Performers Allegedly Set Man's Hair On Fire

[Kadie]

Jul 19, 2009 11:28 pm US/Pacific
Performers Allegedly Set Man's Hair On Fire

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Two local fire performers have been arrested after an argument allegedly devolved into a street fight that ended with a man's hair being set on fire, according to authorities.

The Sacramento Police Department says that 30-year-old Marc Johnson and 30-year-old Peter Strait were practicing around 10:30 p.m. Saturday for a fire performance in the middle of the street near 18th Street and Q Street, when a confrontation with neighbors turned ugly.

"The guy was using them like weapons, and my neighbor and his friend came out to squelch the thing and one thing led to another," said witness Jamison Pettyjohn. "It was insane."

Police say the neighbor and friend were concerned about safety and were trying to get the performers to stop, when the friend was struck with a fire ball, catching his hair on fire. He was quickly able to put it out, but when it was over, he wasn't the only one injured.

"Flames and nunchucks all over the place, people bloody," said Matt Cassidy. "A lot of flames, a lot of crazy people. It was a movie; never seen anything like this before in my life."

snip...
"There was a guy literally swirling fire like nunchucks, green fire. The guy with the green flame caught himself on fire," Jamison said, laughing. "We were just dumbfounded, it was surreal."

more...
http://cbs13.com/local/fire.brawl.sacramento.2.1092596.html






:crazy:

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Lousy fucking reporting.

Was it one of the performers, or one of the neighbors who caught on fire?

Why did the neighbors feel they had to intervene? How were they sure the 'argument' was not part of the fire performers' act?

If someone was performing with flaming nunchucks, would YOU interfere? I sure as fuck wouldn't. It sounds as if it would be a spectacular act.

It sounds to me like the performers were practicing, the others interfered, which started the argument. Someone stepped into the path of a fireball, and got burned - that's HIS fault, not the performer. Interfering with the practice cause one of the performers to also catch fire. The interference and argument meant that the performers could NOT perform, so they lost a chunk of their livelihood, therefore, they were pissed at the interference. Yet it is the performers, not those who interfered with them, who were arrested. No reason for arresting them is given, nor for not arresting the others.

That right?

I hate it when "news" is half-assed, and leaves more questions than answers.

[damntexdem]

2. Ah, they've always known how to really party in California.

Even in the midst of a recession and a state fiscal melt down -- how inspiring! ;-)

[Ian David]

3. Good thing The Chainsaw Juggler from Venice Beach wasn't there. n/t

[Rebubula]

4. Is...

...that guy still there??

He was juggling them when I was in Venice back in 1985 or so...

[Ian David]

5. What ever happened to Robert Gruenberg the Venice Beach chainsaw juggler?

What ever happened to Robert Gruenberg the Venice Beach chainsaw juggler?



Robert Gruenberg A.K.A. "The Venice Beach Chainsaw Juggler" now has a successful career in Real Estate(even owned his own town tourist town for a short time in a small town in Kansas).

Robert has been happily married to an Asian lady for the last 8 years and they are now raising 3 children together. Robert appeared on the Tonight Show with the great Johnny Carson, The Late Show, many many half time shows,dozens of commercials, full page in People Magazine, opened for the great Ray Charles, Etc,Etc.

Robert says he still misses the early days when he used to simply walk onto the boardwalk of Venice Beach, California and street perform for the tourist with no introduction or hype..."it was pure beauty".

More:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_ever_happened_to_robert_gruenberg_the_venice_beach_chainsaw_juggler