Why People Run!

A lot of commentators have said that the Brazilian killed at Stockwell brought it on his own, by running.

We breed racehorses and they are the classic flight animal. I was walking around the stud yesterday, with a wild-life expert and two of our dogs. As we walked behind a paddock containing four mares and their foals, the horses became suspicious and came to look at us. Unsure of my companion, as they had never seen him before, after a quick look they fled to the other end of the paddock.

That is classic fight or flight! They fled!

Now what has this got to do with the Brazilian?

A lot!

About fifteen years ago, I was getting off a train at Royal Oak station, when the black kid of about fifteen, in front of me dropped a small plastic wallet. I picked it up and saw it was his weekly train ticket and a student identity card. So I did what any good citizen would do and shouted. 'Oh! Mate! You've dropped something!' He ran! Why, I don't know, but then I couldn't start to understand how the mind of a young black kid would work. Especially, if I was regularly being asked to stop by the Police. So I ran after him and luckily he wasn't that fit, as I managed to catch him up after about half a kilometre. I suspect too, that when he saw me chasing and I was a smallish man in a suit, that he thought I probably wasn't the sort to arrest him or do him any harm.

He was very apologetic and thanked me greatly when I enventually caught up with him.

So the Brazilian was in a strange country and knew that in his own, when people say stop, they may be wanting to rob you. Or even kill you.

He was right!