Burrows confirmed that alcohol did not play a factor in the incident and Bryant is not subject to charges for leaving the scene of a collision. "We can confirm that one of the many 911 calls we received was from the (man in custody,)" Burrows said.posted by smackfu at 10:23 AM on September 1, 2009
The cyclist killed in an altercation with former Ontario attorney-general Michael Bryant had been drinking and was involved in a confrontation with police earlier in the evening....Earlier eyewitness accounts describe an angry clash between Mr. Bryant and Mr. Sheppard – a toot of the horn and a shout to get moving from Mr. Bryant; a refusal and perhaps an answering shout from Mr. Sheppard; Mr. Bryant edging his convertible closer, and by one account, actually hitting Mr. Sheppard's bike, whereupon Mr. Sheppard allegedly left his bike and marched over and reached into the offending open car.More details.
drivers: stop at the stop line; cyclists: stop at the stop sign; pedestrians: use the goddamn crosswalk. christ, it's not rocket scienceI disagree with this kind of thinking - that is that everything would be ok if people obeyed the rules. It's a programmatic approach and it ultimately fails because we are organic humans not mechanistic blobs.
This is a near-complete waste of a thread.I have no idea why people don't think the car/bike/road debate does not belong here.
...
All the riffing and arguments here about cars vs cyclists, bike lanes, etc is off-topic, fun as it was.
...[I]t is the motorist who has the greater responsibility – not just because he is the only party licensed by society to drive, by which I mean granted the privilege of driving – but because on some level, all of us understand the rules, one of which is that behind the wheel, we are driving a potential weapon. The burden of sucking up the insult, the raised finger, even the punch, and acting like a grown up is always and forever with us.When you're driving a piece of heavy equipment, like a car, you don't have the luxury of acting like a toddler. It's such a common-place activity though, we forget that.
Syed Abbas (9/5/2009 12:30:29 PM)posted by mazola at 9:41 AM on September 5, 2009
What Mr. Bryant should have done is what any reasonable, mature, male should have. When his car hit the cycle (or when the cycle hit the car), Mr. Bryant should have gotten out of his car, asked of the welfare of the cyclist despite the latter's angry disposition, see if he needed any help, and exchanged indentifications for further process.
and
CinToronto (9/5/2009 11:35:40 AM)
What I find interesting is that there has been no mention of Bryant's well-known temper. Lots of background info about Sheppard, but absolutely nothing pertaining to Bryant's character.
... says a veteran Toronto criminal lawyer, loath to have his name published. "Look, the headline on this story should be: `Navigator, changing your perceptions without you even knowing it.'"Spinning the first week of Michael Bryant's new life.
It may be that Mr. Bryant's only crime was to be in the wrong place with the top down. We'll see. Meantime, his is a cautionary tale: Don't become a public figure who's guilty of privilege, ambition and Saab-driving – or it could happen to you.Morality play and a stampede to judgment*.
Had it been a Conservative in that convertible, wow, there'd be no mercy!The rules are different for high-profile people.
A social networking battle is brewing between the PR handlers of former Ontario attorney general Michael Bryant and supporters of bike courier Darcy Allan Sheppard – the cyclist who was killed in a collision with Bryant's car. Social media experts discuss how both campaigns are progressing.Bryant's social media campaign to clear his name could 'backfire'
Of course, what passes between two angry men on a street can have precious little to do with social station—not least when they’ve never met each other before. Given the facts as they now stand, Bryant may well receive exoneration in a criminal court of law. His trial in the court of public opinion has only just begun.Car vs. Bike: How the lives of two men were destroyed by a cruel twist of fate
"Why do I think it's spin?" he asks. "Because details about Sheppard's ancient run-ins with the law over stolen cheques had nothing to do with what happened the night of his death. Neither did stories about noise complaints from neighbours, or his problems with alcohol ... But they had everything to do with shaping public opinion, turning the public against Sheppard, and in support of Bryant."Bryant and bike courier a class issue
“What Bryant recognized in hiring [Navigator] is that there's a difference between a court of law and the court of public opinion,” said Mr. Tisch. “Is it good for Bryant that he got them on board? I'd say yes, at least so far. Is it good for society? The jury's out, to use a legal image.”Michael Bryant's spin class
Responding to questions regarding his company’s work for Bryant, Navigator spokesperson Dan Robertson offered a defense: “From day one, there has been speculation, innuendo and rumor. It is perfectly fair to insist on accuracy, especially at a time when Mr. Bryant is not able to publicly tell his side of the story.” Ironically, Navigator could have been describing the man their client was charged with killingWhen Worlds Collide
...So that was the spin. Why do I think it’s spin? Because details about Sheppard’s ancient run-ins with the law over stolen checks had nothing to do with what happened the night of his death. Neither did stories about noise complaints from neighbors, or his problems with alcohol. And perhaps most important, neither did invented “questions” about road-raging cyclists and terrified drivers. But they had everything to do with shaping public opinion, turning the public against Sheppard, and in support of Bryant. The story shifted from the factual “cyclist run down by road-raging driver” to the fanciful “terrified driver attempts to flee angry, drunken criminal.”posted by mazola at 2:25 PM on September 22, 2009
So to set the record straight, here’s what really happened.
On Friday, the Toronto Bike Couriers Association called a press conference at a College Street bar, and supposedly held a fundraiser yesterday for their "very special" friend, Darcy Allan Sheppard -- hitting at the media for articles "damning the life, personality and background" of their former co-worker.A Plea for Justice: Girlfriend of dead cyclist hopes the truth prevails when former Ontario AG faces charges.
It was undoubtedly a tough sell beyond their own group.
Darcy Sheppard may have been a father of four, but he paid little heed, and certainly little support, to any of them.
He was no one's poster boy except, perhaps, to deadbeat dads.
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posted by jquinby at 7:56 AM on September 1, 2009