Neo-Nazi shot in Seattle

[eridani]

http://www.horsesass.org/?p=11329

The New Year was scarcely two hours old when Seattle police were forced to shoot an apparent neo-Nazi wearing a German military uniform in the Ravenna-University District.

Police say he aimed a rifle attached with a bayonet at them and refused to put it down.

The wounded man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries but was still alive shortly before 7 a.m., police spokesman Jeff Kappel said.

[eridani]

1. Heard on NPR that it was a student who was a historical re-enactment buff

Very sad.

[ConsAreLiars]

2. My first reaction also. but from the friends' accounts on the local news

it just seems he was what would be called eccentric. Not a bad guy, but geeky guy with an odd fixation and very poor judgment. Senior in Germanic studies at UW, liked to dress up in period costumes, military and otherwise, but a nice guy, not some hatemongering nutter. Firing blanks from a WWII rifle in a city and then not understanding reality well enough to drop it when the cops yelled at him. Sad, indeed.

[Lagomorph]

3. I'm not cetain he was a Nazi

He participated in historical re-enactments as a german soldier. One of many living history groups in the area that lets "adult boys" dress up and play soldier in public.

What he was, was drunk and in costume. I'm just speculating here, but he may have thought the cops were in costume too, if he had seen any of them earlier.

It's too bad though, being drunk is no excuse for threatening behavior. If my info is correct, it was a real WWII Mauser 98K, capable of firing live ammo, and it had a bayonet mounted.

It was a legal self-defense shoot for the LEO's.