http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=8875185&nav=menu438_1
DES MOINES, Wash. (AP) - A Des Moines man had to pedal for his life when he came under fire - while riding his unicycle.
According to court documents, the unicyclist came across four men and a woman near a food bank. One person in the group fired a handgun at the man, who fled on his unicycle.
King County prosecutors charged 22-year-old Solomon Soli Fola with second degree assault last Friday.
anybody we know on the forum?
“[B]Des Moines man evades shooter on unicycle”
[/B]This headline could imply the shooter was the unicyclist.
I guess it could be interpreted either way.
Shooter or shootee… Either way, must be pretty badass…
Anyone know who it was? I live in VT but come to town a couple times a year to visit family and would love to meet anyone from Des Moine who rides… uni or mountain biking (not sure that exists in Des Moines…).
Peace,
toh
Kevin has a real good story. Maybe he will jump in and share the art of ducking bullets in the dark.
I know that guy
The “unicyclist” in the article was riding at night because he was too uptight to ride around during the day on a unicycle. Man, things are different now.
Once in a while I see a hunter in the wooded areas that I ride or hear a gunshot in the distance. My mind wanders sometimes and I picture myself in the crosshair of a rifle and a couple of guys drinking beers saying “Omma gonna catch me a yoo nee sickle.”
I wonder how many bikes, unicyclists, and joggers HAVE actually been in the crosshairs of hunters.
I would say loads have been. A hunting rifle is like a pair of binoculars.
we’ve got one in France: got some lead on his leg protection 
Bad Choices
The shooter was a felon in possession of a stolen firearm. (The firearm was a Jennings .380) The shooter was intoxicated and thought that shooting at random unicyclists, utility buildings, security lights, etc was OK. The King County Police and Prosecuter quicky provided this individual with several years to rethink that theory.
The unicyclist is a great guy, hard working, earnest, straight arrow. He plans to cross the finish line of STP July 2010 on a unicycle.
are you saying you were shot at?
coz apart from that i got no idea what you’re saying… 
Hard Target
Yes, I was the unicyclist being shot at. Talking about myself in the third person was just too fun to pass up. (It’s all true too 
Seriously though, I can’t tell you how surreal and unsettling it is having a total stranger point a gun at you, seeing the flash, feeling the shock wave, and hear the bullet go screaming past your head, without UPD-ing.
Hard Target
Yes, I was the unicyclist being shot at. Talking about myself in the third person was just too fun to pass up. (It’s all true too
Seriously though, I can’t tell you how surreal and unsettling it is having a total stranger point a gun at you, seeing the flash, feeling the shock wave, and hear the bullet go screaming past your head, without UPD-ing.
Apparently: He who gets shot at and rides away, lives to unicycle another day
all i can say is holy shit.
… holy shit.
Glad you’re OK!
I have been shot loads and loads of times on a unicycle. Thankfully those have only ever been by cameras though. I can’t imagine what it’d be like with real guns and bullets. Glad to hear that you came out Ok, and that the sniper wasn’t Strait as an Arrow. Hopefully he’ll now end up on the strait and narrow though.
STM
What a story! I wonder how fast you went to escape him! Can you give us an estimate? Did he shoot once or more?
I wonder why he shot at you. Maybe he found it strange seeing a unicyclist and to his crooked logic it made for an interesting target. I have often worried about a fool or drunkard with a gun being surprised/amused or feeling threatened by me and being moved into pulling the trigger! One other theory could be that being drunk, he doubted what he was seeing and tried to verify its reality by shooting at it.
I Have No Explanation
I’m not sure how fast I was going after the first shot, but it was much faster than I thought possible. Once I bailed off the unicycle, my uni went everywhere I went and I never felt it’s weight. I put as much distance and darkness and structure between myself and the guy with the gun as I could until I was certain I was not being pursued or flanked. I could actually hear my every heartbeat as I ducked next to a dark concrete wall. I noticed a large moth on the wall next to me. I could hear it’s wings pulse away in slow motion. I was hyper aware of everything, dogs barking in the distance, doors opening, cars starting, doors shutting, screen doors slamming, cans dropping, laughter, pieces of conversation, breaking glass, more gunshots.
I call 911 and tell the dispatch I was riding a “unicycle” and being shot at. That got pretty surreal.
“You are riding a unicycle?”
Yes.
“Okay, Let me see if I understand…You are riding a unicycle?”
Yes, and some guy is shooting at me!
“A unicycle? (long pause)… with one wheel?”
Yes
“Who is shooting at you?”
I don’t know who or why!
“And you are riding a unicycle with one wheel?”
Yes
“Is it your unicycle?”
Yes
“Have you been drinking tonight sir?”
No
“But you are riding a unicycle and someone you don’t know is shooting at you for no reason?”
Yes
----Another gunshot----
“What is the address exactly sir?”
The police come in no time after that and eventually sort it all out (short version)
Sorry for rambling, none of it makes any sense
what an amazing series of events, its great you got away without harm
where exactly did it all take place ?
the link at the start of the thread is dead
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/375734_unicycle21.html
If that does’nt work put “Victim makes a one-wheeled getaway” into Google
The story as printed, is’nt exactly accurate. The guy shooting only “Pled Guilty” to shooting at me once on my unicycle. Many shots were actually fired and I can only be sure one was in my direction. Why would I wait for the “Sequel” to come out 
One shot was too many even, I say. As the police surrounded the shooter and his friends, he continued shooting at an outbuilding and utility lights in front of the responding officers.
The prosecution could not establish a motive in the assault on the outbuilding and the lightpole refused to testify.