Alta. Good Samaritan beaten for standing up for stranger in dispute

[speedog]

Once again, someone, who apparently lives by quite a different set of morals then most of us, is in custody while someone else is fighting for their life. It is interesting how we all can read of some of Beyond's keyboard warriors who say they'd stomp on someone, maybe not in the same circumstances, but still say they'd beat the hell out of someone using retribution as an excuse. I don't care what the excuse is to stomp on someone's head - it just isn't right as far as I'm concerned unless it's in true self defence of yourself or someone near to you that's unable to defend themselves at the time of any said incident. Assault, even if in retribution, is just plain wrong. That said, my gut feeling is that this 24-year-old Kyle Douglas Giroux is no saint by any stretch of the imagination - most likely someone not even worthy of being associated with pond scum...

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. -- A 45-year-old Alberta man is in a coma after he was assaulted Thursday while defending someone outside a convenience store.

John St. Jean, of Grande Prairie, Alta., is in the University of Alberta hospital on life support with injuries to his head and face.

RCMP have not confirmed details of the attack, but St. Jean's wife says he was standing up for someone outside a Mac's convenience store.

“You know it was a freak accident and John would do it again. If he thought he was defending someone who couldn't (defend themselves) and he thought he had a better shot of holding his own, he'd do it again, I know he would,” Dawn Mackay told QMI Agency.

In an interview with CBC, Mackay said she was told St. Jean interjected after a man called a boy a racial slur. In the altercation, St. Jean ended up on the ground and the other man stomped on his head, she said.

St. Jean's nose is broken in a few places, she said, and a facial bone near the eye socket was broken. He also suffered head injuries.

The first attempt to take St. Jean off breathing tubes didn't go well, Mackay said Saturday.

“They're going to wait another full day, keep him sedated and reduce some of the swelling he has in his facial area and we'll try again tomorrow. I was hoping they'd try again today but they said it's too hard on him,” she said.

“They're not sure if it's a pain response that's causing it or if it's his body coming off of the sedative. It was awful to watch. His body would just tremble all over, just like a seizure,” she said.

Mackay said the family is grateful for the support they've received.

Westjet flew their son and his girlfriend from Nova Scotia to Edmonton to be with St. Jean and a crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $5,000.

24-year-old Kyle Douglas Giroux is charged with aggravated assault and failing to comply with a probation order. He remains in custody until a court appearance on April 8.

[email protected]

Twitter: @DHTJocelyn

Link to Calgary SUN story.

[C_Dave45]

Sadly this is why I would think twice about jumping in to help any type of domestic situation or any type of assault, robbery, etc. Too many times we see innocent good Samaritans beaten to death.
Hopefully this guy makes it.
POS kid. Waste of oxygen.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Kyle Douglas Giroux, back to the big house to learn and share more social and society type skills. Reform certain to be right around the corner, I can sense these things.

I avoid Mac's and the like as a rule for this very reason. Unstable customer base 24/7/365.

[MGCM]

what is with ppl and stomping someone in the head, charge this asshole with attempted murder and lock him away

[Maxt]

Originally posted by C_Dave45
Sadly this is why I would think twice about jumping in to help any type of domestic situation or any type of assault, robbery, etc. Too many times we see innocent good Samaritans beaten to death.
Hopefully this guy makes it.
POS kid. Waste of oxygen.

In the heat of the moment, the consequences usually are not as in focus as the need to do what appears to be right.

[J.M.]

[Nismorphed]

I don't understand how someone could beat someone that bad and not be charged with attempted murder.

[yoda124]

it was a coward attack from behind. Never turn your back if you're going to get involved in a situation like this.

[ZenOps]

Too little information to intervene. Also, I'd never physically intervene on a simplistic "name calling" they are just words afterall.

Maybe he was calling the guy a racial slur because he was smacking around one of his hoes? Then how does the picture change.

Rob Anders the Terrorist.

[Robin Goodfellow]

Originally posted by C_Dave45
Sadly this is why I would think twice about jumping in to help any type of domestic situation or any type of assault, robbery, etc. Too many times we see innocent good Samaritans beaten to death.

Many just don't know how to intervene peacefully without escalating their own conflict.

It requires disrupting the other person, without attempting to dominate them.

It can be done, but it's a fine line.

I'm sure there are unmanageable situations that are predestined to go south in a bad way, but I've disrupted dozens of such fights, without ever suffering more than some harsh words.

[Robin Goodfellow]

Originally posted by ZenOps
Too little information to intervene. Also, I'd never physically intervene on a simplistic "name calling" they are just words afterall.
.

That would be an unnecessary escalation.

But the alternative is not to stand idly by either.

Just call him on it. Say that's ignorant and rude, and that the boy didn't deserve it. It will be meaningful to the boy, that he knows he is not without support. The words may or may not cause the asshole shame, but it's important they be stated nonetheless.

It could be as simple as "C'mon man ... he did not deserve that in the least".

Some of the keyboard heroes on here may dismiss this as not sufficiently dramatic.

It is speaking truth to power - Whether or not power listens, what is important is that truth is spoken and injustice not given tacit approval.

[speedog]

Originally posted by ZenOps
Too little information to intervene. Also, I'd never physically intervene on a simplistic "name calling" they are just words afterall.

Maybe he was calling the guy a racial slur because he was smacking around one of his hoes? Then how does the picture change.

Rob Anders the Terrorist.

The guy you're speaking of was a boy, a boy of 10 years of age according to other news stories. Quite some boy if he had hoes at the age of 10.

[ZenOps]

Ok. How about this completely made up story then:

Guy followed the kid into the 7-11 after seeing him steal from the collection plate at a local church. I'd give a few stiff words to any boy of any race, and I would not expect anyone to try to jump in and talk me down - certainly not get physical.

Guy who jumped in should not have escalated. Impossible given a chance meeting to properly understand the context.

[speedog]

Wow.

I guess one could fabricate pretty much any kind of a scenario to fit one's needs.

Maybe Z is right, maybe the media were all off their meds when reporting this event.

Thx for clearing that all up, Z.

[Thales of Miletus]

Sadly, this is why you must be prepared to use deadly force in any conflict.

[Robin Goodfellow]

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus
Sadly, this is why you must be prepared to use deadly force in any conflict.

Unclear if this is freal, or if this is Thales wearing his Steven Colbert hat.

But I disagree. If one is prepared to exercise a graduated, mindful response, it should rarely, if ever, be necessary to get to the point of deadly force.

[JRSC00LUDE]

No, no, the fact that this happened because someone was prepared to use deadly force is why you must always be prepared to use deadly force. No matter what. Every time.

[MalibuStacy]

Lady's and gents beware, we have connect three. Robin Goodfellow, ZenOps, and Thales all in the same thread

[mr2mike]

Where's Arash?

[MalibuStacy]

Originally posted by mr2mike
Where's Arash?

Shhh, we don't wanna spook them