Former Asheville fireman gets 4 months for shooting at cyclist

Friday, November 20 2009 @ 10:14 AM EST
Contributed by: The human car

Bike ElsewhereASHEVILLE — A former Asheville firefighter will spend 120 days in jail for shooting at a bicyclist, narrowly missing his head with a bullet that pierced the man's helmet.

Charles Alexander Diez, 42, pleaded guilty Thursday to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, but testified during his sentencing hearing that he only fired a warning shot and didn't intend to hurt Alan Ray Simons.

“I was the one who felt truly, truly threatened,” Diez told the court. “It was not my intention to shoot him.”

Simons described being confronted by the 17-year Fire Department veteran on the morning of July 26 as he was riding his bike along Tunnel Road with his 4-year-old son in a seat on the back and his wife on another bike.

He said Diez yelled at him from his car, claiming he was putting the boy's life in danger by riding on the busy roadway.

“We were out for an enjoyable ride, minding our own business,” Simons said. “At any point, he could have left.

“When I got to his door, the gun was pointing at my chest. I turned to walk away, (and) the gun went off. He chose to pull the trigger.”

Superior Court Judge James Downs sentenced Diez to 15-27 months in prison, with all but four months suspended for 30 months. If he runs afoul of the law during that 30 months, the full sentence could be imposed. Diez will be subject to a curfew after his release and must complete an anger management course. He also was ordered to pay Simons $1,200 restitution to cover medical treatments for damage to his eardrum.

The presumptive sentence for someone convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill is 20-39 months under state sentencing guidelines.

RIDING WHEN IT'S DARK

JOIN Joe's Bike shop TO CONQUEROR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME! JOE'S BIKE SHOP and LIGHT & MOTION will be hosting a demonstration of their commuter and Mountain bike light systems. TUES. NOV. 17TH 5:30PM-8:30pm AT THE INTERSECTION OF DULANEY VALLEY RD & SEMINARY AVE. You will have the opportunity to test out the lights to see what works best for your type of riding.

Read the full article at http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20091113123113230

TOUR DE GREATER HOMEWOOD TO HONOR FALLEN CYCLIST

Tuesday, November 03 2009 @ 12:58 PM EST
Contributed by: The human car

Come celebrate Greater Homewood and cycling in Baltimore and pay tribute to the late Jack Yates.

Meet at the University of Baltimore's Gordon Plaza (corner of Maryland and Mount Royal) for some remarks from important cyclists! Meet some of Jack Yates' family! Get an awesome spoke card!

There will be two tour routes. The first is a 15 mile Tour de Greater Homewood, featuring a leisurely ride through tree-lined avenues, main streets, the Jones Falls Trail and more. The second route will be a shorter, family-friendly ride around Central Baltimore, an area of revitalization and arts activity the whole City can be proud of.

There is a suggested donation of $10. Funds will go to the juvenile justice programs that Jack Yates was passionate about.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 8th, at 1pm for the Tour du/de Greater Homewood, being held this year as a memorial to Mr. Jack Yates, who was their board member and friend. Mr. Yates’ family will be joining us.

Location: University of Baltimore, Gordon Plaza
Street: Corner of Maryland Avenue and Mount Royal
City/Town: Baltimore, MD

RSVP on Facebook for an estimate on spoke cards - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159855721190&ref=share

Link to the Route for the Tour:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=108694952189612999998.0004776440001d22e4b9a

For more info, stay tuned to the North Baltimore Bike Blog at http://nbbb.wordpress.com and Greater Homewood Community Corporation's blog at http://greaterhomewood.blogspot.com.

Read the full article at http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20091103125844820