"Marginal Revolution" Economist Tyler Cowen Attacked with Pepper Stray in Middle of Teaching Class;
Attacker Identified

First, the bizarre attack itself, apparently an attempted "citizens arrest."

A George Mason University law professor was pepper sprayed in his classroom today after a man tried to place him under a citizen’s arrest, according to Arlington County police.

The incident happened at GMU’s Arlington campus, near Virginia Square, around 3:00 p.m. Police say the man entered the classroom and attempted to place the professor under a citizen’s arrest. The professor tried to get the man — described as a white male in his 20s or 30s — to leave, at which time the man pepper sprayed him and a scuffle ensued, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

You might suspect this guy was a lefty motivated by politics. Well, he may or may not be a lefty, but he doesn't seem to be motivated by politics.

He seems to have been motivated by delusions.

The man who attacked economist and George Mason University professor Tyler Cowen with pepper spray yesterday has been identified as 31-year-old John Pendleton.

Now, we don't know this email came from this John Pendleton, but shortly before the attack, a John Pendleton left this comment on Cowen's blog:

What better place to do prison research than inside a prison?

If the police and FBI won't arrest you for hacking my computer and sexually harassing me over the past several months, I will do it myself—in the next couple weeks before school starts again. Either way, one of us is going to prison

I will entertain settlement offers at the email address provided.

Sincerely,
Jonathan E Pendleton

I'm going to assume, provisionally, that Cowen did not in fact hack Pendleton's computers, nor "sexually harass" him, apparently remotely.

Coincidentally enough -- and this is true -- when Cowen was suddenly pepper sprayed in an attempt at a "citizens arrest," he was teaching a class on vigilante justice.

Cowen just emailed me to say he will go forward with next week's class, about Bugfuck Crazydrool Justice, as scheduled.

Thanks to Monty, @aoshqdoom.

Attacker Identified&bodytext=First, the bizarre attack itself, apparently an attempted "citizens arrest." A George Mason University law professor was pepper sprayed in his classroom today after a man tried to place him under a citizen’s arrest, according to Arlington County police. The...&topic=world_news"> posted by Ace at 06:10 PM

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