Results tagged “mauriceparks”

Maurice Parks, the subway conductor who sought revenge after being mugged but ended up killing an innocent bystander, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Parks had been stabbed by a group of men in Harlem in January 2008; he came across a man he thought was one of his attackers, chased him 200 feet and stabbed him multiple times. Though his lawyer tried to argue he was under duress, Parks was found guilty last month.

Maurice Parks, who killed a man he thought mugged him—but was actually just a bystander—was found guilty of second-degree murder. Over a year ago, Parks, a martial arts expert, had been mugged and stabbed by a group of men on his way home; shortly after the attack, he ran into a man he thought was one of the muggers—so he stabbed him as he was on the phone with 911. Bystander Flonarza Byas died; the NY Times reports Byas "had 15 wounds, including 7 in the back." Parks's lawyer told the Daily News, "You take one piece away, none of this would have happened. It's a tragedy all around... His whole stabbing of Mr. Byas is a reaction to what happened to him." Parks will be sentenced next month and faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. The Times also brings up how Parks applied (and was rejected) to the NYPD three times and that in 1994 he was previously charged with attempted murder, for shooting and wounding a man who tried to rob him (a grand jury decided not to indict him).

The case of the mugging victim who killed a man he thought mugged him—but was actually just a bystander—is now with the jury. In January 2008, Maurice Parks was mugged by a group of attackers, who also stabbed him. Parks, experienced in martial arts, managed to chase them off but then ran into a man he thought was part of the attack and plunged his own knife into him; Flonarza Byas, who was stabbed 15 times, died. During closing arguments, the Daily News reports that prosecutors described Parks as a "judge, jury and executioner," bent on seeking revenge, while defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said Byas tragically walked into "a very dangerous situation." Ricco also claimed Parks didn't intend to kill, especially since he was on the phone with 911 (audio); Ricco mocked, "I'm gonna commit intentional murder, but let me get the police on the phone first. Hello, 911 ... hold on, let me commit this intentional murder."

In January 2008, subway conductor Maurice Parks was walking home in Harlem when he was mugged by a group of attackers who also stabbed him. Parks, a martial arts expert, chased them off but thought he ran into one of them—and fatally stabbed the man, who turned out to be a bystander. Parks is now on trial for Flonarza Byas's death: Prosecutors say Parks "took it upon himself to exact the most ancient form of justice - an eye for an eye," stabbing Byas 15 times. However, Parks' lawyer said his client was "acting under fear and great distress" and "reasonably believed” Byas was one of the attackers, adding, "Mr. Parks was a very innocent victim who made a mistake about another innocent victim." The NY Times has audio of Parks' 911 call, where he tells the operator that he's been attacked and then apparently sees Byas and stabs him—Byas's screams can be heard.

Earlier this year, subway conductor Maurice Parks was coming off his shift when he was attacked by a group of men in Harlem. A skilled martial arts experts, Parks managed to defend himself and in the frenzy, stabbed someone he thought was an attacker--but it turned out to be a bystander who may have been trying to help. Now Parks has been arrested and charged with the bystander's murder.

A New York State senator is proposing a law that makes criminals legally responsible for the inadvertent harm to helpful bystanders who might come to the aid of a person under attack. The proposal comes in the wake of the death of Flonarza Byas, who may have been killed by Maurice Parks while he was defending himself during a robbery.

The violent mugging that turned fatal last week prompted the NY Times to compare people's attitude towards crime safety today versus those of two decades ago, when people would carry mugger money around. (When you Google "mugger money," the first thing that comes up is a 1989 NY Times article, "Even the Nun Have to Carry Mugger Money.") While many people mentioned how safe the city is these days, last week we did hear about a Park Slope mugging (a woman gave the muggers her bag but yelled and neighbors appeared, some chasing the muggers into the park) and one man's relatively recent mugging in not-yet-gentrified Bushwick. If anything, it seem to help if one is aware and walks with confidence.

As the police try to reconstruct the events of Thursday night's mugging attack, a little more information is offered about some of those involved. Subway conductor Maurice Parks was walking home when he was attacked by a group of muggers in Harlem, at West 139th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue late Thursday night. When stabbed, Parks took out his own knife to defend himself. By the end, the police arrested a wounded attacker and another teen attacker, and found that a man who died in the clash was actually a bystander.

Whoa: A NYC Transit worker who was walking home in Harlem was attacked by a group of four men. One stabbed him, but 5 train conductor Maurice Parks managed to pull out his own knife and retaliate, stabbing one 28-year-old in the chest and a 22-year-old in the stomach.