Wellesley Police Don’t Get It

I reported this summer about a fatal hit and run in Wellesley, seems the police there are clueless when it comes to what a ghost bike is.

As The Swellesly Report, reports:

The Ghost Bike that appeared over the weekend to memorialize cyclist Alex Motsenigos at the Weston Road/Linden Street spot where he was killed in an accident over the summer was removed at the request of the Wellesley Police.

“Items cannot be stored on public property,” (Editors note: Emphasis added) according to the police department, which says Chief Terrence Cunningham spoke to the person who put the white bike there.

“Items can’t be stored in public” Are you fucking serious?! I can’t imagine a more insensitive response to a memorial for a fallen cyclist. They didn’t even leave it up for a full week. Boston will sometimes take a ghost bike down, but they usually leave it up for a long while before they do.

The Wellesley police department clearly has no idea what it is doing, and thinks this is just some sort of trash to be picked up. Perhaps we should all contact them and let them know they are mistaken.

This poor man was hit and killed in broad daylight and as far as I know they still have not charged the driver with the crime. Maybe we should tell them we want to see more done to prosecute the killer, and less time spend removing ghost bikes.

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What In The Sphincter Of Hell Kind Of Bull Sh*t Is This?!

A while ago I wrote about a guy who shot a cyclist in the head (luckily the helmet stopped the bullet), because of all things he had a kid on his bike and he wanted to prove that “cycling was dangerous?!”

Charles Alexander Diez (horrible person)

Well I guess I should get a gun and a large dose of crazy because this worthless violent fuck is only going to get 120 days! Seriously what the hell is wrong with a judicial system that only gives 120 day jail sentence for a crazy guy that starts a fight, and shoots a guy while his kid is sitting behind him?

Former Asheville firefighter Charles Alexander Diez will spend four months in prison for shooting cyclist Alan Simons in July. Diez plead guilty to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill yesterday.

On July 26, Simons was riding with his family on Tunnel Road. According to Asheville police, Diez had stopped to argue with Simons, saying that the child seat the cyclist’s 3-year-old son was riding in was unsafe. As Simons began walking away, Diez fired his handgun, the .38-caliber bullet tearing through the back of Simons’ bike helmet, less than an inch from his head. Diez has no prior criminal record and was sober at the time. While he was originally suspended with pay at the time of the incident, on Aug. 10 he ended employment with the Asheville Fire Department.

While Diez was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder, a grand jury refused to press those charges, instead indicting him on the felony assault charge.

Convictions on such a charge result in an average 20-39 months in prison for the defendant. But in the sentencing, Superior Court Judge James Downs found that Diez’s military service, along with testimony from former colleagues about his good character, were mitigating factors, and chose to sentence him to 15-27 months instead. Downs suspended all but four months of that sentence unless Diez breaks the law again in the next 30 months. As part of his sentence, Diez is required to attend anger-management training and pay $1,200 to cover Simons’ medical costs for damage to his eardrum.

The case has caused controversy, especially in the cycling community, over what some perceive as the overly lenient treatment Diez has received. After the attempted murder charge was dropped in August, cyclists protested the decision and called for better conditions.(via)

I simply can not imagine why this person is not in jail for no less than 4 years. He SHOT A MAN IN THE HEAD WHILE HIS SON WATCHED…you can get longer jail time for abusing animals. Remind me never to ride my bike in Asheville. I rarely report on issues outside of Boston, but sweet merciful Jesus, what does a person have to do to get thrown in jail these days? Shit…

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