“Blade Runner” Charged with Killing Girlfriend
Double-amputee Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius is arrested in South Africa. No replicants were involved.
Double-amputee Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius is arrested in South Africa. No replicants were involved.
Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images | Licensed to Alpha Media Group 2013
It was one of the feel-good stories of the London Olympics. A double-amputee running on carbon fiber “blades” defies the odds to become the first Paralympian to compete in the games. And he had a kick-ass nickname to boot. Well, that heartwarming tale has taken a dark turn as “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius was arrested in his Pretoria home after allegedly shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp four times. That’s a helluva way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Some initial reports indicated that Steenkamp may have been trying to surprise Pistorius for Valentine’s Day, and he assumed it was a burglar. Pistorius is a well-documented gun enthusiast who took security seriously. In a New York Times Magazine profile last year, Pistorius “mentioned that a security alarm in the house had gone off the previous night, and he had grabbed his gun and tiptoed downstairs. (It turned out to be nothing.)”
The Pretoria police, who plan to oppose bail for Pistorius, say they’ve been called to the couples house numerous times for domestic disturbances. The runner will appear in court tomorrow to face charges.
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