Teabagger attacks mom in front of 7 year old at appropriately named Cracker Barrel

[BurtWorm]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/20926383/detail.html

Police: Man Beat Woman At Cracker Barrel
Posted: 1:45 pm EDT September 15, 2009
Updated: 5:47 am EDT September 16, 2009

MORROW, Ga. -- Morrow police said they arrested a man after he beat up a woman who asked him to "be careful" at a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

Morrow police were called to the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Southlake Plaza Drive in Morrow Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers said they located the female victim and called for EMTs and Fire Department officials to assist. At the same time, the alleged offender in the case, Troy Dale West, of Poulan, Ga. was detained at the scene, police said.

Police said an investigation revealed that the female victim, identified as Tasha Hill, was entering the Cracker Barrel with her 7-year-old daughter as West was leaving the restaurant. As West was leaving, the exit door came close to striking the 7-year-old daughter of the victim, police said. Hill, by all witness accounts, politely asked West to be careful, officials said.

"The man slung open the door pretty hard and fast and I had to push my daughter out of the way. I turned to the man and I just said, 'Excuse me sir, you need to watch yourself you almost hit my daughter in the face.' And from there it just went downhill," said Hill.

At that point, West became enraged and began to beat the victim in front of her 7-year-old daughter, according to police. Hill said she told West she was an Army servicemember and she did not want any trouble.

West threw her to the ground and hit her in the head with his fists and feet, police said. During the exchange, witnesses said West could be heard screaming racial slurs towards the victim.

"He said, 'You're an f****** black (N-word) b****,' is what he said," said Hill. "Then he punched me in my face. And I fell to the ground and he proceeded to punch in my head and face."

...

[el_bryanto]

1. Certainly seems like an asshole; is he a teabagger? I don't see it in the story.

I could have missed it.

Bryant

[Hello_Kitty]

2. I'm going to hazard a guess that he doesn't like President Obama. eom

[BurtWorm]

3. What is a teabagger (or Republican) but an asshole?

All the same species to me.

[el_bryanto]

6. Ah that makes things easy. I unfortunately have met some Liberal Assholes

and some Republican people who were ok. So it's a bit harder for me. But that's nice for you.

Bryant

[BurtWorm]

19. Met any nice teabaggers?

I'm willing to bet you haven't.

[Statistical]

36. Solution Set Problem..... all teabaggers are assholes ....

all teabaggers are assholes =!= all assholes are teabaggers.

[Xenotime]

78. They are all cut from the same cloth.

[KansDem]

4. Will he "get his guns next time?"

[Demobrat]

12. If she had had a gun this would never have happened.

Instead of getting hurt she could have pulled it out and pointed it and laughed as he ran away. And been a hero instead of a victim.

[kjackson227]

16. You're right, and now with the lunatic racist fringe becoming...

more and more unhinged, I'm thinking about getting licensing for my .38 so that I can start packing.

[Chulanowa]

31. Yeeeeah, sure

Guns; the solution to everything.

They're magic, you know.

[TexasProgresive]

59. And if both had guns-then what?

[Demobrat]

61. Whoever has the biggest gun wins.

Of course.

[TexasProgresive]

64. No

They are both lousy shots and end up killing the kid, a waitress and an old lady out with her son from the rest home. Then out come all the guns and everybody dies.

[Pavulon]

69. sword works.. body more style (baltimore)

his attack met requirements fir deadly force in my state.

[TexasProgresive]

73. My point is that if they were all armed it would be a blood bath

I have no confidence in the shooting ability of most people. I am very good with a pistol by comparison with most and I think that my ability sucks. The idea of 20 are so average people with crappy little pistols trying to make snap judgments in a stressful situation makes my skin crawl.

This guy was in a rage and likely would have continued to pummel the woman even with several mortal wounds- unless hit with something huge and slow or maybe talon expanding rounds.

As for the sword-that's my weapon of choice and I would be looking for opportunities to draw it out. It is a weakness of my. I just like the way the fit in my hand and do as I command. Not a good idea.

[Pavulon]

74. I would not prefer to be around any one shooting.

I have seen many videos of police firing at stuff and wonder how the camera man lived in many of them. cross fire, lots of poorly aimed fire. Sometimes presenting a weapon can stop an attack, but no one should face being beaten to death in front of their kid with no option.

[Solomon]

75. Nope. I guarantee you they would have criminally charged the

mother if she had defended herself with a gun.

[redqueen]

5. Fucking hell... this cowardly piece of shit has his momma taking his calls.

"West could not be reached for comment. His mother told the Associated Press that her son would never hurt a mother, especially in front of a child."

http://www.ajc.com/news/clayton/fbi-investigating-resta...

[MineralMan]

27. Yeah, well, give her a copy of the video from the security cameras,

and make her watch it over and over again for a couple of hours. She needs to know her "pride and joy" a little better, I think.

[Maru Kitteh]

33. Would she happened to be named Cora Mae Cobb?

[Winterblues]

7. I guess Army Officers are not taught any self defense any more.

Should she have tried to defend herself if capable. I understand the overwhelming advantage he had with strength and size but so does any enemy.

[RamboLiberal]

10. I have a black belt(5th Dan) and as a female I don't want to

have to go toe to toe with a 250lb raging maniac. Except for the special forces Army doesn't have that robust of a self-defense program. I know the Marines have gone to a self-defense training system that even has levels similiar to the belt ranking in martial arts.

And I'd bet this jerk sucker punched her.

BTW huge thread on this story in LBN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[nini]

13. nice.. blame the victim

[redqueen]

15. Of course.

We can always count on at least one.

[Winterblues]

20. How in the Hell can you possibly get blame the victim out of the question?

Yes she was a victim of a horible racist attack but she is an Army Officer.. what the fuck do they teach the Army now adays anyway?

[MineralMan]

23. Hmm...not street fighting, I'll warrant.

She probably had a basic self-defense class at some point and learned to shoot an M-16. Unless she was detailed to an infantry unit in active combat, she shouldn't need much more than that as a female Army officer. Not everyone in the Army is involved in combat.

[Winterblues]

28. I guess it would depend on whether she was OCS or ROTC

If she was OCS she would have been taught more than just Basic Training self defense. If she was sucker punched it wouldn't matter anyway as she wouldn't have the chance to defend herself or her child..

[RamboLiberal]

48. And I'd bet this jerk is a bar room brawler

Even with SD training I wouldn't expect her to take him out. And she'd need to be training regularly. She's a reservist so I doubt she was getting more than perhaps a refresher course once in while if that.

He was twice her size! Geez I think some here have watched too many Bruce Lee movies! SD training is great but it's not some magic elixir that will enable you to defeat every opponent especially a man twice her size against a woman.

[cwydro]

76. Why are we assuming she was an officer?

All I read is "servicemember". She may be enlisted.

[northernlights]

58. are you serious?

She was at a Cracker Barrel with her 7 year old child,not walking down a dark alley at midnight. She wasn't expecting some nutcase to attack her. Military or not, most people don't walk around in broad daylight in defense (read attack) mode.

And maybe she preferred taking the beating to risking her child getting injured.

[redqueen]

14. It's a sticky situation (or so I was told)...

if you're trained in combat, and you defend yourself, and that person claims to be injured, you can be held liable and not the attacker. At least that's what I was taught in my self-defense/martial arts classes. They told us to be very very careful when defending ourselves, because our having been trained worked against us.

[RamboLiberal]

17. In the case of a female against a raging 250lb male

I doubt that would happen. If it did go to a criminal or civil trial get yourself a good witness in self-defense instruction.

BTW in my martial arts classes I was taught better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

You don't have to stand there and take a beat down and not use your self-defense training as long as you don't go beyond the force necessary to quell the attack and as long as you didn't help escalate the situation into a fight.

[Pavulon]

70. same goes for the glock 19,

the modern solution to her problem.

[EndersDame]

65. Probably did not want to fight back infront of her kid

[winyanstaz]

8. K & R...

Because everyone should read about this asshole. He needs some serious time with a psychiatrist. He is a racist and a woman hater...and he needs to be tried and sentenced for hate crimes.

[doodadem]

9. Support Our Troops!

Support our troops......because after people like this get hold of them, they may not be able to stand.

[nini]

11. I hate having to defend those assholes

BUT you cannot assume that guy is a teabagger simply because he is racist. Not all racists are teabaggers, and all teabaggers are not racist. SOME does not imply all - some are just stupid and ignorant.

Take a logic class.

[BurtWorm]

22. Take a chill class.

In my book teabagger=freeper=racist asshole. What's the harm in that equation? It's based on truth.

[JonQ]

39. Sure, just like

democrat=socialist=communist=american hating hippy.

[BurtWorm]

40. Now you're getting it!

[RamboLiberal]

18. NAACP Community Leaders Upset Over Possible Racial Attack

Morrow, Ga -- Local community leaders and the NAACP called for more action Wednesday after police say a white man beat a black woman at a Clayton County Cracker Barrel restaurant.

It's not only the beating that's drawing fire, but the fact that the man accused is walking free after posting a $10,500 bond.

“The fact that he is able to walk the streets after what he did to this woman is what has us upset,” said Edward Dubose, President of the Georgia State NAACP.

Community leaders are also upset that 47-year-old Troy Dale West is facing misdemeanor charges of battery, disorderly conduct and just one felony charge of cruelty to children.

“There were no misdemeanors committed here, all of them are felonies. We are concerned. In fact, we’re mad as hell,” said community activist Derrick Boazman.

Clayton County District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson is concerned as well. She said more charges could be coming.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/20952208/detail.html

[fascisthunter]

21. what a cowardly warped man

a bigot to boot.

[asdjrocky]

24. How do we know this person is a teabagger?

Is that the new rule, anyone that might be stupid, racist or white is a teabagger? God what a horrible and misleading headline.

[BurtWorm]

26. Yes that's the new rule.

[asdjrocky]

29. just lame

[BurtWorm]

30. You don't care if they co-opt 'teabag' to mean 'right-wing racist rage'

but if I co-opt teabagger to mean right-wing racist lunatic, you have a problem with that?

[CatWoman]

32. I feel your pain, Burt

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[BurtWorm]

35. Always a lefty ready to defend 'logic' when someone wants to kick racist right wing ass!

[asdjrocky]

34. The headline was lame. It was supastition, not factual and dim headed.

And I won't be drawn into an argument with someone who has shown himself to be at best impulsive and at worse, totally dishonest.

It would be like arguing with a 15 year old who wholeheartedly believes they get to make all the rules.

But you go ahead, it's clear you're conflicted enough without my help.

Have a nice day.

[MineralMan]

37. Did you mean superstition or supposition?

[asdjrocky]

38. Duh, meant the second one.

Too quick a spell check, and too dirty glasses.

[MineralMan]

45. I could make a logical case for either, so I asked.

[asdjrocky]

57. Lol, yeah I see that.

And the "duh" was meant for me, not for you.

[BurtWorm]

41. It was a little teabaggerish of me I guess.

[asdjrocky]

43. I do have to chuckle a bit at that.

[Posteritatis]

55. DU projects very specific politics onto people all the time

Bigot attacks someone? Clearly a teabagger. Guy robs a bank? Obviously conservative. Someone wigs out due to unmedicated mental illness? It's okay, they're clearly just a Republican anyway.

"Therefore all men are Socrates" is a popular line of reasoning here.

[deaniac21]

25. I read somewhere that he was an elected republican offical.

[JonQ]

42. Appropriately named?

Isn't calling a white person a cracker a racial slur?

And no, I'm not defending this bastard. He's an evil, violent racist who should be removed from the gene pool. But I don't see how adding more racism to the story is going to help.

[BurtWorm]

46. I called him a teabagger.

You inferred he was a cracker.

[JonQ]

49. Then please explain

the "appropriately named cracker barrel" line.

Unless you're calling him a barrel, which I doubt.

[BurtWorm]

50. Cracker Barrel restaurants have cracker barrels, don't they?

QED.

[JonQ]

51. Right

lame answer.

[goclark]

44. This may be a "testing the waters" incident

I recall a time that I was on a North Worst flight from Detroit to the West, about 4 months before 9/11.

A Middle Eastern Man was sitting behind me.

He was cursing and throwing his food off the tray table and acting real crazy.

I have never seen anyone act like that before on a plane.

Passengers were nervous and finally the flight attendant came and gave him a note - he got quiet after that note.

When I arrived in Los Angeles, I called North Worst and reported the incident.

Asked them to call me back -- no one ever did.

When 9/11 happened, I called the FBI but no one ever called me back.

When I opened the Newspaper a few days later, I was looking at the face of the man ( or his twin) that was on that plane with me --

Anyone would/should know that my Brothers and Sisters are really angry about this incident -- a lot of other people are as well.

That is what the Desperate People want to happen, they are crazy enough to start some real mess.

[skip fox]

47. Jesus. With Beck and Limbaugh, not to mention hundreds who try to top them,

stirring the pot, this will only get worse.

Much worse, I'm afraid.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

52. Unrec'd for misleading as well as ignorant headline.

Cracker barrel... really?
And nowhere is there proof that this a teabagger, much less his party affiliation.

[RedCloud]

53. Off with his head! I don't think his IQ will be affected by it either.

[IndianaGreen]

54. Where does it say Troy West was a tea bagger?

He is clearly a racist and white supremacist, as his conduct and own words showed. Is there another story about West that shows his political activities?

[BlooInBloo]

56. Some mighty big poutrage here over the use of the word "teabagger".

[ecstatic]

60. While the other patrons watch on (and even smiled)

I'm so disgusted and angry.

[me b zola]

62. Did you just see the interview with Rick Sanchez?

Only two women, one black one white, spoke up for the victim while a crowd filled with men stood and watched. It sounds like the video tape will reveal just how terrible the entire event was. Just awful. The victim is clearly shaken (along with her physical injuries) from everything that happened.

I too am disgusted and angry.

[goclark]

63. That is low down and dirty !

[Libertas1776]

66. "...while a crowd filled with men stood and watched."

... .. ... ...

Cowards, all fucking cowards!!!

[Maru Kitteh]

72. I did. I was disgusted. Why won't Cracker Barrel release the tape?

It must make them look very bad. The tape will come out. Withholding it is only making them look worse.

[Raine]

67. A racist asshole but "teabagger" (??)

where's the proof that he ever attended town hall meetings or rallies? I just don't see it. It seems to me that the term "teabagger" is a specific activist kind of person and not just an generic term.

[BurtWorm]

77. Who gives a shit if we stick with the fucking teabagger's definition of 'teabagger?'

What a bunch of word prudes we have here!

I am appropriating their adorable little term to paint the whole racist contingent they draw from. What the fuck is the problem with that?! Jesus Christ!

[Raine]

80. I like being precise

I guess I'm just anal that way, so yeah I care. I think it makes a difference that the guy is a rogue racist on his own and not affiliated with a group, it makes it even worse because it shows the trickle down of it all.

[Quantess]

68. I Unrec'd this, only because of your unfounded assumption that he is a Teabagger.

You are jumping to conclusions not supported by evidence.

[TK421]

71. As much as I think Cracker Barrel sucks ass ( and they do ) where is it

documented that this guy is a teabagger? Perhaps I missed something

[MiniMe]

79. UPDATE: Cracker Barrel Bans Beating Suspect For Life

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- No more Cracker Barrel restaurants ever for one Georgia man. The company has banned the man accused of beating a mother at one of its restaurants from all of its locations for life.

Investigators in Clayton County said Troy West beat Tasha Hill at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Morrow while yelling racial slurs after he nearly hit her 7-year-old daughter while opening the restaurant's door.

The beating is leading some state lawmakers to consider pushing for a Georgia Hate Crime Law.

"It's past time, but there again, Georgia seems to be kind of at the end of coming on board with things that are of a progressive mode," said State Sen. Gail Buckner.

The FBI is investigating if it will file federal hate crime charges in the case.

West was charged with battery, disorderly conduct, and cruelty to children in the first degree. He is currently out on $5,000 bond. A hearing has been set for Sept. 24 in Clayton County.