I think a cool thing about having a friend in a wheelchair would be the heightened reality of the whole “ride or die” mentality. Like, everything he does is ride or die. “Hey pal, can you grab me the remote.” Dude rode over to the remote for you. Your entire friendship exists in a flux state of either total commitment or utter destruction. Like this wheelchair bound drug dealer. This guy’ll ride anywhere for you.
Via Virginian-Pilot:
“How does a man who has paraplegia manage to drive a rental car with no special apparatus installed? By using a cane to control the gas and brake. Nathaniel Powell – who court documents say has “recently been involved in a homicide and a separate shooting incident in Portsmouth” – was arrested last week on federal charges relating to the distribution of heroin and the prescription painkiller fentanyl.
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According to court documents and testimony, Powell, 33, was the target of a joint Drug Enforcement Administration and Portsmouth police investigation before the chase. Detective Robert Dyer wrote in an affidavit that a cooperating witness called Powell on May 26 to buy 7 grams of heroin for $550. They planned to meet later in the day. Before the deal happened, police spotted Powell across the street in the parking lot of a gas station, Dyer said. He was in the driver’s seat of a silver 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The Portsmouth SWAT team moved in to make an arrest, but Powell sped away, running through stop signs. Dyer said it appeared Powell was conducting “counter surveillance” and spotted the unmarked police vehicles waiting for him. Police followed as Powell “dangerously and recklessly” sped through Portsmouth, Dyer said. He added that Powell passed a school and into a residential neighborhood. Dyer said Powell drove faster than 70 mph through the neighborhood and didn’t stop at the intersection of Amelia and King streets. There, he ran into a moving vehicle – injuring the driver – and three parked vehicles.
The other driver was taken to Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth, where she was treated for minor injuries, court documents said. Police recovered about 7 grams of fentanyl from Powell’s car, as well as 7 grams of marijuana, three cellphones, and $3,601 in cash, documents said. No gun was recovered, but Powell later told people in jail he had managed to discard one during the chase, documents said. Shortly after the crash, Powell agreed to speak with police. He admitted to selling drugs his “entire life” and heroin since about 2013. He said he didn’t know he had fentanyl that day, and he actually had been looking to find some to sell.”
When I first read this story, I was kind of hung up on the whole ‘drug dealing paraplegic’, but then I remembered Snoop Dogg’s role in Training Day, and it all made much more sense.
Still, though, this dude’s hardcore. Guy got put in a wheelchair during his last high speed chase and decided to do it again. I kind of respect that reasoning. Can’t lose the use of your legs twice. I mean, he’s a tad lucky that he didn’t lose the use of his arms, I guess. But also, maybe just don’t commit crimes. What if he didn’t have his cane with him? Is he putting one hand on the wheel and one hand on the gas? Very possible. It’s like taking your girl to McDonalds. One hand on that Big Mac and one hand on that pussy. Honestly, though, this is what mean when I talk about ride or die. This dude decided the best way to avoid jail time was to either 1) Die during a high-speed chase or 2) Actually get away. I guess he forgot about 3) Get arrested. But whatever. No one in prison picks on the dude in the wheelchair.