Debbie Downer

A woman was raped at 9 a.m. last Monday in or near the Minnehaha dog park, about three miles from our house. It goes without saying that this pisses me off. I am posting an e-mail from a friend of mine who I go running with. I am including all the information just to alert those of you who use the trails near our house to be extra carfeful.

I just received this information about the incident. Since so many of us run in that area, perhaps we can be on the lookout for this individual.

Facts:
Minneapolis police are investigating the attack of a woman Monday morning, Oct. 17, who was riding her bike in the Minnehaha Falls off-leash dog park. The suspect approached the victim with a gun and sexually assaulted her.

Suspect information:

The suspect is described as a white male, 35-40 years old, six feet tall and 35 to 40 years of age. He has a heavy/muscular build, shaggy dark hair, and no facial hair. His eyes are described as closetogether, and he has heavy jowls and a thick neck. He was wearing a dark blue, zippered, jogging-style jacket, white tennis shoes and dark cloth pants. The suspect may have used a bike that possibly was red and silver.

If you have information about the incident, please contact Sgt. Nancy Dunlap, 612- 673-3782, or the MPD Sex Crimes Office, 612-673-3657.

Some obvious things jump out at me when I think about what happened. First of all is how angry this makes me. Secondly, we should all be extra careful. Even though I probably don't have too much to worry about, this incident has made me stop wearing headphones when I run. We should all do this because it does not only make things more safe for ourselves, but also so wee can hear if someone else is yelling for help.

These are obvious points to everyone, and for some reason my final point isn't. What strikes is that this woman was on her bike. Until this happened I always assumed a woman is not vulnerable if she is on a bike. She can bike away from all danger, right? Not when the asshole has a gun. I would love to hear from some NRA types and know how they can justify conceal and carry over strict gun control laws. Using their logic, the solution to the current problem is for all women to go running and biking with guns. Here's a better idea, with or without gun control laws: it is time for the park police to increase their presence along the parks that abut the Mississippi River.