Shouldn't these charges be dropped?

[mrsklamc]

From what I can see, he just got carried away. The short version is, he thought he heard a woman being raped, and he didn't have a phone available so he broke the door down (with a sword, his only available weapon) and demanded his neighbor release the 'victim.' If his perception had been correct, I think he did the right thing. I wonder if this is going to make some guy, some where, a bit more hesitant to help a future rape victim. What do you guys think?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/22/porn.sword.ap/index.html

 

[Hercules10]

Even without a phone he should've went to neighbor or a pay-phone and called for help first.

No matter his intentions, he threatened a man with a deadly weapon. He should be charged.

Guy upstairs should turn down the daggum surround sound!

 

[sacall]

How about just calling the police? What if the person in the apt. had a gun? I believe he would have been justified in shooting the guy.

Stacy

Edited to add: Oops, I didn't realize he didn't have a phone. How about going to a pay phone or going to another apartment?

 

[meeskamouska]

This man should be given a medal!!!!! He did what most people would just ignore and tried to save someone from what he truly thought was danger!!! How dare he be charged with anything!!!

 

[mrsklamc]

I thought the same thing about the sound

I don't know... I mean, we can't have everyone running around being a vigilante. But, I don't know how close another neighbor was. I don't know how close a pay phone was. If I were a woman being raped, I don't think I'd want to wait for someone to find one!

I also think you're right that the homeowner would have been justified in shooting him. I don't think the guy will be doing it again any time soon though, and I don't think he's a danger to society. Seems like they could just make him pay for the damage to the door and move on. If I were the neighbor, I'd be happy with that, since even the neighbor doesn't dispute that the guy thought someone was being raped.

 

[meeskamouska]

Even without a phone he should've went to neighbor or a pay-phone and called for help first.

No matter his intentions, he threatened a man with a deadly weapon. He should be charged.

Guy upstairs should turn down the daggum surround sound!

His intentions were to save a woman's life....had there really been a victim...stalling to call the police could have been deadly. In the situation I honestly think he reacted in a way that is heroic. In today's society nobody wants to get involved...it is always someone else's business. If there would have been a woman behind those doors he would be held as a hero and this would have been about his bravery and quick thinking!!!!

 

[Hercules10]

This man should be given a medal!!!!! He did what most people would just ignore and tried to save someone from what he truly thought was danger!!! How dare he be charged with anything!!!

So the next time you're listening and/or watching a horror movie, with lots of screams on your TV, in your home. Your neighbor can come in and assault you with a AK-47?

 

[shirleyb]

Hopefully, the charges will be dropped.

 

[Hercules10]

His intentions were to save a woman's life....had there really been a victim...stalling to call the police could have been deadly. In the situation I honestly think he reacted in a way that is heroic. In today's society nobody wants to get involved...it is always someone else's business. If there would have been a woman behind those doors he would be held as a hero and this would have been about his bravery and quick thinking!!!!

There's a difference in being involved and assault with a deadly weapon.

#1 - Call the proper authorities.

#2 - If you still want to get "involved" knock on the friggen door! Don't kick it in.

 

[sha_lyn]

2 post have mentioned payphones.... do they even exist anymore?
I know someone on the DIS just posted the other day about being locked out of their home, and 2 payphones they did find did not take change, only phone cards or CC/DC. All the payphones around here have been gone for a couple of yrs.

 

[cardaway]

How about just calling the police? What if the person in the apt. had a gun? I believe he would have been justified in shooting the guy.

Yup, very lucky.

I do agree that the charges should be different now that more has come out about the case. He still should be charged with a lesser crime and have to pay damages.

 

[sha_lyn]

There's a difference in being involved and assault with a deadly weapon.

#1 - Call the proper authorities.

#2 - If you still want to get "involved" knock on the friggen door! Don't kick it in.

he didn't have a phone

the report said he knocked first

 

[tw1nsmom]

I don't think he should have an excessive punishment, but he needs to understand that he can't jump to conclusions like that. Maybe some theraspy...community service? What if he had a gun in his apartment instead of a sword, or what if his neighbor had a gun? Someone could have been seriously injured.

It's a fine line. You want people to be willing to help other people, but they also have to use some common sense. Maybe someone will give him an old cell phone to use. They all dial 911 even if you don't have service connected to it.

 

[Hercules10]

he didn't have a phone

So not one neighbor had a phone? An entire apartment complex and no phones? Ain't buying it.

the report said he knocked first

"According to a criminal complaint, the neighbor told police that Van Iveren pounded on the door and kicked it open without warning February 12, damaging the frame and lock."

Don't see any mention of knocking. Just indications that someone had watched one too many Charles Bronson movies and is just a tad over-zealous.

 

[meeskamouska]

So the next time you're listening and/or watching a horror movie, with lots of screams on your TV, in your home. Your neighbor can come in and assault you with a AK-47?

Do you honestly beleive that a horror movie with it's screams is in the same catergory as rape porn?? Horror movies are made to be ficticious. Isn't the point of pornography of this sort to be realistic in nature??

This man weilded a weapon in order to scare a potential prepitrator. Women are already socially encouraged to keep vicitimization to themselves...now witnessess and potential heroes are going to here the same negative message.
The value here should be stopping the rape and sexual assaults of women in our society. Protecting women from violence and potential harm should be a good thing not one associated with fear.

 

[Nennie]

God Bless him. In today's society so many people are unwilling to come to a stranger's rescue.

There was no "intent" as he thought he was coming to the defense of a woman who was being raped and/or murdered. The charges should be dropped.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

This guy needs help and I'm not sure Jail is going to be it.

But what he's done is just crazy .

I agree who now a days have no access to a phone of some type.

I could also see it if the tenant was a problem in the past but that doesn't seem to be the case either.

You can't just keep letting nutjobs off because they had good intentions.

What if it was the mans wife and they were roll playing this guy might have ran him right through.

 

[Aidensmom]

The wording on the link to the video just has me in stitches, I don't know why. ( "Watch what damage Van Iveren allegedly left and how the neighbor will watch porn in the future" ).

He should have found a phone (knocked on neighbors door, gone to the leasing office...) and called the police.

The neighbor needs to turn down the volume on his porn.

 

[meeskamouska]

Wow...I guess I view this as something totally different than some of you. I truly see this as a more of a woman's issue than about breaking an entering.

If there was no porn, no fear for a woman's saftey, no question of rape....maybe, then maybe I could understand the charges. But isn't this a sort of good samaritan...not a vigilanty???

He wasn't trying to make the individual pay for his crime, he was trying to stop a crime from being committed.

So, if I see a child being beaten I shouldn't run over and stop it??? I should patiently wait for the police to arrive, all the while feeling I could have prevented more damage???

I can see legalities and charges and rules and regulations....but I also see a person who cared less about his own well-being than of doing to right thing.

 

[Hercules10]

Do you honestly beleive that a horror movie with it's screams is in the same catergory as rape porn?? .

Nobody ever mentioned "Rape porn". Police saw/listened to the video. He was just playing it too loud.

Now let me understand this correctly...You honestly think screams of murder are less important then screams of rape????

Horror movies are made to be ficticious. Isn't the point of pornography of this sort to be realistic in nature??

Porn realistic!!!???

This man weilded a weapon

Exactly my point. Be careful next time you watch "PSYCHO". This guy could be your neighbor and he could have a gun next time.