Marine reservist attacked Greek priest he mistook for terrorist

[zeos3]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1050707.ece


"TAMPA — Marine reservist Jasen Bruce was getting clothes out of the trunk of his car Monday evening when a bearded man in a robe approached him.

That man, a Greek Orthodox priest named Father Alexios Marakis, speaks little English and was lost, police said. He wanted directions.

What the priest got instead, police say, was a tire iron to the head. Then he was chased for three blocks and pinned to the ground — as the Marine kept a 911 operator on the phone, saying he had captured a terrorist."





How fucking stupid do you have to be before they don't let you into the military???


Edited to add:

I know it's Veterans Day and I want to be sure to say I am not making a general attack on our soldiers. This guy makes us all look bad, civilian and soldier. I apologize if anyone took offense.

[arcadian]

1. He didn't mistake anybody as being a "terrorist"

He just wanted to beat the shit out of somebody.

[cynatnite]

3. Yep. n/t

[zeos3]

6. Agreed.

[Cha]

2. We thought there would be hate repercussions..

And, this is why the words from the Prez yesterday were so important in helping the healing to begin..but, there will always be those who need not much of an excuse to let out their inner demons.

[zeos3]

7. I agree

The victim and the assailant are a study in contrasts over dealing with inner demons. I'm not saying that the priest had issues to deal with but the assailant sure seems he did.

They are both staying true to form, though. The priest says he will not press charges in the spirit of forgiveness. The moran refuses to apologize when he is clearly wrong and, in fact, is trying to say it was the priests fault for the attack.

[Cha]

10. Oh wow..I didn't read

the details..thanks.

Yeah, that soldier needs to be evaluated with the looming lesson of the Dr at Fort Hood.

[zeos3]

13. Right, shouldn't this type of behavior have set off some red flags

or is this type of aggressiveness needed to make a "good" soldier?

[rd_kent]

4. SO, any terroristd in the USA will be wearing a robe and bearded,huh, not trying to blend in?

Fuck this guy. He needs to go to jail for assault and battery.

[zeos3]

8. If things don't work out in the military for this guy,

he should apply for a job as a detective.

[muntrv]

5. Jason would have a beer with Tim McVeigh, based on his stupidity.

[zeos3]

15. Yup, making an enemy of anyone and everyone.

[Indenturedebtor]

9. Florida is the only case to be made for not reigning in CO2 emissions

Sorry but it seems like 90% of the "What in the hell was wrong with that guy?!?!?!" stories come out of Florida.

[lastliberalintexas]

12. I don't know, we have more than our fair share in Tejas

Very sad story. I'm impressed by the priest, and I hope the soldier gets therapy.

[zeos3]

16. He was charged with misdemeanor battery in 2007

Also from the article, regarding this case:

An exterior surveillance video of Tuesday's chase captured the two men in motion, said Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Laura McElroy:

"You see a very short, small man running, and an enormous, large muscular man chasing after him."

[Indenturedebtor]

17. Pfff what a meatheaded moron n/t

[Xicano]

11. Assault with a deadly weapon

This dipshit needs to be arrested on assault with a deadly weapon charge, dishonorably discharged from the Marine corp and sent to jail for his crime.

n/t

[zeos3]

14. I thought this might be a case of PTSD,

not that it's any excuse for what happened, but this idiot has never been deployed according to the article.

[struggle4progress]

18. Tow truck driver: Man who attacked Greek priest attacked me too (ABC)

Reported by: Jeff Butera
Email: [e-mail]
Last Update: 11:44 pm

TAMPA, FL -- ... According to police reports, Allen met Bruce Halloween night in 2007. Bruce was at Calta’s Fitness. Allen hooked Bruce’s Jaguar up to his tow truck because Bruce had parked it in front of a janitorial business next door to the gym.

When Bruce saw that Allen was towing his vehicle, he ran outside with a couple other people, Allen recalls.

“They were all yelling and all of a sudden (Bruce) comes running across the bed (of the truck) with both hands and hits me in the chest,” Allen said. “It hurt. Probably the hardest I’ve been hurt in my life” ...

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Tow-truck-driver-Man-who-attacked-Greek-priest/b4oxvx9Qa0CzllZjHLtWdw.cspx


Tampa tow truck driver also accused Marine reservist of rampage

By Alexandra Zayas and Demorris A. Lee, Times Staff Writers
In Print: Thursday, November 12, 2009

... "He was just flat mean, telling me that I wasn't taking his car, that he would beat me into the ground first," Allen said.

The Marine jumped over the tow truck and pushed him in the back with both hands, Allen told police. Bruce then got in his car, moved it, parked and then got out and pushed him again, this time in the chest, knocking him 7 to 10 feet.

Bruce is a muscular 6 feet 3 and 210 pounds.

"My back hurt for months," Allen said. "Here I am, an overweight 57-year-old man, and he has to come over and beat me up. That's a real proud thing to do" ...

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/tampa-tow-truck-driver-also-accused-marine-reservist-of-rampage/1051132

[zeos3]

23. Thanks for the update n/t

[struggle4progress]

19. Greek priest back to work after violent attack

Reported by: Sarina Fazan
Email: [e-mail]
Last Update: 8:15 pm

TAMPA, FL -- A Greek Orthodox priest was back performing his duties at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral less than two days after enduring a violent attack.

Marine reservist Jasen Bruce is out on bond facing charges that he attacked Father Alexios Marakis. Lance Corporal Jasen Bruce allegedly accused the priest of being a terrorist and a sexual deviant ...

Eaccarino said he rushed to the emergency room Monday to tend to Father Marakis, who was badly hurt. "He needed three stitches above his eye. Then he needed more on the back of his head. He had several bumps. His left arm was completely raw and so was his leg. You see when he was trying to run, he was tripping on these robes that we wear," Eaccarino said.

According to police, Marakis had performed a blessing on another Greek priest and was in his car when he accidentally exited I-275 and wound up lost in downtown Tampa ...

http://www.abcactionnews.com/mostpopular/story/Greek-priest-back-to-work-after-violent-attack/-BKBm6nR8UuD6SdoX8WjBw.cspx


Attorney For Beaten Greek Priest Speaks Out
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:59:00 PM

... "He's recovering well," said Jerry Theophilopoulos, the attorney for 29-year-old Alexios Marakis. "He suffered some serious injuries to his head and to his face" ...

"You have a situation here where he basically beat my client with a tire iron," he said. "He's got to say something and unfortunately what occurred in the Catholic church he's kind of using that trying to ride and riding those coattails to say it was something sexual when in fact it wasn't."

Police have video of the incident, which happened near a downtown Tampa apartment complex. They aren't releasing it yet, but Theophilopoulos says he's heard what's on it.

"It does show Father Alexios running around in a circle trying to avoid the defendant who just kept chasing him, he said. "In fact, the video spills outside the parking garage where basically he hits him again with the crowbar" ...

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/CountyByCounty/CountyStories/2009/11/11/attorney_for_beaten_greek_priest_speaks_out.html

[zeos3]

24. Thanks for the update n/t

[Toasterlad]

28. Silly Jarhead.

I still think my original read on this is correct: Bruce is a gay-for-pay escort, the priest arranged a rendevouz, either the priest did something Bruce didn't like or the priest couldn't pay, and then Bruce attacked him. He tells the original "terrorist" story to the police because he's too stupid to think of anything else. After he gets a lawyer, the lawyer advises him to use the gay panic defense, which, ironically is closer to the truth. The priest isn't about to out himself, so he's not going to press charges. And I base this on absolutely nothing but a knowledge of how often shit like this happens.

No matter WHAT happened, Bruce deserves serious prison time.

[AspenRose]

20. It's the drugs.

"Bruce is a sales manager for APS Pharmacy in Palm Harbor. His blog entries tout the benefits of increasing testosterone and human growth hormones."

Yep.

[zeos3]

25. Yup, this guy seems like he needs more testosterone.

He's a beast at 6'3" and over 20lbs. I haven't seen a picture of the priest but I doubt this idiot needed to be afraid.

[Dogtown]

29. APS is an internet pharmacy

that seems to specialize in hard-to-obtain medicines, among them, steroids and growth hormones.

I think the stock-boy has been sampling the shipments.

[Mariana]

21. The priest doesn't want to press charges

espousing biblical forgiveness? What stupidity. His attacker is a DANGEROUS man who damn well needs to be locked up, for the protection of the public. Does the priest not care at all about Bruce's potential future victims? He may very well permanently maim or kill the next person he decides to attack.

[zeos3]

26. You make a good point

It's reassuring to me that the priest practices what he preaches. Perhaps he believes his attacker is not beyond redemption.

[cali]

27. The priest is not who decides on charges against this freakoid.

[zeos3]

22. Here's another link with pictures

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6997399

[noamnety]

30. The terrorist was in the marine's mirror.

nt

[ddeclue]

31. ROID RAGER..

:argh:

[undeterred]

32. Incurable violent dumbass