L.A. Police Say Video Inspired Teens Arrested For Homeless Attacks

ASSOCIATED PRESS



LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Police arrested a pair of 19-year-old men Tuesday for investigation of attempted murder in connection with a baseball bat attack on two homeless men allegedly inspired by a video, officials said.

William Orantes and Justin Brumfield, both of Inglewood, told officers that they had recently seen the DVD ''Bumfights,'' which features homeless people fighting each other, and wanted to do some ''bum bashing'' of their own, said police spokesman Officer Jason Lee.

The first victim, Gerald McHenry, 38, told authorities he was attacked about 2 a.m. Tuesday while sleeping on a downtown sidewalk.

A private security guard about 90 minutes later saw two men beating another homeless man, Ernest Adams, with a bat, police said. The guard followed the suspects and Los Angeles police officers stopped them.

Police recovered two aluminum bats and a replica firearm from their vehicle, Lee said.

Adams was listed in critical condition at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with severe head trauma, Lee said. McHenry was treated and released, he said.

Orantes and Brumfield remained in custody Tuesday night with bail set at $500,000, Lee said.

Two Las Vegas residents who produced the ''Bumfights'' videos were sentenced to 180 days in jail in February for failing to complete community service. They pleaded guilty in June 2003 to misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to stage an illegal fight for their videos. Two other ''Bumfights'' producers also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and were sentenced to community service.

Police Chief William Bratton called the producers of the DVD ''mental midgets.''

''That's the shame of it ... that we as a society allow these kinds of things be promulgated,'' Bratton said.

A Clockwork Orange

Quoted: Police recovered two aluminum bats and a replica firearm from their vehicle, Lee said.

The fact that you've got "Replica" written down the side of your gun. (withdraws his gun) And the fact that I've got "Desert Eagle point five O" written on the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence. Now... Fuck off.

In the 1980's, movies inspired punk teenagers to knock down mailboxes with baseball bats ("Mailbox Baseball" scene in Stand By Me).

In the 2000's, movies inspire punk teenagers to go out and beat people up with baseball bats.

Are the movies really that at fault here? Is it the movies that have changed so much? Or are we dealing with a whole new breed of human these days? My money goes on the latter.

I'm sure mom and dad will say what great kids they are.

Maybe it will help with the bum problem.

Quoted: Quoted: Police recovered two aluminum bats and a replica firearm from their vehicle, Lee said. The fact that you've got "Replica" written down the side of your gun. (withdraws his gun) And the fact that I've got "Desert Eagle point five O" written on the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence. Now... Fuck off.

 Now I want to go watch that movie again!

Isn't Bratton the guy who left a trail of destruction through is last few jobs in Boston and NYC?

''That's the shame of it ... that we as a society allow these kinds of things be promulgated,'' Bratton said.

'could be said for a lot of things these days...... most notably the loony left.