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Police appeal for cyclist to get in touch after car passenger shoots him with BB gunRoyston Lane, Essex (via StreetView)

Police appeal for cyclist to get in touch after car passenger shoots him with BB gun

Driver also spooked several horses and their young riders
by Alex Bowden
Sat, Nov 16, 2019 13:30
11

Essex Police are appealing for a cyclist to contact them after he came off his bike after being shot with a ball bearing in Elmdon.

The Saffron Walden Reporter reports that the incident occurred on Royston Lane on Sunday, November 3, between 11.30am and 12.30pm.

The force said that a dark blue/green Vauxhall Frontera was reported to have been driving erratically along the country road and that a ball bearing was fired.

The cyclist, described as in his 50s with a grey beard and wearing bright orange, fell into a ditch. The car also spooked four horses and their young riders.

A police spokesperson said: "If you think you might be the cyclist or were in the area the time and witnessed the incident, or have dash cam footage could you please call the rural engagement team on 101 quoting crime reference number 42/175136/19."

Information can also be given anonymously via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

In June of last year, several cyclists were shot with a ball bearing gun in Hampshire. Local cyclists suspected that the same person may have also targeted cyclists the previous winter when riders reported being punched and having coins thrown at them by a passenger in a white van.

A year earlier, two boys in Bavaria shot at a group of cyclists with a ball bearing gun from a window.

One of the cyclists turned out to be the King of Thailand and the boys were swiftly tracked down by police.

BB gun
Essex
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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11 comments

Avatar
TheBillder | 5 years ago
5 likes

Surely debate over the class of weapon isn't the point. This is a projectile fired from a gun, in a public place, at a vulnerable road user. Could be me, my child, you.

In Scotland, air weapons need a license and allowing pellets to leave the property on which they are fired is a criminal offence. This became law after a child was killed in a street as far as I recall.

It's surprising that the "Rural Engagement" squad is running with this. Aren't they busy with crowd trouble at the gymkhana?

Avatar
Bob's Bikes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Was it an air rifle/pistol being used ie a 177 or BB gun, or something capable of shooting ball bearings I used to have a BB rifle great piece of kit for target shooting in a longish back garden with wooden fencing. I also had a catapult with a pistol grip and wrist pads/support with which I used ball bearings this would easily kill rabbits at a distance whereas the bb wouldn't.

BOTH weapons are dangerous and I am certainly not condoning the actions of the idiots doing this but some clarification could be useful.

Avatar
vonhelmet replied to Bob's Bikes | 5 years ago
4 likes
Bob's Bikes wrote:

Was it an air rifle/pistol being used ie a 177 or BB gun, or something capable of shooting ball bearings I used to have a BB rifle great piece of kit for target shooting in a longish back garden with wooden fencing. I also had a catapult with a pistol grip and wrist pads/support with which I used ball bearings this would easily kill rabbits at a distance whereas the bb wouldn't.

BOTH weapons are dangerous and I am certainly not condoning the actions of the idiots doing this but some clarification could be useful.

If we're debating which weapons we'd rather be shot with then something has gone badly wrong.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to vonhelmet | 5 years ago
1 like

vonhelmet wrote:
Bob's Bikes wrote:

Was it an air rifle/pistol being used ie a 177 or BB gun, or something capable of shooting ball bearings I used to have a BB rifle great piece of kit for target shooting in a longish back garden with wooden fencing. I also had a catapult with a pistol grip and wrist pads/support with which I used ball bearings this would easily kill rabbits at a distance whereas the bb wouldn't.

BOTH weapons are dangerous and I am certainly not condoning the actions of the idiots doing this but some clarification could be useful.

If we're debating which weapons we'd rather be shot with then something has gone badly wrong.

Makes a change from helmets !

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
1 like
hirsute wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:
Bob's Bikes wrote:

Was it an air rifle/pistol being used ie a 177 or BB gun, or something capable of shooting ball bearings I used to have a BB rifle great piece of kit for target shooting in a longish back garden with wooden fencing. I also had a catapult with a pistol grip and wrist pads/support with which I used ball bearings this would easily kill rabbits at a distance whereas the bb wouldn't.

BOTH weapons are dangerous and I am certainly not condoning the actions of the idiots doing this but some clarification could be useful.

If we're debating which weapons we'd rather be shot with then something has gone badly wrong.

Makes a change from helmets !

Kevlar body armour - does it encourage risk-taking?

Avatar
CyclingInBeastMode replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 5 years ago
0 likes

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
hirsute wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:
Bob's Bikes wrote:

Was it an air rifle/pistol being used ie a 177 or BB gun, or something capable of shooting ball bearings I used to have a BB rifle great piece of kit for target shooting in a longish back garden with wooden fencing. I also had a catapult with a pistol grip and wrist pads/support with which I used ball bearings this would easily kill rabbits at a distance whereas the bb wouldn't.

BOTH weapons are dangerous and I am certainly not condoning the actions of the idiots doing this but some clarification could be useful.

If we're debating which weapons we'd rather be shot with then something has gone badly wrong.

Makes a change from helmets !

Kevlar body armour - does it encourage risk-taking?

You're messing around but the answer is actually yes, first noticed with metal helmets in wwI, it meant worse outcomes due to greater risks taken and more injured soldiers consume massively more resources than dead ones, the impacts were two fold sadly, it influenced decision making in terms of sending the ranks into battle.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Bob's Bikes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Bob's Bikes wrote:

Was it an air rifle/pistol being used ie a 177 or BB gun, or something capable of shooting ball bearings I used to have a BB rifle great piece of kit for target shooting in a longish back garden with wooden fencing. I also had a catapult with a pistol grip and wrist pads/support with which I used ball bearings this would easily kill rabbits at a distance whereas the bb wouldn't.

BOTH weapons are dangerous and I am certainly not condoning the actions of the idiots doing this but some clarification could be useful.

A few years ago I bought a cheap air pistol that fires little orange plastic balls with not much power. I was looking to scare off some pigeons that had taken a liking to our bedroom window and would sit above it making a racket.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to get a good shot and the pigeons didn't seem that bothered by the little plastic balls bouncing off the brickwork near them. I did manage to get off a perfect shot - right between the eyes of a pigeon! It just looked at me and didn't seem the slightest bit scared.

Avatar
EK Spinner | 5 years ago
2 likes

Good on the witnesses for reporting this when they are not directly involved.

it's a sad inditment on how some folk percieve our justice system when they don't feel it is worth the bother of reporting it when they have been shot (all be it with a BB gun)

Avatar
Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes

How did the Police know about the incident if they don't know who the cyclist is ?

Avatar
vonhelmet replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes
hirsute wrote:

How did the Police know about the incident if they don't know who the cyclist is ?

Horse riders told them?

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 5 years ago
5 likes

"If you think you might be the cyclist..." given he was shot with a BB gun and driven into a ditch, I suspect the cyclist in question will not be in any doubt as to whether it was them or not.

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