Antiques, Alcohol & Basketball 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
http://www.austin360.com/auto_docs/epaper/editions/friday/news_4.html
A bizarre chain reaction involving alcohol, an NBA playoff, an antique rifle, an angry pit bull and mistaken fears that a police officer had been shot caused Darwin to once again grant an award. By midnight Sunday, Johnnie Lowell Thomas Jr. was dying of a gunshot wound, his dog was dead and investigators were trying to unravel the chaos.
A Sunday night that was to be spent with friends changed course shortly after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings in overtime, wrapping up the NBA Western Conference finals. After consuming several alcoholic beverages, Thomas and some of his friends turned their attention from the television to an antique rifle. Curious about whether it worked, they decided to test it in the creek bed.
In order to fire it from a safe distance, they tied a string to the trigger and walked back several feet, after all they wouldn't want it to explode on them. After successfully firing it off several times, Thomas went to retrieve it. He came walking out of the creek bed with the gun in his hand, barrel up, but in all the fun forgot about the string around the trigger. He stepped on the string while getting out out of the creek bed, causing the gun to fire. The bullet struck Thomas in the head, leaving him unconscious.
The friends called 911 but in the confusion, Thomas' pit bull, Junior, was let loose. Junior found Thomas had been injured and began attacking the friends.
When officers showed up the dog literally had a hold of one of Thomas' friends. Officers could not get the dog to let go even after spraying it with mace and then hitting it with a nightstick. Finally, the dog turned loose of the friend and attacked an officer, biting him at least three times, before also being shot and killed.
Other officers who were not at the scene heard the shots fired call and began moving toward the area. Then they heard a call from the officer who had encountered the dog saying, "I'm bit." In the confusion, other officers heard the radio as "I'm hit" and began running to the scene to rescue the 'shot' officer.
A call for assistance and a report of an officer down went out over the radio. Police cruisers swarmed the street, drawing the attention of neighbors who thought there was a gun battle going on. However, once police back-up arrived, the misunderstanding was resolved quickly and investigators took over the scene.
Thomas later died in emergency room.
Thomas' best friend, Kasha King, said that Thomas was a private person who loved computers, Japanese animation and low-rider bicycles. "He was goofy and klutzy, as well as irresistibly likable," she said. "He was one of those people who, at times, would drive you nuts. But no matter how crazy he drove you, you couldn't help but love him," King said. "My Johnnie Angel. It was a cheesy nickname I gave him a long time ago that is now ironically appropriate.
Submitted on 06/08/2002
Submitted by:
elissa Porterfield
Reference:
Austin (TX) Amer Stsman 060702
Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com
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