Redmond asphalt worker says elderly driver tried to kill him
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REDMOND, Wash. -- An asphalt worker claims Redmond cops didn't do their jobs when they let an elderly man go free after a hit-and-run crash, but police say arresting the 86-year-old would not have helped their investigation.
Bob O'Brion was working on a Redmond parking lot Saturday morning when he says he became the target of an angry 86-year-old driver.
"That was the last thing I expected, for him to floor it and run me over," O'Brion said. "I mean, I was just trying to help the guy out."
Even with a shoulder injury for proof, O'Brion still can't believe what happened to him as he and his crew were putting new asphalt sealing on a strip mall parking lot. He said he was attempting to show the elderly driver how to get out of the lot when the man got upset and intentionally hit him.
"He took my legs out," O'Brion said. "My shoulder, head and neck hit the windshield."
After the initial impact, O'Brion said the man tried to run him over a second time.
"I slid off the front of the car and he accelerated again, trying to run me over. I swear, I was in fear for my life," he said.
Then, according to O'Brion, police and several witnesses, the elderly man drove away. Witnesses did get the man's license plate number and police stopped him near his Bellevue home. They didn't, however, arrest the man.
Lt. Charlie Gorman of the Redmond Police Department said there was no reason to arrest him.
"We could have booked him but, like I said, he was cooperative, he's local, he's not a flight risk," Gorman said.
The elderly man allegedly admitted to hitting O'Brion, but said it wasn't intentional. He also said he drove away because he was afraid O'Brion would come after him.
Police say an arrest would pressure them to finish their investigation too quickly.
"We needed to complete our investigation before we could physically put him in jail and charge him," Gorman said.
That explanation isn't sitting well with O'Brion.
"I do not believe the fact that just because he was 86-years old, they let him go," he said.
Police say the man had no signs of impairment, so they had no legal authority to keep him from driving. They said the investigation should be complete this week and they'll send the case to prosecutors for a possible felony hit-and-run charge.
Bob O'Brion was working on a Redmond parking lot Saturday morning when he says he became the target of an angry 86-year-old driver.
"That was the last thing I expected, for him to floor it and run me over," O'Brion said. "I mean, I was just trying to help the guy out."
Even with a shoulder injury for proof, O'Brion still can't believe what happened to him as he and his crew were putting new asphalt sealing on a strip mall parking lot. He said he was attempting to show the elderly driver how to get out of the lot when the man got upset and intentionally hit him.
"He took my legs out," O'Brion said. "My shoulder, head and neck hit the windshield."
After the initial impact, O'Brion said the man tried to run him over a second time.
"I slid off the front of the car and he accelerated again, trying to run me over. I swear, I was in fear for my life," he said.
Then, according to O'Brion, police and several witnesses, the elderly man drove away. Witnesses did get the man's license plate number and police stopped him near his Bellevue home. They didn't, however, arrest the man.
Lt. Charlie Gorman of the Redmond Police Department said there was no reason to arrest him.
"We could have booked him but, like I said, he was cooperative, he's local, he's not a flight risk," Gorman said.
The elderly man allegedly admitted to hitting O'Brion, but said it wasn't intentional. He also said he drove away because he was afraid O'Brion would come after him.
Police say an arrest would pressure them to finish their investigation too quickly.
"We needed to complete our investigation before we could physically put him in jail and charge him," Gorman said.
That explanation isn't sitting well with O'Brion.
"I do not believe the fact that just because he was 86-years old, they let him go," he said.
Police say the man had no signs of impairment, so they had no legal authority to keep him from driving. They said the investigation should be complete this week and they'll send the case to prosecutors for a possible felony hit-and-run charge.
I agree with thatsjarrod. This is so wrong. Police let age play a factor. Grandpa was so convinvcng that hes not a flight risk and may have even cried a bit saying he needed his meds or something. Â Police really dropped the ball here. Crime is crime should not matter what age or race you are. Grandpa needs to be locked up and his license taken away.
No wonder some old folks drive like that....they know they are untouchable.
Having had to deal with the Eastside police force in the past, this doesn't surprise me. We had our truck stolen in Kirkland and the police weren't helpful at all. Basically shrugged their shoulders. My husband was assaulted outside of our business in Bellevue and the police told my husband he would go to jail if he pressed charges. The police are a joke on the Eastside. Doesn't surprise me that Redmond police are equally as worthless. My entire life I've been supportive of the police departments, but around Western Washington I've really come to realize how bad the local police are at their jobs and my support is withering.
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This man should have been arrested and if not arrested at the very least detained and his drivers license immediately revoked until further notice.
I'd say the police really dropped the ball here. What if that had been a child. The child would be dead now. Flight risk or not, that waas assult with a deadly weapon. "Police say the man had no signs of impairment, so they had no legal authority to keep him from driving." So if he had no signs of impairment, then he must have done it on purpose. Hello officer Friday wake up! This guy shouldn't be driving anywhere.
Im a 39 year old black guy. Whats the chance that I run someone over on purpose and dont get arrested?
 @thatsjarrod When did race become an issue in this article?Â
@thatsjarrod I think they'd pull you over just for breathing
 @thatsjarrod Whats the chances of you speeding and not getting arrested? I am sure if it was anyone else, we'd be sitting in a cell right now.Â
He probably know$ $omeone with $ome clout, or he ha$ $ome him$elf. There are stories from all over the country about elderly people being arrested. Look up mugshot sites; there are all ages in those photos, not just young people.
So he didn't even get a ticket? That's preferential treatment and really stinks. I highly doubt if I would have gone home if I did that. I wonder what the officer would have done with the driver if HE was the one run over.
There's no way they are going to put an 86 year old in jail. Too much liability if he gets hurt in jail.Â
I am on the fence with this one. On one hand this man allegedly ran someone over with his vehicle, not once but twice, and left the scene. His butt deserves to be behind bars and he sure as hell shouldn't be driving right now. Not because of his age but the fact that he just used his car as a weapon!
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But on the other hand, I understand why the cops chose to not put him under arrest and throw him in jail. His age makes a fair case for him... even as I write this tho I am battling with myself for what to write. I am all for equality and this situation has me split because these are serious offenses against him if they're true but I keep picturing my grandpa and I can't imagine him behind bars. But he hit someone and LEFT THE SCENE. That's a big no no.
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I dunno.
I do know. His butt needs to be behind bars. He him someone with his car and left the scene. I tried justifying his age but it's just not working for me. His car should have been impounded for evidence and him taken in. Most likely he wouldn't have been behind bars for long, someone would bail him out, you'd think.
Some cops are stupid, especially the environmentally "green" Redmond cops!!
What's being green have to do with this? So if we recycle, we're stupid?
Apparently the Redmond Police need an intelligence enema. Exploratory to find a brain.
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The worker would have been fully within his rights if armed to part Grandpa's hair, and rightly so.
totally insane - "no reason to arrest him"??? really? because he's "local"?
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how about arrest him because he tried to run someone over. more than once. in front of witnesses.
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seriously, this has to be a joke.
 @SwampThing An 85 year old individual, depending on their physical condition, is a much harder flight risk than someone in their 20's and 30's. Think about any (or all) medications that this elderly gentleman may be taking on a daily basis that keeps him in the local area?
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Does the elderly gentleman have a hearing issue that made him think that O'Brion was yelling at him in a threatening manner rather than simply instructing him to take an easier course? Does he have to attend regular dialysis treatments or another medical treatment even though the officers didnt find any impairment to legally take his license away?
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There are countless factors that you and the general public are not privy to about why the Redmond PD didnt immediately take him to custody. Instead of simply crying foul, attempt to understand the potential of what both sides are having to consider.
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Am I condoning what the elderly gentleman did to O'Brion? No, of course not but there is more to the situation to have taken into account and there may be an outcome that will appease Mr. O'Brion for what he went through.
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Wisdom will always trump emotional outbursts when you do not understand.
 @DarkRenegade  @SwampThingÂ
DarkRenegade, I think you missed this part:"Police say the man had no signs of impairment"Â
 @Landshark Did I? Second paragraph, last sentence in my post please.
yawn.
 @SwampThing Ah a completely expected response, how original.
This doesn't pass the smell test. Sounds like there was probable cause to arrest him. Older men then that have been arrested by police agencies.Â
@Citizen#3457899654 And younger people THAN you know the difference between "then" and "than"! Geesh...
@ladylib1 omg
 @ladylib1 lol... probably a simple mistake. the misuse of there, their, they're is also common on this site.
 @MyTacoma  @ladylib1 in addition to misspellings. I wish people would spellcheck--oops! Spellcheck doesn't work in this comment box. Guess we're seeing how people really write.
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I would have thought that the car would have been impounded as evidence at the very least. Â
I would have also thought the driver would have been brought in for questioning given the seriousness of the accusation.
Somethings not right here.
Old man should get hit & run charge. Just take away old man car licensing.
This is beyond belief. The car should have been impounded and him arrested on many charges. I would seek an lawyer.
You know what? That's vehicular assault! That's not enough? What the hell is wrong with that pathetic old fart anyway? Good grief!
You knw, there is always two sides to the story. KOMO, why don't you get the other side first before you print. After seeing these guys on the road doing heir work....sometimes they think they own the road and can do anything they want to do
 @egle umm, parking lot?
that's messed up!! Just because he is old doesn't mean he is innocent. Good grief! Bad choice by the police.
Excuse me.....they had no reason to arrest him? How about hit and run, with plenty of witnesses. And that he intentionally tried to run the man down a second time, that sounds like a good reason for an arrest, no matter how old or "cooperative" he is. Something is fishy......is this 86 y.o. a "pillar of the wealthy community" perhaps?
 @Gnirk Exactly what I was thinking when I read this story.
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 @Wickedwitch just because you're old, don't make you worthy of respect. Everyone grows old, including the stupid, insane and plain vicious.
@Wickedwitch oh give me a break - i'd say the dude that got hit by this guy "feared for hislife"....
Arrest him, I can't believe it.  The man should start suing everyone involved,  the city, officer and the driver.  I would have been screaming for an arrest.  How is this any different than someone assaulting another person.  I always wondered if someone was to hit me in a car how they can go right after but if the punch me the get arrested for assault. Does someone know can I have an officer arrest the driver for assault.Â
 @apenny4mythoughts:Â
There has to be a legal basis to sue - what legal basis would they have for suing the police officer and the city? None.Â
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Whether or not to detain someone is usually left to the officer's discretion. In this case, they felt that since they are still investigating & the man is not considered a flight risk, they will take the time to do a good investigation - which means that when charges are brought they are all the more likely to stick & not be thrown out.
The old man should be brought up on charges in gutless Redmond...
If this had been a police officer he would have used deadly force to stop the old geezer. He should have at least been stopped and arrested for reckless driving at the very least. Makes me think the old guy knew someone, maybe the police chief? He obviously is not just some old guy.
This is an example why people should get a CWP and keep a gun on them at all times. In Washington you have the legal right to use deadly force in cases like this, just like officers do.
just to be clear, if a car tries to just get away from the police they have the green light to fire their weapons but when a man is witnessed intentionally revving his engine and running over a worker by other citizens this does not justify holding this lunatic old fart....
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ok makes sense to me
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Who wants to bet me this guy is a white, upper middle class man with connections? Â I got 20 says he is.
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 @sunnysandiego I don't take sucker bets, lol.
 @sunnysandiego On this one, I agree with you.
@DarkParty @sunnysandiego I agree with your comment Sandiego. DarkParty its been a weird week.Â
It's Redmond...they don't want to take time away from stopping people for exceeding the speed limit by 5 MPH. And yeah, I don't care how old the guy is either. He should be arrested and his license should be taken away.
Yank the geezers license.
This is very odd. There were witnesses. He left the scene. He should be in jail no matter what age he is.Â