Crowd beat man to death after he stole car with kids inside

[Tony Montana]

In an apparent act of mob justice, a man was beaten to death after he tried to steal a car with three children inside, Philadelphia police said.

Erik Hood, 54, drove off with the car while the children's mother and father were in a store Thursday night, police said. The parents chased down the vehicle on foot and pulled the carjacker out of the car when he got caught in traffic, police said.

Hood assaulted the father and fled, but a large crowd stopped Hood and beat him, police said. He was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital, police said.

"I'm not a fan of street justice," Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said at a press conference Friday. "I think everything should play out through us as it comes to criminal actions."
Police have video footage of the encounter and are trying to identify the people who assaulted Hood, Smith said. No arrests have been made, he said.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said prosecutors are waiting for police to complete their investigation before commenting.
The children in the vehicle were not harmed, police said.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-beaten-to-death-by-crowd-after-stealing-crowd-us-news/41533002-3f96-4c13-a4da-06075fa52ac6

[Denver]

They should all face murder charges tbh,

[Livia]

Wow.... kind of grim. But I understand that people get angry when kids are involved... who knew why he drove off with them, and what he intended for them. If he was a paedophile, I have no problem with his being killed. Otherwise.... there should be some sentences handed out.

[Tom4784]

Mob justice is never the answer, what would have been a positive story of people working together to prevent a kidnapping has become one of murder and I can only hope that both the people involved face justice in order to dissuade others from taking such actions and that the children haven't been too traumatised by potentially seeing someone murdered in front of them.

[Shaun]

They should all face manslaughter charges tbh. I wouldn't class it as murder since I doubt any of them set out to kill him, but this is still horrific.

[Dogeatdog]

I feel sorry for the children. This must have been horrible for them.

[Ammi]

Mob justice is never the answer, what would have been a positive story of people working together to prevent a kidnapping has become one of murder and I can only hope that both the people involved face justice in order to dissuade others from taking such actions and that the children haven't been too traumatised by potentially seeing someone murdered in front of them.

They should all face manslaughter charges tbh. I wouldn't class it as murder since I doubt any of them set out to kill him, but this is still horrific.

...both of these, really...it’s an horrific and terrifying mob act that should have a weighty charge...hopefully manslaughter...?...I can’t imagine how sickened and helpless for anyone who witnessed it...

[bots]

it should have been a citizens arrest until the police arrived and could take over. I suspect there is more to this than is being reported.

[Marsh.]

Wow.... kind of grim. But I understand that people get angry when kids are involved... who knew why he drove off with them, and what he intended for them. If he was a paedophile, I have no problem with his being killed. Otherwise.... there should be some sentences handed out.

So, if he was a pedo, the act of murder is justified. If he was just an ordinary carjacker then they should face some murder charges? :/

[arista]

Yes was reported on CNN HD
last week
Shocking.

[Livia]

So, if he was a pedo, the act of murder is justified. If he was just an ordinary carjacker then they should face some murder charges? :/

I'm sorry Marshy if that doesn't work for you, but for me terrorists and paedophiles, the only good ones are dead ones.

I never mentioned murder.

[Marsh.]

I'm sorry Marshy if that doesn't work for you, but for me terrorists and paedophiles, the only good ones are dead ones.

I never mentioned murder.

Killing someone is murder.

Either it's wrong or it's not. Picking and choosing who you think deserves or doesn't deserve death is a slippery slope.

[Livia]

Killing someone is murder.

Either it's wrong or it's not. Picking and choosing who you think deserves or doesn't deserve death is a slippery slope.

Oh thank you for the explanation about murder, I really needed that.

I am not going to lose sleep over a dead paedo, if you do, that's your call, I certainly won't be judging YOU.

I'm a ***ing bigot and a racist, and a proper all round monster. I'm a terrible person Marshy. Have you not been reading the threads today?

[Marsh.]

Oh thank you for the explanation about murder, I really needed that.

You're very welcome, love.


I am not going to lose sleep over a dead paedo, if you do, that's your call, I certainly won't be judging YOU.

Who's losing sleep over a pedo and who's judging you over not sympathising with a pedo?


I'm a ***ing bigot and a racist, and a proper all round monster. I'm a terrible person Marshy. Have you not been reading the threads today?

Ok?

[user104658]

Wow.... kind of grim. But I understand that people get angry when kids are involved... who knew why he drove off with them, and what he intended for them. If he was a paedophile, I have no problem with his being killed. Otherwise.... there should be some sentences handed out.

How could the crowd possibly have known either way at the time, though? That's the problem.

He could have been a child molester targetting those kids, yes, but also he could have been a schizophrenic having an episode. Of course either way it's a good thing that he was stopped, but a crowd of people could easily have restrained him rather than beating the hell out of him, in order for the authorities to sort out the details properly. Even if it DOES turn out that he was a child molester or serial killer. That would purely be "luck" for the people eho killed him. They had no idea who he was.

[Livia]

You're very welcome, love.



Who's losing sleep over a pedo and who's judging you over not sympathising with a pedo?



Ok?

Don't call me love. It's really rude and annoying.

You're the person crusading that murder is murder and let the poor paedos live. I am happy for them to die. If you want another half a dozen posts saying the same things in different ways, you're unlucky.

[Marsh.]

Don't call me love. It's really rude and annoying.

You're the person crusading that murder is murder and let the poor paedos live. I am happy for them to die. If you want another half a dozen posts saying the same things in different ways, you're unlucky.

Where have I called any pedos "poor pedos"?

We don't even know if this story was about a pedo. :shrug:

I'm talking about the lack of consistency in saying it's ok for one human to kill another human "I have no problem with his being killed" and then deciding it's wrong "Otherwise.... there should be some sentences handed out". Do you not personally see how that kind of thinking in regard to murder/manslaughter has no place in civilised society and simply can't work?

"The victim was a bad person, so it's fine" just has so many problems with it. :shrug:

P.S. I don't see how "love" is anymore rude or patronising than "Marshy" but whatever.

[Beso]

My nephew got car jacked when he was 2 in edinburgh..

His dad popped into his pub for the afternoons takings while he was asleep at 2 in his seat in the back..came back out 10 mins later to the car gone...


The thief stopped half a mile down the road and phoned the police waiting behind a bush until they arrived.



Different folks I suppose.

[Beso]

I'm sorry Marshy if that doesn't work for you, but for me terrorists and paedophiles, the only good ones are dead ones.

I never mentioned murder.

I don't have any issue with this...sorry but life is tough.

[Tom4784]

Don't call me love. It's really rude and annoying.

You're the person crusading that murder is murder and let the poor paedos live. I am happy for them to die. If you want another half a dozen posts saying the same things in different ways, you're unlucky.

It seems like you've gone off the deep end again.

You are basically picking and choosing when murder is okay and when people call bull**** for what it is, you are making out that they are sympathetic to peadophiles. It's a disgusting tactic and one you use often, very recently you made out that pretty much anyone that supports labour is an anti-semite and now you're suggesting people who don't agree with your views are sympathetic to peadophiles. It's poor form and does nothing to add to the discussion but it certainly does it's best to force out opinions you dislike.

A human life is a human life and should be treated equally in the eyes of the law, anyone with experience of law should know that. When you start picking and choosing if murder applies depending on the victim and not the circumstances then law falls apart.

No one truly knows who this man is and it really doesn't matter because it's the circumstances of his death that matter here. Whether it's murder or manslaughter depends on nothing more than the circumstances of the crime.

[Marsh.]

I don't have any issue with this...sorry but life is tough.

And so is the law, that states one human cannot kill another.

[thesheriff443]

Things like this happen from time to time, groups of people are stoning women to death in other countries for having affairs while married .

We live under the laws of the land but these laws don’t always give justice to those who deserve it.

[user104658]

We live under the laws of the land but these laws don’t always give justice to those who deserve it.

Is being beaten to death an appropriate punishment for stealing a car, though? Is there any evidence that the person who was killed knew there were kids in the car when he stole it, or that the intention was to abduct them? As Parm mentioned in his example - there are quite a few stories of cars being stolen with kids in them and then the opportunistic thief stopping and calling the authorities when they realise. Even if the thief did realise there were kids in the car, the plan might have been to leave the area and then make them get out at a gas station or whatever.

Or of course he MIGHT have been abducting them.

But we'll never know, now. And that's why due process exists and we should never willingly accept instances of vigilante justice. It's a mystery. Maybe he was some monster who was planning unspeakable things... maybe he was just some random petty car thief... and anyone who would suggest that a car thief being kicked to death in the street is anything resembling "justice" doesn't belong in any civilised society tbqfh.

[thesheriff443]

Is being beaten to death an appropriate punishment for stealing a car, though? Is there any evidence that the person who was killed knew there were kids in the car when he stole it, or that the intention was to abduct them? As Parm mentioned in his example - there are quite a few stories of cars being stolen with kids in them and then the opportunistic thief stopping and calling the authorities when they realise. Even if the thief did realise there were kids in the car, the plan might have been to leave the area and then make them get out at a gas station or whatever.

Or of course he MIGHT have been abducting them.

But we'll never know, now. And that's why due process exists and we should never willingly accept instances of vigilante justice. It's a mystery. Maybe he was some monster who was planning unspeakable things... maybe he was just some random petty car thief... and anyone who would suggest that a car thief being kicked to death in the street is anything resembling "justice" doesn't belong in any civilised society tbqfh.

My comment about justice did not relate to this crime, you can kill a person in a car by drink drug reckless driving or all three and get a suspended sentence and that’s an example of justice not being served.