Unintended Consequence

FOR PAYNE, ALA.  A gas station owner was run over and killed when he tried to stop a driver from leaving without paying for $52 worth of gasoline, police said.

The driver was at large Sunday, and police said the case was being investigated as a robbery-homicide.

Witnesses told police that Husain Caddi, owner of Fort Payne Texaco, "grabbed onto the vehicle" Friday when the driver began to drive off.

Caddi was dragged onto a highway, and was run over by a rear wheel of the thief's sport utility vehicle, police said. (AP)

As reported in Express, August 22, 2005.

In Case the North Invade

SEOUL, South Korea -- A 28-year-old South Korean man died of exhaustion in an Internet cafe after playing computer games nonstop for 49 hours, police said.

The man, identified by police only by his last name, Lee, collapsed Friday after having eaten minimally, shunning sleep and refusing to leave his keyboard while he played the battle simulation game "Starcraft."

Lee was quickly moved to a hospital but died after a few hours from what doctors presume was a heart attack.

Lee had been fired from his job last month because he kept missing work to play computer games, police said.

Computer games are enormously popular in South Korea, home to professional gamers who earn big money through sponsorships and to TV stations devoted to broadcasting matches.

As reported in the Washington Examiner, Tuesday, August 16, 2005.

All In Self Defense

"A man who was convicted of killing the head of a D.C. modeling agency has been sentenced to 48 years in prison.

Markus Johnson, 22, of Southeast was sentenced yesterday on his April conviction for first-degree murder in the death of Michael Myers.

Prosecutors said Johnson attacked Mr. Myers in March 2002 with a knife, a screwdriver, a hacksaw, computer components and a floor buffer.  Investigators think Johnson confronted Mr. Myers because he was frustrated about a lack of modeling jobs.

Johnson reportedly also stole Mr. Myers' wallet and other items from his office.

A jury rejected Johnson's assertions of self-defense."

From The Washington Times, August 5, 2005.