Mike's Bicycle Shop
Mike's Bicycle Shop was a local bicycle repair shop where the owners, both father and son, were unfortunate victims of violence. A D&C Article about what has occurred is no longer available, however a synopsis of what occurred is outlined below: Mike's Bike Shop was a little bicycle repair store operated out of a makeshift garage on the city's west side. It wasn't much, but it was an honest enterprise with one mission: giving back to the community.
At the helm was an elderly man who happened to be a retired auto mechanic and was quite handy with tools. The owner sought to salvage what others saw as trash to create usable items people could enjoy. Bicycles, lawn mowers, television sets, you name it. His name was Wesley "Michael" Scott.
His business was essentially a one man show, mainly kept afloat by selling bicycles to children or underprivileged families for a mere couple dollars a piece. If a customer couldn't pay, he'd give them away for free. Mike Scott was an all around selfless, god-fearing individual who was extremely proud to be giving back to his community. In addition to repairing bikes, he would also teach children how to keep their equipment safe and riding smoothly.
Despite his kindhearted nature, his life was sadly filled to the brim with tragedy. Mike's son, Samuel, was murdered back in 1993, shot in the head on Smith Street in a drug deal gone bad. Samuel's girlfriend was also shot twice in the chest and neck, but survived. From what I understand, this deeply effected Mike to the core and changed his whole outlook on life.
Later, Mike would survive a prostate cancer diagnosis and decided to ramp up his bicycle repair shop on Jefferson Avenue in the late 1990s. Unfortunately due to circumstance, he would become the victim of armed robbery on severe occasions. From early on, the shop was frequently burglarized. Neighborhood teens would steal bicycles, harass Mike and honestly turn a wholesome place into a hostile environment.
In one incident, an intruder broke into the shop and held Mr. Scott at gunpoint, threatening to kill him just like his son, before ultimately sparing his life and only taking his wallet. These continued threats never deterred Mr. Scott from showing up to work.
He operated his business rain, snow or shine, every single day. Unfortunately on September 29, 2008 an altercation occurred nearby the shop. As a result, Mike was stabbed in the back part of his shoulder. He collapsed on the vacant land next to his business, near the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Brown Street.
He was rushed to the hospital by emergency services, but was pronounced dead on the table at Strong Memorial Hospital. A suspect was caught and arrested roughly two months after the homicide investigation began. I won't publish his name due to the details surrounding the case, but a (then) 21 year old city man was charged with Mike Scott's murder. Initially he denied any involvement in the murder, however a confession would come, along with claims he was only defending himself to save his own life.
The details get screwy from here. During the trial, it was argued that the homicide suspect arrived at an abandoned home adjacent to Mike's Bike Shop to do some yard work for the elderly community member. Upon arrival, rather than receive work instructions from Scott, he was met with a knife and allegedly Scott attempted to force the young man to have sex with him in the vacant home.
The suspect struggled with Scott and used the same knife which was initially pulled on him, to defend himself against a sexual assault. The jury accepted this claim after hearing further evidence that Scott would routinely bring sleeping bags and blankets inside the vacant property. The suspect was acquitted of Wesley "Michael" Scott's murder in July 2009.
Whether or not justice was served, I have no idea, but everything about this case is deeply upsetting and it's a shame this man had to lose his life and become another victim of violence. The fact that the storefront remains in a dilapidated condition over a decade later is a testament to the state of the neighborhood. The previous address given - 7955 Exchange Boulevard, Rochester, New York 14614 is not a valid address.