I don’t just frown on vigilantes; I want them arrested and prosecuted. Vigilantism has no place in civilized society.
The three white vigilanties who murdered black jogger Ahmaud Arbery got life in prison, and deserve it. Yesterday I posted a video here showing a white man grabbing a disabled black man on a blue bicycle by the throat and accusing him of stealing a neighbor’s green bicycle. That should earn him prison time.
Today’s story comes from Florida. A medicine package for Gino Colonacosta (in photo below), 73, was delivered to a neighbor who brought it to him and left it at his front door, setting off a Ring alarm. Colonacosta and his 15-year-old son then piled out of their house, guns drawn, looked around for an intruder, and shot at a woman in a car down the street. Read details here.
This trigger-happy vigilante and his son are in jail and charged with attempted felony murder. The law should make an example of them. The sheriff said “our goal is for them to go to prison. You don’t shoot at people. You don’t leave the security of your home and go out and chase people down.” I totally agree.
But those are technicalities. I’m going to generalize. Private citizens should call the cops, not play cop. If they do, the person they detain, grab by the throat, or shoot at had better be guilty, because doing any of that to an innocent person should result in a prison sentence and expensive lawsuit every single time. And what business does a 15-year-old have with a handgun on a neighborhood street?
Our society should have zero tolerance for reckless vigilantes. It’s fine with me if Gino gets his medicines from a prison nurse from now on. He deserves it. As for the kid, I’m not sure what should be done with him, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be in school next week.
