Police: Road rage led to York shooting death

[LowFlyer]

I'm surprised this wasn't on here....................(at least I couldn't find it.....)



Police: Road rage led to York shooting death
Douglas Allen Need's femoral artery was severed when he was shot Saturday.
By MICHELE CANTY

Daily Record/Sunday News
Article Last Updated: 07/01/2008 10:05:48 AM EDT

Douglas Allen Need was shot and killed in a melee stemming from "road rage," police said.

On Monday, authorities said the shooting may have been justifiable, but they are still investigating.

His death is listed as a homicide and is being investigated by York City Police and the York County District Attorney's Office.

Witnesses told police Need was driving wildly in the 400 block of East Philadelphia Street in York Saturday evening. During the ride, he cut off a car containing two women and a baby, police said.

Need and the women stopped their cars and argued. The fight turned physical, with Need hitting one of the women, police said.

A family member from a car behind was punched when he tried to help her fight Need, who police said was yelling and threatening the women's lives.

Need and his passenger were arguing and fighting with the people from the other car, police said, when another man in another vehicle stopped to intervene.

The man was armed and was "aggressively" approached by Need, York City Police Lt. Ron Camacho said. The man warned Need to step back and fired at least one warning shot, Camacho said.

Need kept approaching and was shot in the leg, Camacho said.

The 42-year-old died at York Hospital soon after his arrival, police said.

The shot severed Need's femoral artery, causing his death, the York County Coroner's Office reported Monday.

The femoral artery, a main artery which runs from the abdomen to the knee, carries blood to the lower body.

As a main blood source for the extremities, a cut in the femoral artery can be fatal by causing a person to lose a large amount of blood in a manner of minutes, according to WebMD.com.

Police believe Need had been drinking but are waiting for the results of toxicology reports to confirm it, Camacho said.

York County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Graff said the district attorney's office is still waiting on several reports before making a ruling in the death.

Graff said the office's initial assessment still stands that the shooting may be justifiable.

The shooter was taken into custody in the parking lot where Need was killed without incident. He has cooperated with authorities, police and district attorney's office, officials said.

A handgun used in the homicide was also recovered, police said.

The shooter will be named after the district attorney's office completes its investigation and makes a ruling on the homicide, police said.

FEMORAL ARTERY

The body has two femoral arteries that branch off from about mid-abdomen into each thigh. They are among the body's biggest vessels, and in the groin area and upper thigh, are about as big around as an index finger.

Stopping blood loss from a bullet hole in that region can be extremely challenging if the wound is close to the groin. It would be hard to put a tourniquet around it, said Dr. Gannon Dudlar, an emergency medicine specialist at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.

An injury of this type "essentially means you can lose all the blood in your whole body within five minutes," said Dr. Mary Pat McKay, director of George Washington University's Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Source:The Associated Press

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Yes, I know, warning shots should not be fired, but at least he didn't jump out of his car shooting!

We'll see how it plays out.

[crlovel]

No great losss.

[Damage control]

I wonder if this would help the shooter?

Good Samaritan laws (acts) in the United States and Canada are laws/acts protecting from blame those who choose to aid others who are injured or ill. They are intended to reduce bystanders' hesitation to assist, for fear of being sued or prosecuted for unintentional injury or wrongful death.


Under the common law, Good Samaritan laws provide a defence against torts over the activity of attempted rescue. Such laws do not constitute a duty to rescue, such as exists in some civil law countries, and in the common law under certain circumstances. However, the duty to rescue where it exists may itself imply a shield from liability; for example, under the German law of "Unterlassene Hilfeleistung" (neglect of duty to provide assistance), a citizen is obliged to provide first aid when necessary and is immune from prosecution if assistance given in good faith turns out to be harmful.

DC

[Delco Sig]

I was thinking the same thing, good Samaritan laws.

Its an interesting dichotomy. We live in a society where people get sued for trying to help their fellow man (I know Samaritan covers criminal charges, but I don't think so for civil suits). Some would argue the guy who shot him was looking for a fight by stopping his car and intervening. Others would argue he did a great thing by trying to help. Crazy world we live in.

EDIT: after reading the post on GS laws again, I realized the word tort. I guess it does cover civil liability.

[JohnUSCG]

The people involved in this altercation have stated publicly that the good samaritan 'Undoubtedly saved their lives"


+1 for the good guys

[Keith4001r]

I'm interested in seeing how this plays out.


Keith
PAFOA PROUD!

[glock27owner]

not sure i would pull over and help...unless u are 100%sure of the circumstance....best to stay out of it....i don't know just my opinion

[justashooter]

400 block of east philadelphia is a section 8 neighborhood. enough said.

[fingers80002]

The only problem I see.
The warning shot. I'm not sure that is a good idea.

[Pennywise]

The good Samaritan May be in deep trouble if the man he shot did not have a weapon.
Is it legal to shoot somebody in a fist fight?