A pleasant change of pace

[dianeduane]

(Like those UK commercials that showed things like giant hedgehogs running over tiny little trucks.)

Normally any time we hear the word "samurai" in a TV news story, Peter and I both wince, expecting to hear about somebody who's run amuck somewhere with a cheap katana. But today, for a change, it's something different.

Police are trying to trace a mysterious samurai sword-wielding vigilante who came to the rescue of two officers when they were being attacked by an armed gang.

The officers had been set upon after they tried to disrupt a burglary at a flat in Laygate, South Shields.

...One of [the burglars] lunged at a policeman with his knife - but just as he did so, a mysterious do-gooder appeared from nowhere and attacked [the burglar] with a samurai sword.

One of the burglars ran off, but was stopped by the stranger, who hit him on the arm with the sword.

He was arrested, along with another man from the flat, but in true superhero fashion the samurai man disappeared before police could speak to him.

Going to be interesting to see how this unfolds...

Comments

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

How very odd. Well, one hopes he is a good type and not an insane type. Or at least a good crazy type...

[yume-no-kage.livejournal.com]

*facepalm* If this was in my area I'd be calling a few friends to make sure it wasn't them. Or rather, one of them in particular.

*wanders off muttering about lovably crazy friends*

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

Mysterious? How is it that he wasn't identifiable? Was he wearing a mask?

I haven't seen these hedgehog commercials of which you speak, but I do have a much-loved postcard, sent to me years ago by my mother, showing a hedgehog walking over a toy car. The caption on the back is "Hedgehog's Revenge". I really do like hedgehogs. :-)

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

It's quite probable that none of the police officers recognised him. Unless they had happened to be hanging around taking pictures of what was going on rather than attempting to assist their colleagues in danger, I would expect there to be no pictures either.

Being a burglary scene during winter, it was probably night-time.

So, unidentifiable, because no-one really got a good, considered look at him, and no pictures to look at afterwards. It really doesn't require a mask.

(BBC report)

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

H'mm, that makes sense. I tend to imagine that police officers are specially trained to remember details of faces, something I am extraordinarily bad at doing because I am so busy processing them into a snap impression about someone's character and/or mood. ("Ummm, no, officer... well, he was white, and, er, probably in his early twenties... I think he had light hair, but don't quote me on that, and he looked thoroughly cheesed off.") But in the circumstances I'm sure you're right.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Oe of my colleagues is a (now-former) part-time police officer. I know he's not superhuman! (Not even partly.)

I wonder if there's a name for the fallacy of assuming someone else is 100% competent. It must be pretty common. Well, I assume so, because I frequently suffer fall for it if I don't stop to think, and I'm not so egotistical as to maintain that even my mistakes are unique!

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

:-)

There ought to be a name for it, definitely. I'm tempted to call it Wilfred Syndrome, after a much-loved cuddly penguin in my possession whose expression suggests two things: 1) that he is extremely drunk, and 2) that the person he is looking at is most awfully clever, so that he is a little awestruck. I have a friend who finds him very comforting to have around while he is writing poetry, for that very reason.

[psycho-machia.livejournal.com]

there is a general assumption that police officers, judges etc are infallible in law. The best example of this is the belief that quiz masters are intelligent (when after all they have the answers in front of them, Ok Fry may be an exemption!)

It's called attribution error

[starkruzr.livejournal.com]

That is awesome.



(That was the first phrase that came to mind when I read this story, but I can't remember for the life of me where it's from.)

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod was unavailable for comment.

[anamin.livejournal.com]

lolz!

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the EXACT SAME THING.

[batyatoon]

As was Hiro Nakamura.

[ruisseau.livejournal.com]

That's what I was thinking! :)

[batyatoon]

That's a great icon. :D!

[ckd]

Also Hiro Protagonist.

[azurelunatic]

That was a pretty righteous bust.

[wolfette]

my thoughts exactly :-)

[katerinfg.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful story! Would you mind if I link to your post from my journal?

[dduane.livejournal.com]

Hey, feel free!

[anamin.livejournal.com]

Wow. Sort of reminds me of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. . .

[feorag.livejournal.com]

The police probably want to charge the sword-weilding stranger with assault with a deadly weapon or something.

[dduane.livejournal.com]

That thought crossed my mind too. (mutter)

[madfilkentist]

If not, the burglars will sue.

[meryddian.livejournal.com]

That's what I was thinking. Where did this happen?

I mean, a katana isn't exactly an easily-concealed weapon, but I certainly got a lot of strange looks when I was walking around with one for Halloween, so it kind of makes you wonder what this guy was walking around with one for. (Bulletproof Monk? Mwahahah.)

[meryddian.livejournal.com]

(Oh and it was a FAKE katana in my case, just in case anybody thinks I'd walk around with my real katana!)

[the-red-baron.livejournal.com]

Well, the story doesn't say katana, just "samurai sword," so maybe it was a wakizashi?

[xnamkrad.livejournal.com]

Who was that masked stranger?

On the other hand, there was a case here (Ireland) a few years ago. A couple heard noises in their house, early morning. The husband chased the intruder and as he was jumping over the wall, hit him with a golf club. The next day he was arrested and charged with assault. At the court case, he was found guilty (as the intruder was leaving, so no self defence) and received a week in jail - suspended. Then the judge asked the intruder to explain exactly what was he doing in the house. He got six months.

[squirrelette.livejournal.com]

That is a change from the usual "sword wielding maniac" tabloid story. I wonder if it was another gang member who changed his mind about his mates attacking the cops. The rest of them seem to have been armed with rather low-tech tools.

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

Haaaaa, that is AWESOME.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Why do I think "Crocodile Dundee" and knife comparisons.
I don't blame the guy for running off though it probably stopped him from being brought up on charges of "assault with a deadly weapon". Mind you having been rescued by him you can't help wondering if the police wanted to let him escape or were just disappointed they didn't get a chance to thank him.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more about the line 'I'll see your six (http://minstrel.starstonedesign.com/archives/filk/000084.html)'...

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

LOL!
Chick in chainmail!
Is it a filk or poem? If filk is there an audio version available?
Me want if there is!

[gfish.livejournal.com]

Filk, to the tune of The Sleeping Scotsman. I've never seen a recording of it, but that's a very well known tune, so you could almost certainly take the lyrics to a circle and get someone to perform it.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Well just checked it's By Bethancourt so almost be bound to be somewhere in the ether!

Love to be in a position to filk! Unfortunately not much chance of a con and the SCA is quieter in Elizabeth's isle!