Told to turn off Xbox, stepson allegedly stabs stepdad's Harley to bits
In what appears to be a domestic dispute that went off the road, an argument over an Xbox leads to the alleged destruction of a fine bike.
Here at the Family Relations Technology Advice Bureau, we see all kinds of issues.
From mothers who wish to shame their kids on Facebook to heartthrobs who wonder if it's au fait to dump their lovers by text.
Our latest case comes from Utah, where a man arrived home to discover his 19-year-old stepson playing on his Xbox.
Xboxes tend to inspire heightened feelings in users, as was proved by a man who recently ran back into his blazing house to save his.
In the Utah case, police say the stepdad asked the stepson to turn off the Xbox. Then he went outside to get the mail.
As the St. George Press reports, the unnamed stepdad came back into the house and discovered that the Xbox and TV hadn't been switched off. So he did it himself.
This, as related in a report by police officer David McDaniel, led to expressions of extreme displeasure.
Two remotes were allegedly broken. As the stepdad retreated to a safe haven across the street, his stepson allegedly grabbed a knife and took it to his stepdad's 2009 Custom Harley Davidson FLF.
McDaniel reported of the stepson: "He punched and hit the bike repeatedly. (He) then knocked it down and continued to strike the motorcycle until he broke the knife blade off the handle."
You might imagine that a fan of one technology might have respected another. That is not the suggestion here. For next, police say, the stepson got into his 2000 Nissan Maxima and rammed the Harley all the way into the garage wall.
The damage is said to total $25,000.
Once he was caught, the son allegedly admitted his rage. He also allegedly insisted that he hadn't taken his anti-anxiety and antidepression medication, something that may have contributed to the severity of his self-expression.
He's been charged with two counts of domestic violence simple assault and leaving the scene of an accident, as well as a second-degree felony for domestic violence criminal mischief.
We have often pleaded with enthusiasts that ultimately a piece of technology is just that -- a mere inanimate object that can be replaced, recharged, or restarted.
Such maneuvers are so much more difficult with relationships, once they are scarred by excessive behavior.