Hammer-Struck Teen Can't Remember Bodega Melee

Bunkless Bovian took the witness stand in Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday to testify against deli clerk Salah Ahmed, who's on trial for hitting him on the head with a hammer during a brawl in his East New York store last April. Bovian (pictured), 16, told the jury he doesn't remember the details leading up to the incident, and only recalls "waking up in the hospital thinking I got stabbed... I still get bad headaches. Sometimes, I can't even lift my head off my pillow." But the attorney defending Ahmed pounced on the teen's testimony, asking, "You don't remember jumping on the counter and stomping on the clerk? Your memory seems to be a little selective. Do you remember anything bad you've done?" Bovian said he does recall being on friendly terms with Ahmed at one time, even helping him carry in sodas. But now the ninth grader thinks "he should go to jail. My dream was to go to the NBA... I used to get 30 points a game. Now, they hardly let me play." If convicted, Ahmed faces up to 25 years in prison.

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By John Del Signore in News on April 30, 2009 11:44 AM

Comments [rss]

charlesbklyn

The real question to be asked is why this case is being prosecuted in the first place. It is very unfortunate the D.A. decided to go forward in a case of clear self-defense of person and property. I only hope that after the jury acquits the store owner, the message is clear to everyone: if you perpetrate violence, good citizens are allowed to fight back without fear the government will win a prosecution by second guessing the actions of good citizens under threaten circumstances. This is political nonsense.

PTG in nyc

When will his mom testify about how great a student he is?

All competitive industries have very low success rates, and although it never hurts to dream, the sad truth is that most NBA dreamers end up being criminals once their dreams don't become a reality because they didn't bother to think of academics as a decent backup plan.

Whether or not the bodega clerk overreacted, I'd imagine that working a bodega in East New York is one of the more dangerous jobs out there, and we all know that teenage punk asses causing trouble deserve more beatings than they get.

babyhitler

NBA? You can't steal a damn soda pop much less a basketball. Would have been a shitty point guard.

Clickety-Clickety Clack

OH PLEASE. I'd would have cracked him in the head with a hammer too if he I was in the deli-owner's position.

NBA? Cry me a river. Looks like he was headed on the fast-track to jail as opposed to professional basketball.

nicemarmot

I don't have any sympathy for this kid, but he's probably telling the truth about not remembering. People with head injuries usually don't remember the time period leading up to the injury.