Rocks vs. Cross Bow: A True Story

I thought about posting this in the Breaking News forum, then decided against it since I'm more interested in hearing from someone who is knowledgeable about cross bows.

Here is an article about a boy who was pitching rocks at a truck, but was "persuaded" to stop once the truck's disgruntled passenger fired a cross bow at him. The brat was hit in the torso with the arrow and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The assailant with the cross bow nor the truck's driver were arrested.
hosted.ap.org...

So, I have to ask, was the person launching the arrow a bad shot or just intending to teach the kid a really harsh lesson?

The article doesn't say how far away the kid was from the truck, but seeing as he was close enough to hit the truck with the rocks he was throwing, he must've been close enough. I always thought that cross bow hunters had to be pretty accurate so that the prey wouldn't run off or suffer needlessly. Plus, with all the people who want to outlaw guns, this story proves that you can't and won't get rid of all weapons. Rocks and cross bows will never be outlawed, so you might as well stop complaining. In a survival/life or death scenario, I'd much rather be able to defend myself with a gun or a cross bow instead of rocks. After all, we saw who won this show down.

Please don't think I'm condoning shooting brats with arrows, or anything else for that matter. I'd just bet my last dollar that the rock thrower and his friend got the lesson of a lifetime and won't be throwing anymore rocks at vehicles. I do hope that the police do arrest the people in the truck. They need to be taught a lesson, too.

Plus, considering how many people are killed when teenagers throw bricks and pumpkins off overpasses, this article might make them think twice.

So, for all you cross bow hunters out there, in your professional opinion, was the person who handled the cross bow a lousy shot or did he intentionally hit the kid in a nonvital area?

(I'd just like to add that we all have to take our medicine for the things we do -- and sometimes that medicine tastes pretty bitter. We also need to remember to respect those around us as well as their property. You never know who will use lethal force against you.)

A good old ass-kicking would have been enough. Who carries a crossbow around in their vehicle anyways, knives and guns are kinda common, but crossbows?

Nowadays you cant spank them but a crossbow bolt is fine...
Not telling they did (very) wrong, brats need some sort of teaching as of late, but Im surprised they did not get arrested. Maybe they just shot the kid and took him straight to the hospital? That would account for the lack of police intervention.

reply to post by Afterthought


I am just curious if you read this here:
gawker.com...

It was posted there about nine hours ago (Aug 30, 2011 3:37 PM EST). Just curious....(I see a lot of threads here that are posted hours after they are posted on sites like that-maybe I should get on the trend....)

It doesn't say much in the article about what weight crossbow or type of bolts fired. If it's anything like my crossbow that would defininately be classified as deadly force and would lead to an attempted murder charge. I'd take a hit from 9mm ball than one of my bolts in the chest all day any day. Since no charges were filed I'm assuming it was some sort of toy or low powered wrist rocket type crossbows and the media is making a story out of nothing.

reply to post by adraves


No, I hadn't seen that. The only article I read was the one I linked to in my OP. The article you linked to was hilarious though! I liked the witty way it was written. Midevil artillary!

Plus, your article seems to have more info in it. From what it says, the boys were throwing stones at several cars. From my article, it seemed as though it was just the truck they were targeting.

reply to post by EyesWideShut


Thanks for the technical info you offered. You may be right about a small wrist bow being used. I sure wish the articles stated more. Journalism isn't what it used to be.

Originally posted by Afterthought
reply to post by adraves

 

No, I hadn't seen that. The only article I read was the one I linked to in my OP. The article you linked to was hilarious though! I liked the witty way it was written. Midevil artillary!

Plus, your article seems to have more info in it. From what it says, the boys were throwing stones at several cars. From my article, it seemed as though it was just the truck they were targeting.

Ah if you haven't seen those sites before I recommend checking it out. Gizmodo, Lifehacker, io9, Gawker, and Kotaku are my favorites.

They really try try to scour the internet for this sort info and post before anyone else. It is a great tool to use here at ATS if you want to post breaking info....and it is fun/funny too.

it all depends on the power of the crossbow, some are made for just target shooting, others are much more powerful used for hunting. I've seen a hunting crossbow bury itself in a target up to its fletching!

Anyone that thinks shooting a "brat" with a crossbow is okay is pretty messed up in the head.

reply to post by ThirdMind


I woulda used an airsoft or paintball gun myself

I've done some checking and it turns out he was simply an innocent bystander. sort of like this,,,

Paddy and Mick are on safari when Mick spots a pride of lions.
Without hesitation, he picks up the nearest rock and throws it at the lions.
"Stop it, Mick," says Paddy.
"Aw, feck em," replies Mick and throws another one.
"Fer feck's sake, Mick, stop it" says Paddy.
"Aw feck em," says Mick again and throws another,
this time hitting the biggest male of the pride right between his eyes.
The lion immediately jumps to his feet and starts running
towards Mick and Paddy, with the rest of the pride not far behind.
Mick begins to run away but sees Paddy not moving.
"Paddy, run," says Mick.
To which Paddy replies, "why? I didn't throw any rocks."

Originally posted by KaiserSoze
I've done some checking and it turns out he was simply an innocent bystander. sort of like this,,,

Paddy and Mick are on safari when Mick spots a pride of lions.
Without hesitation, he picks up the nearest rock and throws it at the lions.
"Stop it, Mick," says Paddy.
"Aw, feck em," replies Mick and throws another one.
"Fer feck's sake, Mick, stop it" says Paddy.
"Aw feck em," says Mick again and throws another,
this time hitting the biggest male of the pride right between his eyes.
The lion immediately jumps to his feet and starts running
towards Mick and Paddy, with the rest of the pride not far behind.
Mick begins to run away but sees Paddy not moving.
"Paddy, run," says Mick.
To which Paddy replies, "why? I didn't throw any rocks."

This was the most interesting thing I've read all day.

My brother and I used to throw water balloons into open bus windows.

But we were only 10 and 9.

The 16 year old throwing rocks at cars from an over pass should be arrested. He's old enough to know how much harm he can cause.

Yes - the crossbow shooter should be too - - if he is found.

If i knew people that shot kids with cross bows i would F all their stuff up big time.

Originally posted by gossipnancy
If i knew people that shot kids with cross bows i would F all their stuff up big time.

shot kids with cross bows ? unbelievable for that.

If kids threw rocks or bricks at you in your car, what would you rather shoot them with? Shotgun and rocksalt or rubber bullets? Firearms are not a good idea. Taser, pepper spray? No distance. Do nothing or just drive away? Not a chance. Chase them? Get stoned to death. Throw rocks back? They've already damaged your property.

The kids were punks on their way to career criminals who needed to be taught a lesson to end that path. Don't care who their parents were, they obviously had crappy parents who needed their parent licenses taken away.

If I throw a rock at you and hit you in the head, and I am at a close enough distance, and the rock is heavy enough, and I throw it hard enough, the rock could kill you.

People HAVE been killed by people simply dropping rocks off overpasses.

So even though we don't have the whole story, theoretically these kids were using deadly physical force. The people in the truck were defending themselves.

The kids should be thankful they weren't shot with a firearm.

Several months ago, I read a story in Outdoor Life, about youth's, cruising the country roads, here in the U.S., with loaded weapons at the ready, in their car's or truck's looking for anything to kill: mainly deer, just to watch them bleed to death and die; and leave them there to rot.

I forgot the term labeled for the deed from these bloodlust killers. Used to be only roadside sign's that were the target, but this roadside "fun," has seemed to have been upped a notch from these bloodthirsty killer's.

The right to carry firearms, should be mandatory for anyone walking, running, or biking along the dangerous roads of the United States.

reply to post by Afterthought

The news story says that the rock thrower was hit "in the right side". That suggests a hit to the chest or abdomen, not the arms, legs, or head. If that is what happened, and that is where the bowman was aiming, then we have to assume that the bowman was either willing to kill the rock thrower, or a very ignorant person, because any hit to the chest or abdomen by any projectile weapon has the possibility of being a lethal shot.

From a practical point of view "Less lethal" target areas on a human really only include the arms, hands, legs below the knee, and feet. Anywhere else and you have major blood vessels and other vital organs in such close proximity to each other that it there is significant chance the target will bleed out, or suffer fatal nervous system damage, from the wound.