Healthcare-reform opponent says bit-off finger could not be re-attached

The wild man is in black.

Courtesy photo / Ventura County Sheriff's Department -- This image provided by the Ventura County Sheriff's Department shows the beginning of an altercation between William Rice, at right in the khaki shirt and olive shorts, and an unidentified man wearing black, who authorities say bit off Rice's little finger. The sheriff's department is seeking the public's help in identifying the man in black at far right, by calling the investigations bureau at (805)494-8201.

A healthcare-reform opponent whose finger was partially bitten off Wednesday during a Thousand Oaks rally said today that doctors could not re-attach the severed section.

William Rice, 65, of Newbury Park also confirmed reports that he threw the first punch in the confrontation that claimed part of his left pinky.

“When he got in my personal space, I popped him in the nose,” Rice said. “I felt like I had no choice other than to defend myself.”

The incident was reported at 7:26 p.m. Wednesday at Lynn Road and Hillcrest Drive, where more than 100 people gathered for a pro-healthcare reform vigil organized by Moveon.org.

About 15 people opposed to President Barack Obama’s proposed healthcare reform stood across the street from Moveon.org’s group. Members of Code Pink: Women for Peace also were there, authorities said.

The finger-biting incident occurred after Rice became involved in a heated discussion with a member of Code Pink, sheriff’s Capt. Ross Bonfiglio said.

After the argument, Rice returned to where his own group was standing. A man from Moveon.org’s area then walked over to the opponents and verbally confronted Rice, allegedly calling him names and acting aggressively, Bonfiglio said.

Rice later told investigators he felt threatened by the man and punched him in the nose, Bonfiglio said. The punch set off a fist fight between the two men, during which the tip of Rice’s left pinky finger was bitten off, Bonfiglio said.

Rice drove himself to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. Another man found the bitten-off portion of the finger and brought it to Rice at the hospital, Bonfiglio said.

Doctors were not able to re-attach Rice’s finger.

Doctors told Rice the finger, severed near the second knuckle, would not survive because it had been cut by a human bite, he said in a phone interview today.

Rice said he did not initially plan to participate in any demonstration Wednesday. He was driving by the vigil when he spotted Code Pink members, and he stopped to see if they were protesting the military, he said. Rice has a son who is an officer in the Marine Corps.

After a brief conversation with Code Pink members, Rice said, he was satisfied they were not protesting the military. He was leaving when a man who seemed “deranged” approached and called him an “idiot,” he said.

Rice said he felt like the man had singled him out because he was the “easiest target.” But the incident happened quickly, he said, and he doesn’t clearly remember everything that preceded the altercation.

Scott Bush, 43, of Thousand Oaks said he was standing with Rice in the group opposed to healthcare reform when a man walked from the Moveon.org group across the street and over a traffic island toward them.

Bush said the man asked the group if they were for a public health insurer option, and they responded “no.” The man then singled out Rice and asked him why, according to Bush. When Rice responded that he didn’t want the government involved in anything, the man came to within 3 feet of Rice and yelled, “You’re an idiot,” Bush said.

Bush said Rice then hit the man in a defensive move. The man then pulled Rice into the street, according to Bush.

After a fight that lasted only a few seconds, Bush said, he heard Rice say, “He bit my finger off,” and he saw a stump.

Bush said he later found the roughly 1-inch piece of Rice’s finger next to the traffic island about 20 feet away.

The suspect fled the scene, authorities said. He was described as a short man with a medium build, wearing a blue cap, black shirt and black shorts. He remained at large this morning.

While who threw the first punch is not in dispute, much about what happened before and after remained unclear today, sheriff’s Detective Eric Buschow said.

Investigators had not determined, for example, if the man intended to bite off Rice’s finger, Buschow said.

Authorities did not consider the man a criminal suspect this morning and were not looking to arrest him, said the detective.

..........................................................................................
Crazy people are everywhere.