I have been getting emails, text messages, tweets, etc. from the city of Minneapolis and friends all morning about this event and I thought I would share it (along with some thoughts):
On September 11, 2008 around 4:20 a.m. a 64 year old St Louis Park resident with cerebral palsy was struck and killed by a hit and run driver on Excelsior Boulevard less than a block from his place of employment. The male, who will be identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, had been employed by the Minikahda Club in the same position since 1962 and rode his bicycle to work along Excelsior Boulevard almost every day around 4:15 a.m.
The victim, who was wearing a bike helmet, was struck by a tan vehicle and that vehicle most likely sustained right front damage. Investigators are asking that anyone with information about this case call Sgt. Bruce Folkens at 612-673-3410 or Sgt. Chris Karakostas at 612-673-3400.
The PIO contact for this case is Sgt. William Palmer.
From Kare-11:
The Minikahda Country Club flag flew at half staff in Nisser’s honor. He’d worked in the kitchen there for more than 40 years – biking when the weather allowed, walking when it didn’t. Nisser never got a driver’s license because he had cerebral palsy.
“He was a kind soul,” said Jim Jennings, Minikahda general manager. “I mean never said a bad word about anyone.”
Nisser lived with his mother at the family home in St. Louis Park until she passed away 12 years ago. He’d lived alone in the home since.
Clearly this is a tragedy. Nissler sounds like he was a wonderful person and it is always difficult to see things like this happen (regardless of to whom).
Still, I have been reading the comments from on line sources and they trouble me:
…in order to change people’s behavior (their thinking) you need to make the punishment fit the crime. We need the death penalty.
…in China he would be put to death via firing squad. This animal is Either drunk, illegal alien, Primate without a concious or all of the above.
…it’s times like this the death pentalty would come in handy, take out like their fallen victim
…hopefully he went home and drank himself to death.
It is terrible that this person has not come forward, but with the mob talking in this way, can anyone wonder why? I cannot imagine how this individual feels – you cannot assume they were drunk, and you cannot assume the crime was heinous. Should an individual pay with their life for one mistake? Furthermore, what would this solve? Is it a deterrent for someone doing this again, or simply from anyone ever coming forward again?
I am not decided on whether the death penalty is an appropriate deterrent, but of all the crimes I would consider it for, this does not make the list.
Feel free to comment.
