Crime in Bakersfield out of control - Johnny Davenport reports sad news about Bryan of the Kookoonauts - By N.L. Belardes
This is news I didn't want to hear, especially after not long ago getting an email from the KooKooNauts lead singer, who was afraid for his life... I hope Bryan pulls through. My prayers go out to him. He's a very cool kid...
I am also extremely sad about the state of the BPD. I hear story after story after story of crimes reported and the undermanned police department not making it out to crime scenes until days later. Bakersfield needs to do something about beefing up the force... let's hope they do.
Bakersfield teenage singer suffers blunt force trauma attack
by Johnny Davenport: Bako-zine.
According to the Bakersfield Californian, May 15th , 2005 "A boom in urgent calls to Bakersfield police this year doesn't just have officers scrambling. No one's investigating the theft of your garden hose these days. Last year, roughly one in nine calls were coded "priority one," including carjackings, rapes and robberies, according to Bakersfield police." It was just such an attitude or perspective that nearly cost one young music fan his life. According to witnesses, a 90 pound, blond haired16 year old, Bryan Gunter of Bakersfield, was simply standing and watching "Taste Of Blood" at a local music show when an adult of over twice the weight, and much greater size, crept through the audience and struck the youth in the head from behind. The cowardly blow landed squarely and left Gunter's skull cracked in several areas as well as soft tissue, blood clots and nerve damage. Gunter is still Hospitalized a week later and will be transported to L.A. for surgery Monday. The victim's family have sought advise from the District Attorney's office concerning possible attempted murder charges against the perpetrator. The show was a hardcore show Sunday Night at Montgomery World Plaza, P.M. on the 9th of October Bands that played. Despised Icon, Taste Of Blood, Moria, Old Fashioned Knife Fight, Farewell, Closed Casket Funeral. The Bakersfield Police were called at 10:PM but never showed up, this giving the assailant plenty of time to watch several more bands and drive casually home. Bryan is known in the local music scene as the lead Guitar/singer of the rural punk band "The Kookoonauts".
The "Taste Of Blood" incident is frightfully similar to the violent attack on a young man in downtown Bakersfield, across the street from the famous venue Jerry's Pizza, a while back. A teenager allegedly killed a 24 year old Bakersfield man by beating him with a chain and padlocks that had been wrapped around his right hand, he was charged with murder . Justin Armendariz, 17, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the killing of Jason Sutton in downtown Bakersfield. According to sources on the street the blow that killed Sutton was nearly identical to the type that used to dispatch Bryan Gunter, a full arc swing landing in mid skull. Sutton, 24, succumbed to his injuries at Kern Medical Center y when doctors pronounced brain death, Supervising Deputy Coroner John Van Rensselaer pronounced, less than an inch either direction and Gunter would have met the same horrible fate. According to local attorneys, cases involving assault, battery, murder and so on, are not rare at local shows. But when a large adult attacks, and attempts to kill, a teenager without provocation - things have gone to far - at a music show or not. Many citizens of Bakersfield are calling for the disbanding of the BPD in favor what has been called the more professional Kern County Sheriff, I have yet to see any petitions for this movement.
The investigation into the brutal attack at the Taste of Blood show was, or so far, nearly nonexistent, the day after the call and nearly 24 hours after the attach BPD showed up at Mercy Hospital to take a report from Bryan Gunter and his family. Offers of eye witnesses were brushed off and it seemed like there would be no follow up. If the police would have come when called there would have surley been an arrest at the time. The description of this alleged child beater is as follows: about 5 ft 9 inches or taller, dark short brassily hair, short beard stubble, appeared light Hispanic and very fat. His clothing were as follows: baggy dark blue jeans, dark brown sweat shirt with two emblems on the chest and a "T" shirt of the band "Unearthed" with a skull with wings. We need a name to go with the discription. If anything is known about this person or either one of these heinous crimes, please contact Johnny at (661) 664-8190, we need to get this mater to the District Attorneys office soon ! Leave a message if no one is home. Please help us if you saw or know any little thing, no clue is to small and photos or video of this show or of this person is also needed.
Help us wake up from this nightmare!
I am also extremely sad about the state of the BPD. I hear story after story after story of crimes reported and the undermanned police department not making it out to crime scenes until days later. Bakersfield needs to do something about beefing up the force... let's hope they do.
Bakersfield teenage singer suffers blunt force trauma attack
by Johnny Davenport: Bako-zine.
According to the Bakersfield Californian, May 15th , 2005 "A boom in urgent calls to Bakersfield police this year doesn't just have officers scrambling. No one's investigating the theft of your garden hose these days. Last year, roughly one in nine calls were coded "priority one," including carjackings, rapes and robberies, according to Bakersfield police." It was just such an attitude or perspective that nearly cost one young music fan his life. According to witnesses, a 90 pound, blond haired16 year old, Bryan Gunter of Bakersfield, was simply standing and watching "Taste Of Blood" at a local music show when an adult of over twice the weight, and much greater size, crept through the audience and struck the youth in the head from behind. The cowardly blow landed squarely and left Gunter's skull cracked in several areas as well as soft tissue, blood clots and nerve damage. Gunter is still Hospitalized a week later and will be transported to L.A. for surgery Monday. The victim's family have sought advise from the District Attorney's office concerning possible attempted murder charges against the perpetrator. The show was a hardcore show Sunday Night at Montgomery World Plaza, P.M. on the 9th of October Bands that played. Despised Icon, Taste Of Blood, Moria, Old Fashioned Knife Fight, Farewell, Closed Casket Funeral. The Bakersfield Police were called at 10:PM but never showed up, this giving the assailant plenty of time to watch several more bands and drive casually home. Bryan is known in the local music scene as the lead Guitar/singer of the rural punk band "The Kookoonauts".
The "Taste Of Blood" incident is frightfully similar to the violent attack on a young man in downtown Bakersfield, across the street from the famous venue Jerry's Pizza, a while back. A teenager allegedly killed a 24 year old Bakersfield man by beating him with a chain and padlocks that had been wrapped around his right hand, he was charged with murder . Justin Armendariz, 17, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the killing of Jason Sutton in downtown Bakersfield. According to sources on the street the blow that killed Sutton was nearly identical to the type that used to dispatch Bryan Gunter, a full arc swing landing in mid skull. Sutton, 24, succumbed to his injuries at Kern Medical Center y when doctors pronounced brain death, Supervising Deputy Coroner John Van Rensselaer pronounced, less than an inch either direction and Gunter would have met the same horrible fate. According to local attorneys, cases involving assault, battery, murder and so on, are not rare at local shows. But when a large adult attacks, and attempts to kill, a teenager without provocation - things have gone to far - at a music show or not. Many citizens of Bakersfield are calling for the disbanding of the BPD in favor what has been called the more professional Kern County Sheriff, I have yet to see any petitions for this movement.
The investigation into the brutal attack at the Taste of Blood show was, or so far, nearly nonexistent, the day after the call and nearly 24 hours after the attach BPD showed up at Mercy Hospital to take a report from Bryan Gunter and his family. Offers of eye witnesses were brushed off and it seemed like there would be no follow up. If the police would have come when called there would have surley been an arrest at the time. The description of this alleged child beater is as follows: about 5 ft 9 inches or taller, dark short brassily hair, short beard stubble, appeared light Hispanic and very fat. His clothing were as follows: baggy dark blue jeans, dark brown sweat shirt with two emblems on the chest and a "T" shirt of the band "Unearthed" with a skull with wings. We need a name to go with the discription. If anything is known about this person or either one of these heinous crimes, please contact Johnny at (661) 664-8190, we need to get this mater to the District Attorneys office soon ! Leave a message if no one is home. Please help us if you saw or know any little thing, no clue is to small and photos or video of this show or of this person is also needed.
Help us wake up from this nightmare!
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Saturday, October 15, 2005.
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I remember this...what's happen since?
The KooKooNauts got back together for a little while, made a song for the hockey CD 'Growing Up Fighting', then eventually broke up after a war of words in the music scene...
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