Vigilante Justice Gone Wrong in Rainier Beach

 Earlier this week Rob wrote a post about a beating outside of Chop Suey that was the result of some vigilante mob justice.  The question was posed as to when vigilante is justified. A situation in Rainier Beach has answered the question as to when it's not justified.

60-year old James Paroline was beaten into critical condition by a passing motorist after he obstructed traffic in order to water the flowers on a traffic circle.  Paroline was confronted by a car full of women who tried to move the cones he had used to keep drivers from driving over his garden hose.  After squirting one of the girls with his hose, a 5'10" African-American male apparently exited his vehicle and hit Paroline once, so hard that Paroline was unconscious and bleeding on the pavement.

In the case of the Chop Suey instance, it seems like vigilante justice was justified and then got out of control.  In Paroline's case, it seems like vigilante justice was never justified.

As someone who suffers from extreme Road Rage, I understand the frustration of someone blocking traffic for something as trivial as watering flowers.  But I have never felt the urge to get out of a car and knock an almost senior citizen into critical condition.

Vigilante justice is sometimes justified.  In this case, it was most defitinely not.  A traffic jam is not enough of a reason to risk ending someone's life.

If you have any information the case, call (206) 684-5550.