...but this time with a happy ending.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story
Samurai swords in the news once again...
- Thread starter Grenadier
- Start date
Not necessarily a happy ending, actually. The article I read about it said that law enforcement is "talking to prosecutors about whether to file charges."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32855934/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32855934/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Nomad
Master Black Belt
Hmmm... one person dead, others that had to take a life or witness it being done. I'm not sure "happy ending" applies here.
Quite probably "proper use" of a samurai sword in this case though. Anyone lunging at someone carrying 3 feet of razor sharp steel probably didn't think things through first. Of course, 29 prior convictions ought to be enough to convince most people to examine a different career path as well.
One cut, nice technique.
Quite probably "proper use" of a samurai sword in this case though. Anyone lunging at someone carrying 3 feet of razor sharp steel probably didn't think things through first. Of course, 29 prior convictions ought to be enough to convince most people to examine a different career path as well.
One cut, nice technique.
I will be on the Ed Norris Show here in Baltimore tomorrow at 8am to discuss this case, sword work, etc.
If you're in the Baltimore area, you can listen in at 105.7FM. If not, you can listen on-line here:
http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.1.20&id=115&onestat=whfs-freefm
If you're in the Baltimore area, you can listen in at 105.7FM. If not, you can listen on-line here:
http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.1.20&id=115&onestat=whfs-freefm
Coming at this from an iaido/kenjitsu background, IÂ’m trying to figure out the intruders wounds. I believe it said essentially two wound areas, one with his hand almost off and lacerations to his upper body. The upper body lacerations, including I think they said the spearing part, I can understand. If I was confronting someone, IÂ’d be keeping the tip of my sword on the guy at all times, so the spearing make sense, then a couple of swings as he keeps coming forward, but how did the guy get the hand? To me that would mean they where at 90 degrees from each other with some nice distance between them.
IÂ’m sure the police will figure it all outÂ…
Shuto
Purple Belt
The guy with the sword claims it was one slice.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword-killing0917,0,16472.story
Pontolillo was not inside the garage but backed up against the exterior of a garage door when Rice is alleged to have aggressively moved toward him with his arms raised. Guglielmi said Pontolillo made one downward strike towards Rice, hitting him in the neck and the hand. Rice's hand was nearly severed, and he bled to death at the scene.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword-killing0917,0,16472.story
Pontolillo was not inside the garage but backed up against the exterior of a garage door when Rice is alleged to have aggressively moved toward him with his arms raised. Guglielmi said Pontolillo made one downward strike towards Rice, hitting him in the neck and the hand. Rice's hand was nearly severed, and he bled to death at the scene.
lklawson
Grandmaster
There's not enough detail to make even an educated guess. Were the lacerations horizontal, vertical, how deep, and where at on the upper body?
One speculation could be that the defender immediately made untrained "baseball bat" swings at the attacker who raised his arms defensively. This could sever or severely injure the wrists with Defensive Wounds which, after penetrating the wrist, continued on to the upper body.
Another speculation could be that the attacker was reaching forward and the defender made a double action, starting with a kote/wrist "snap cut" followed immediately with a reversed direction tip-cut across the upper body.
Or any number of other plausible scenarios which spring to mind. It all looks so easy on the forensic science TV shows but there's just not enough info in this story to even guess.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Yeah, I agree. I went through all the different possibilities myself. It would be interesting to see the angle of the cuts.
d1jinx
Master Black Belt
Yeah i listened til 930. only the news report mentioned it. nothing about it or on it. but atleast i got to hear about MY RAVENS....
GO RAVENS
Did you still do the interview and it just wasn't aired?
Shuto
Purple Belt
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.homicide29jan29,0,4441735.story
City prosecutors ruled Thursday that a Johns Hopkins student who killed an intruder last fall by using a samurai sword was justified in his actions, according to a letter sent to homicide investigators.
State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy said prosecutors determined that the student, John Pontolillo, "reasonably believed he was in danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury" and was justified in striking Donald Rice, a 49-year-old repeat offender who is believed to have broken into the student's home earlier in the night.
City prosecutors ruled Thursday that a Johns Hopkins student who killed an intruder last fall by using a samurai sword was justified in his actions, according to a letter sent to homicide investigators.
State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy said prosecutors determined that the student, John Pontolillo, "reasonably believed he was in danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury" and was justified in striking Donald Rice, a 49-year-old repeat offender who is believed to have broken into the student's home earlier in the night.
