IMO none of what happened before the video matters, because even during the video both sides had ample time to disengage from 'hostilities'.
However, at the moment when the cabbie ran over the guy towards the end, he was under assault. So it is very easy to see how he could have been fearing for his safety in that instant.
What happened before does matter, the driver got punched in the chest as mentioned, insulted, then the drunk got out and began assaulting the vehicle, at which time the cab driver tried to hit him with the car, but hit a wall / parking post instead.
Then the video begins.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news...ranting+bail/6553679/story.html#ixzz1tlpxZiXx
The Haitian protesters just made their case worse on the news, saying the drunk deserved what he got, just for kicking the car.
Well that might be o.k in Haiti, but guess what, welcome to Canada, we have laws.
Other than the initial guy striking him inside the vehicle, no one tried to assault the driver, just his cab.
The drunks should be charged for whatever can be proven, and pay for the damaged car.
But let's not be fooled here, most of us drive a car, we can clearly see it's a 4 way intersection, many chances to leave, and when i'm running over a human body, i can usually feel a bump and stop before peeling out on his face.
There is 8 minutes of activity prior to beginning of tape according to the cameraman.
I'll add this quote for the lazy arses that won't read the whole article.
Edmond, who is of Haitian origin, picked up the "very drunk" passengers and as the car inched along a congested street and the meter kept running, they grew angry. One passenger allegedly said to Edmond: "They circumcise women in your country, don't they?"
Fed up of waiting in traffic, Benoit Kapelli — who would later be run over — punched Edmond in the chest and got out of the car, Gagne said witnesses told police.
Kapelli then started kicking the mirror and door on the driver's side, so Edmond got out, wielding a snow brush and bottle of Snapple, defence lawyer Yves Vaillancourt said.
"He got back in the car and the two passengers in the back got out," Vaillancourt said. "They continued to kick the car and blocked his way."
Gagne said Edmond continued driving north as the pedestrians walked on the sidewalk.
"(Edmond) said he lost control of his car, but he didn't say why," Gagne testified, referring to the allegation that Edmond deliberately ran into a street lamp where Kapelli was standing, tearing the front bumper off his car.
At this point, the dispute is picked up on video, and shows Edmond's car in the middle of the street. A few people appear and begin kicking the car, but not before Guercy could have driven away, the detective said. Someone climbs on the roof and jumps on it.
The taxi then does a three-point turn, and as it heads east runs over Kapelli. Gagne said Kapelli suffered two broken ribs, perforated spleen and bladder, lesions on his lungs and contusions on his stomach.
Read more:
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news...ranting+bail/6553679/story.html#ixzz1tm4fIGUA