Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump - Jalopnik Comments

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Upsilon — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:46:13 EST

So, since when does the Mafia deal in gasoline?
I mean, come on, this is such a gang scenario.
Can't you just see the signs now?

"Crips gas! $2.99/gallon!"
*across the street*
"Bloods gas! Now $2.95/gallon!"

*Owner of Crips Gas comes out*
"Bitch, don't make me go Marathon Man on yo punk ass"
"Nah, son, this a free market!"
"I'll show you a free market, muthafukka!"
*Blam! Blam blam blam!"

Maybe I watch too much Southpark...

Upsilon

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

workingonyourinvoice — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:59:31 EST

@Mad_Science: Cheapest gas around here is $2.76.
Murphy Usa #6918
22611 Tomball Pkwy
Tomball, TX 77375

workingonyourinvoice

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Mad_Science — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:22:33 EST

You people are all missing the point: somewhere out there, there's a station where' regular's $2.96/gal!

Mad_Science

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

workingonyourinvoice — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:53:35 EST

@00solstice: Unfortunately this is the truth. Gone are the days of it being enough to simply point a gun at a person and watch, laughing, as they shit their pants. I've always thought of this situation like being confronted with a rattlesnake. If you're going to fire at it (and seriously piss it off), you'd better kill it. It's not going to sit there and say "Oh no I got shot, I need to sit down and rethink my situation!" It's going to spring out and bite your ass.

workingonyourinvoice

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

backspinner — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:45:38 EST

This type of unrest coming out of Detroit?? What's the world coming to?

backspinner

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

respawn — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:44:59 EST

@sos10: Have you ever shot a gun? Have you ever fired a gun in anger? Shooting somebody in the legs is a lot easier said than done. That said, a head's not usually an easy target either, but for several reasons they are easier to hit than somebody's legs.

@Tocsin: Bullshit. A warning shot will do nothing but get you killed. One of the first things they teach you is that if you absolutely have draw, you better shoot and you better hit the person you're shooting at. Otherwise, you give them time to make a play for your gun.

@00solstice: I think you put it a lot more elegantly and more informatively than I did. It's an unfortuante way to describe it, but a conflict that involves guns is a lot like a game where the first one to flinch is usually the first one to lose. If one shows even the slightest bit that they are not intent on shooting the other player, then they just lost the upper hand.

respawn

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Mike the Dog — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:31:12 EST

@superbmtsub: Read your own statement and consider this. If a gun is only used as a deterrent and never fired at a human target, it loses all value as a deterrent (I.E. yeah, I see you've got a gun, but I know you're not going to shoot me, so I'll just beat you to death with my bat). You might want to be careful about who you call a moron, lest you end up looking like one yourself...

You might also want to give 00SOLSTICE's excellent analysis a read, too.

Oh, and as for gun control... That means holding it with both hands and hitting what you aim at.

Mike the Dog

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

superbmtsub — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:35:30 EST

@ShadowFalls: A gun should only be used as a deterrent. Not actually fired on human targets.

Incidents like this incite the cause for more gun control. The existence of morons like you are why even I'm considering for gun control.

superbmtsub

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

usa1 — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:08:19 EST

Ahh, that's market competition for you!

usa1

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Turboner — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:16:42 EST

Damn, Ray, that's a rough town you live in.

Something tells me the human population is inching closer to critical mass.

Turboner

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

00solstice — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:27:39 EST

Regarding "warning shots" and "aiming at the knees": The narrative as provided doesn't provide enough information to draw a conclusive indication of fault or guilt, although the favor leans away from Bazzi and his bat-wielding posse. Anyone who has taken or taught a CCW class will tell you there is no point to pulling a weapon and firing dismissively around or above an assailant. If circumstances are bad enough to force you to brandish (itself a crime in almost every locality) a legally-posessed firearm, the bearer must be prepared to pull the trigger... and if the trigger is pulled, the intent must be to fire the weapon at the assailant until the imminent threat of deadly harm has been eliminated. To that end, however, the firearm-wielding defendant must be prepared to prove in court the assailant's means, motive, and opportunity to inflict deadly harm, as well as demonstate an inability of the defendent to exercise his "duty to retreat", another law of most states designed to prevent the escalation of violence between two parties. Complicating the issue is that a firearm is considered a deadly weapon, any use of a firearm (aiming at knees, shooting over the heads) is considered use of deadly force (regardless of aim or outcome). And if the defendant was unwilling to use it to its full effect, doubt is raised as to whether the use of deadly force was necessary in the first place, opening the defendant to both criminal charges and civil suits by the surviving assailant.

That's a lot of consideration to contemplate in a heated moment of anger and confrontation, and is the main reason I personally don't ever see myself actively practicing concealed carry... the legal implications are too much of a hassle. The unnamed defendent undoubtedly will face a trying and difficult legal process, in both criminal and (moreso) civil courts. But watching a buddy/employee be injured by a baseball bat is a strong start to his legal defense.

00solstice

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

MyCokesBiggerThanYours — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:02:20 EST

Right on. We consumers need to fight back.

MyCokesBiggerThanYours

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

skulldriveshaft — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 06:42:37 EST

MORONS! who the hell cares about this BS - when you kill someone you should get the legal books thrown at you - you took someones life - pull out your gun and start blasting knee caps - who the hell opens fire at a gas station anyways? they shoulda both killed each other and life would continue peacefully

skulldriveshaft

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

ShadowFalls — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:35:31 EST

When it all comes down to it, he was defending himself. They came across the street, confronted and attacked with a lethal weapon. This guy was just protecting his employees, he has that right...

ShadowFalls

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

dculberson — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:30:21 EST

@Brian B: What he said.

@harumph: And what he said.

dculberson

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

workingonyourinvoice — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:53:26 EST

@Novaload:
@Tocsin:
Drinks are on me!! Hennessey and cokes all around! Mmuuurpp...

workingonyourinvoice

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

bobdobbs — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:01:52 EST

I remember a time when Michigan wasn't polluted with signs bearing the British Petroleum logo.

bobdobbs

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

frank_rizzo — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:26:31 EST

Jawad Bazzi signed his death warrant weather he or someone with him grabbed that bat. Sure we need more info to be sure. But as it stands, his group brought the weapon and descended upon the other business. All actions have consequences.

In this day and age fights are rarely settled with fists. IE: A bat was brought over.

frank_rizzo

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

dohcspit — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:09:48 EST

We don't have enough detail to make much of a judgment in this case, but if you swing a bat at someone hard enough to injure them, you should assume that any observers will believe you intend to kill, and that they will respond accordingly.

Shooting to injure is generally not recommended in self defense situations.

dohcspit

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

harumph — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:00:22 EST

@Detroitwhat: ok, i may be wrong. you both need to take it down a notch.

harumph

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

DetroitWhat — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:36:23 EST

Jawad Bazzi is an Arabic name moron. I think you need to learn the difference between Arabic and Indian! 99% of the gas stations in Detroit are owned by people of Arabic decent.
And for those who generalized that "oh, thats Detroit" keep in mind this crime was committed by people who own the stations and live out in the burbs, not actual city residents!

DetroitWhat

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

harumph — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:23:10 EST

@DoctorNine: geez, tone it down a bit please. that sounds like it is more likely an indian name.

harumph

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

smokyburnout — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:58:42 EST

i was driving home this morning, and saw a gas station sign that had regular for $3.20 a gallon... so i said "well, fuck you, Gulf" to no one in particular... then i saw that the sunoco and shell stations another 100 feet down the road were up to $3.25...
i could swear i was paying less that $3 a week ago...

smokyburnout

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:52:53 EST

The mullah had issued a fatwah that these infidel Marathon scum were to suffer, but there was no scimitar handy to lop off their head... What's a devout man to do in this situation, but use a Louisville Slugger? Sharia clearly states no guns may be used to settle disagreements of this kind.

Fertilize Detroit hoodlum stock with The Religion of Peace, and you birth a strange and ugly bird indeed.

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:50:08 EST

As a suburban resident of L.A., the use of a baseball bat *OR* a firearm over US$0.03 per gallon is sheer insanity. I have a baseball bat under my bed, but it is set on "Stun"... (until of course it get used on ME... always the danger with defensive weapons).

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

smokeydog001 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:35:40 EST

@SKAZ
As opposed to black muslims.

smokeydog001

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Madness (Possibly Sparta, maybe baggy trousers.) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:28:58 EST

@Novaload:
I second that motion!

Madness (Possibly Sparta, maybe baggy trousers.)

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:58:07 EST

@WorkingOnYourInvoice: COTD!

NovaloadMissesPolar

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

holeydonut — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:57:51 EST

@WorkingOnYourInvoice:

lol - but the FBI said of the 17 deaths in that particular Blackwater issue, 14 were unjustified. But that means 3 were justified... so I think in this case $0.03 per gallon clearly falls in the justified category.

holeydonut

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

TexanIdiot25 could use some of that bail out money — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:57:42 EST

@WarShrike: RIGHT, reading Ruggle's comment made me think of California for some reason

TexanIdiot25 could use some of that bail out money

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

skaz — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:49:08 EST

@smokeydog001: So?

skaz

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

workingonyourinvoice — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:44:18 EST

@Tocsin: He used what's known as a "Blackwater warning shot".

workingonyourinvoice

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

smokeydog001 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:39:18 EST

It was Arab muslims that initiated the attack.

smokeydog001

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

meneye — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:22:00 EST

and this is news? I would expect this kind of behavior coming out of Detroit.

I think I know which gas stations they are talking about too.

meneye

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Madness (Possibly Sparta, maybe baggy trousers.) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:12:09 EST

@sos10:
Warning shots also do wonders, although it depends on what the situation was - but somehow from the tone of the relationship between the owners that the article gives, I don't think either would have had much in the way of qualms over shooting the other.

Madness (Possibly Sparta, maybe baggy trousers.)

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

WarShrike — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:02:06 EST

@TexanIdiot25:

It's Michiganers...

Or Damn Yankees.

WarShrike

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Euromobile — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:01:52 EST

Harsh.

I said on here the other day that fuel was roughly $9.20 per US gallon across much of the UK. It turns out that I made a mistake and used imperial (British) gallons in my calculation. However, I've just done a calculation using the correct value and worked out that earlier this evening I payed $8.12 per US gallon for diesel.

Euromobile

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

TexanIdiot25 could use some of that bail out money — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:58:04 EST

Its about 2.73 at my local station last I checked... Should I tell the clerk to watch for gun wielding Californians?

TexanIdiot25 could use some of that bail out money

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

sos10 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:57:52 EST

@Trick: Well, he could have aimed at his knees or so instead of his head....

sos10

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

General Halfshaftery — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:59:14 EST

Yea but what's the vig on a gallon of diesel?

General Halfshaftery

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

ZZzz.. — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:51:26 EST

I've gotten lost in that area once... Not somewhere where I'd like to hang around.

ZZzz..

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

tmkforever — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:21:23 EST

@holeydonut: lol yeah... nice PS

tmkforever

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

FLB — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:08:43 EST

@humphrmi: Neither did Adam Smith, although Thomas Hobbes probably did.

FLB

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Brian B — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:06:52 EST

Never bring a baseball bat to a gun fight. Never.

Brian B

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

holeydonut — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:05:25 EST

@Tocsin:

I do hope that gas station signage was a Photoshop Job.

You would imagine that all gas stations near downtown Detroit would have firearms hidden near the registers. All the Popeye's fried chicken places have 2 inches of bulletproof glass between the lobby and the attendants... I would think the gas stations would have the same.

holeydonut

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Madness (Possibly Sparta, maybe baggy trousers.) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:00:36 EST

I'm not quite sure how I should react to this, although the particular picture you chose for the post elicited an amused if somewhat dark chuckle.

Madness (Possibly Sparta, maybe baggy trousers.)

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Trick — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:58:04 EST

So a bunch of scumbags come on to your property, attack you with baseball bats and force you to defend yourself anyway possible and that gets *YOU* arrested?

At least the dead douchebag got to rise his prices!

Trick

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

smokeydog001 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:51:32 EST

If you're going on a petrol jihad, better take something other than a baseball bat!

smokeydog001

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

2trips — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:51:16 EST

@Rust-MyEnemy: next year mercedes will debut a direct-peanut-injection engine. europeans will save money, big time!

2trips

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:38:30 EST

@ruggels: It's $6.50 a US Gallon over here, but they are doing Peanut M&Ms for £2 for two bags....

What you lose with one hand you win with the other

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

Danno4x4 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:26:18 EST

If someone came at me with a baseball bat... and I had a gun, I believe that they would get a couple in the head too!

Danno4x4

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

windninja123 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:22:15 EST

wow

windninja123

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

zamafir — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:08:00 EST

gas for under $3.50 a gallon, man, it's like unicorns and leprechauns east of california.

zamafir

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

humphrmi — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:57:33 EST

Somehow I don't think Milton Friedman had this in mind.

humphrmi

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

TinaChow — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:30:13 EST

Free Market Competition is what makes America great. Look for this topic to occupy the talking heads on FOX news for the better part of next week.

TinaChow

Detroit Gas War Turns Deadly, Station Owner Killed Over 3 Cent Price Bump

racerx — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:28:59 EST

Wow.

racerx