in all cases.

But as far as cycling is concerned, I'd like to know if it was an avid cyclist, group ride, bike/motorist altercation, bike discrimination, etc. If yes, I'll try and get involved and spread the news and champion the cause.

But if it's a person on a bike involved in a gang war or another crime, I might not get as involved.

fc


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## masterken911 (Jun 17, 2009)

yeah i saw it on the news ( tv ) and i was stunned and fely sorry for the victim and hopefully the police would arrest those " explicted content " tugs. roll eyes


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

filtersweep said:


> There was a case in Minneapolis a few years ago---- turned out the cyclist was out on a "drug buy." ...


That was actually my first thought. The attack, as described, seems incredibly odd. Three men jump a cyclist and stab him, with no reason given. I think this goes to the level of reporting these days. There was a time when reporters were curious. Somewhere in my neighborhood a man was burned seriously enough to require air lifting to a burn center. The Contra Costa Times reported he was working on his car when a spark plug ignited fuel resulting in bad gasoline burns to his face. The fire department wouldn't identify the man. End of story. They never followed up. It's another unlikely series of events happening to an anonymous man. (How can you work on a car so that a spark plug can be connected to the electrical system in a way that it could ignite fuel external to the engine, which is what it sounds like from the Times' description. The only explanation I can come up with where the spark plug could be the culprit would be a backfire with someone looking down a carburetor, and for that he'd need someone cranking the engine. If that's what happened their article would be an incredibly inarticulate way of reporting it. Maybe it's just bad style or a poor understanding of the facts by the reporter. I'd hate to think they're just making up details.) 

As for the cyclist story. The area is affluent, which should rule out 'street gang' type drug confrontations with multiple assailants. Yet the article described a dog and helicopter search which makes it sounds like they fled on foot in an area with nearly million dollar homes.


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## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

*Maybe it didn't happen*

According to the CC Times today, authorities are questioning the claims. Couldn't find a link for the online story, but it is in the roundup section. Something about injuries that are inconsistent with his claims.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

EBrider said:


> According to the CC Times today, authorities are questioning the claims. Couldn't find a link for the online story, but it is in the roundup section. Something about injuries that are inconsistent with his claims.


Saw that, and considering the victim was released the next day it seems unlikely that three men stabbed him, unless they all had dull pen knives.


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## BurnsRubber (Jul 17, 2009)

"Random" attacks are rare. Even criminals have motives.

Do you have a link to the article?


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

I think that this has little to do with cycling. But there is a crime somewhere...

fc


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