Christmas excitement

Spexxvet · 12-28-2010, 10:33 AM

We got our son an Airsoft rifle for Christmas. It shoots pea-sized plastic BBs, and looks realistic.

On Sunday, during the blizzard, he walked back from a friend's house with it slung over his shoulder. About two minutes after he got home, I saw odd lights out of the front window, which I identified as flashlight beams. I figured that the police got a report of a man walking the streets with a rifle, so I didn't wait for the cops to knock on the door, I went to go out and explain. When I opened the door I heard "LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS". I held both hands out and said calmly and loudly "My son got a BB gun for Christmas, it's not a real gun". The cop reponded with "COME ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE", which I did, "WHO ELSE IS IN THE HOUSE?". As he came to me, he had his handgun drawn. "My wife, my daughter, and my son". One cop stays with me (and the dog) outside and the other (the yeller) went into my house, still with his handgun out. I learned later that he asked my daughter, who was in our livingroom, "WHO ELSE IS IN THE HOUSE?", and she responded that her mother was asleep upstairs and her brother was home. My son heard the commotion, and brought the gun from the kitchen to the livingroom, thankfully holding it out in front of him, by the barrel, with the barrel pointed at the ceiling. The yelling cop brought him outside and yelled "PUT YOUR HANDS AGAINST THE WALL", which he did. The cop frisked him, then held the gun in his face and said "SEE THIS? THIS'LL GET YOU KILLED!". They took our names and left.

On one hand, I understand how the mistake was made, and we've instructed our son that the gun gets broken down and put in a duffel when it travels. And if there had been a home invasion, the cops behaved in a way that protected themselves and ensured that my family was not being threatened.

On the other hand, I'm upset that I had a gun pointed at me. A friend asked me if I'm going to sue, since several of my civil rights were broken.

Lamplighter · 12-28-2010, 10:44 AM

By strange coincidence... here is a model complaint form for you

Lamplighter · 12-28-2010, 10:48 AM

But seriously... it is scary when there are flashlights and guns in the dark, and your words are only met with loud commands.

skysidhe · 12-28-2010, 10:57 AM

You hear about trigger happy cops and kids with BB guns ALL THE TIME!

I am so glad the cop didn't shoot first.

Griff · 12-28-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

By strange coincidence... here is a model complaint form for you

I'm not sure Spex has time to write a 40 page paper on police brutality.

Shawnee123 · 12-28-2010, 12:02 PM

You'll shoot your eye out!

kerosene · 12-28-2010, 12:06 PM

I am not seeing what was the perceived crime? I mean, yeah, I get that it looks real and that your son was carrying it, but if it were real, what would have caused them to react so? He wasn't pointing it at anyone. Is it illegal to carry guns in your state?

Spexxvet · 12-28-2010, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerosene

Is it illegal to carry guns in your state?

Bruce? Griff? Tony? Wolf?

I've never owned a real gun, so I've never had to know.

Griff · 12-28-2010, 12:32 PM

There are no state restrictions but I don't know about Spex's municipality. JR Spex may have scared the hell out of a paranoid neighbor due to the sniper look of the air-rifle and a boys natural tendency to "act". People carry real rifles here all the time but they don't look suspicious...

Shawnee123 · 12-28-2010, 12:36 PM

Looks real to me. I can see it freaking out the neighbors and cops. That's the world we live in, like it or not. YOU know your son and the gun are harmless. They do not. They should have chilled once you were explaining about the BB gun, but if I were your son I don't think I'd walk into a room of anxious cops STILL HOLDING the gun.

Isn't part of "gun safety" not scaring the shit out of people, and once you've scared said shit out of people you probably should drop the toy or risk making things worse? *shrug*

Sounds like a teaching moment to me.

Spexxvet · 12-28-2010, 12:54 PM

Oh, it was.

Undertoad · 12-28-2010, 12:57 PM

Local govs can't make their own gun laws:

Quote:

The state legislature has preempted the field of firearm regulation. No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of the Commonwealth.

This cop violated your fourth amendment rights, and created a distinctly unsafe situation in the presence of children, in the investigation of an activity that was legal. Carrying a toy rifle won't get you killed. Bad cops will get you killed. And by the way, what real crime was happening while this fucktard was in the process of terrorizing your family?

Shawnee123 · 12-28-2010, 01:06 PM

Gun lovers go on and on about how safe guns are, how kids should be taught how to respect guns. Spexx did the right thing after the fact. The cop was a blowhard. But I fail to see where all this Gun Lovin' Safety Crap is in this scenario. Kids carry assault rifles around all the time. I don't think Spexx lives next door to Dan'l Boone, as Griff might. You can't seriously expect cops to just assume it's a safe kid with a toy gun (like you know, we shouldn't check grandma at the airport and as soon as the terrorists realize we're not touching grannies they start putting bombs up granny's butt.)

Seems people uprise when their right to wave their penis (I mean gun) around is threatened, and pepper that uprise with noble talk about how they taught their kids gun safety so dagnabbit don't be messing with MY guns, but are unwilling to accept the fact that part of gun safety is NOT SCARING THE FUCK OUT OF PEOPLE AND USING COMMON SENSE.

A gun like that: who can tell the difference in a blizzard?

But yeah, sue for it. That'll learn 'em.

Clodfobble · 12-28-2010, 01:20 PM

I'm pretty baffled by this whole thread, as Spexx has come down very clearly on the side of gun control in numerous different threads. I would never in a million years have guessed that you would give your son a BB gun for Christmas, Spexx. It seems like you handled the police encounter the best you could, and that the boy knows better from now on. But I think suing the cops would be unwarranted, personally. They treated you like criminals at first, it's true, which wasn't very nice. But in the end no one was wrongly arrested, and after all only a few cops responded to the call. The last time there was a report of a gun in my neighborhood, they called in an entire fucking SWAT team and shut down the whole street for 6 hours.

skysidhe · 12-28-2010, 01:45 PM

My ex boyfriend gave my son a bbgun rifle. It looks like a 22. We treat it like a 22.

I had a real 22 growing up. It wasn't anything to be walking around with rifles in the country then, and probably now, but cops seem like trigger happy fools these days.

I have my own bad cop story that doesn't involve guns,(fist fights at school) so I am not surprised the dude reacted out of emotion.

12-28-2010, 10:33 AM	#1
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	Christmas excitement We got our son an Airsoft rifle for Christmas. It shoots pea-sized plastic BBs, and looks realistic. On Sunday, during the blizzard, he walked back from a friend's house with it slung over his shoulder. About two minutes after he got home, I saw odd lights out of the front window, which I identified as flashlight beams. I figured that the police got a report of a man walking the streets with a rifle, so I didn't wait for the cops to knock on the door, I went to go out and explain. When I opened the door I heard "LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS". I held both hands out and said calmly and loudly "My son got a BB gun for Christmas, it's not a real gun". The cop reponded with "COME ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE", which I did, "WHO ELSE IS IN THE HOUSE?". As he came to me, he had his handgun drawn. "My wife, my daughter, and my son". One cop stays with me (and the dog) outside and the other (the yeller) went into my house, still with his handgun out. I learned later that he asked my daughter, who was in our livingroom, "WHO ELSE IS IN THE HOUSE?", and she responded that her mother was asleep upstairs and her brother was home. My son heard the commotion, and brought the gun from the kitchen to the livingroom, thankfully holding it out in front of him, by the barrel, with the barrel pointed at the ceiling. The yelling cop brought him outside and yelled "PUT YOUR HANDS AGAINST THE WALL", which he did. The cop frisked him, then held the gun in his face and said "SEE THIS? THIS'LL GET YOU KILLED!". They took our names and left. On one hand, I understand how the mistake was made, and we've instructed our son that the gun gets broken down and put in a duffel when it travels. And if there had been a home invasion, the cops behaved in a way that protected themselves and ensured that my family was not being threatened. On the other hand, I'm upset that I had a gun pointed at me. A friend asked me if I'm going to sue, since several of my civil rights were broken. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

12-28-2010, 12:02 PM	#6
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	You'll shoot your eye out! __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

12-28-2010, 12:32 PM	#9
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	There are no state restrictions but I don't know about Spex's municipality. JR Spex may have scared the hell out of a paranoid neighbor due to the sniper look of the air-rifle and a boys natural tendency to "act". People carry real rifles here all the time but they don't look suspicious... __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-28-2010, 12:36 PM	#10
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Looks real to me. I can see it freaking out the neighbors and cops. That's the world we live in, like it or not. YOU know your son and the gun are harmless. They do not. They should have chilled once you were explaining about the BB gun, but if I were your son I don't think I'd walk into a room of anxious cops STILL HOLDING the gun. Isn't part of "gun safety" not scaring the shit out of people, and once you've scared said shit out of people you probably should drop the toy or risk making things worse? shrug Sounds like a teaching moment to me. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

12-28-2010, 12:54 PM	#11
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	Oh, it was. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

12-28-2010, 10:44 AM	#2
Lamplighter Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods Posts: 6,402	By strange coincidence... here is a model complaint form for you

12-28-2010, 10:48 AM	#3
Lamplighter Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods Posts: 6,402	But seriously... it is scary when there are flashlights and guns in the dark, and your words are only met with loud commands.

12-28-2010, 10:57 AM	#4
skysidhe ~~Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.~~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 6,828	You hear about trigger happy cops and kids with BB guns ALL THE TIME! I am so glad the cop didn't shoot first.

12-28-2010, 12:06 PM	#7
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	I am not seeing what was the perceived crime? I mean, yeah, I get that it looks real and that your son was carrying it, but if it were real, what would have caused them to react so? He wasn't pointing it at anyone. Is it illegal to carry guns in your state?

12-28-2010, 01:06 PM	#13
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Gun lovers go on and on about how safe guns are, how kids should be taught how to respect guns. Spexx did the right thing after the fact. The cop was a blowhard. But I fail to see where all this Gun Lovin' Safety Crap is in this scenario. Kids carry assault rifles around all the time. I don't think Spexx lives next door to Dan'l Boone, as Griff might. You can't seriously expect cops to just assume it's a safe kid with a toy gun (like you know, we shouldn't check grandma at the airport and as soon as the terrorists realize we're not touching grannies they start putting bombs up granny's butt.) Seems people uprise when their right to wave their penis (I mean gun) around is threatened, and pepper that uprise with noble talk about how they taught their kids gun safety so dagnabbit don't be messing with MY guns, but are unwilling to accept the fact that part of gun safety is NOT SCARING THE FUCK OUT OF PEOPLE AND USING COMMON SENSE. A gun like that: who can tell the difference in a blizzard? But yeah, sue for it. That'll learn 'em. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

12-28-2010, 01:20 PM	#14
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I'm pretty baffled by this whole thread, as Spexx has come down very clearly on the side of gun control in numerous different threads. I would never in a million years have guessed that you would give your son a BB gun for Christmas, Spexx. It seems like you handled the police encounter the best you could, and that the boy knows better from now on. But I think suing the cops would be unwarranted, personally. They treated you like criminals at first, it's true, which wasn't very nice. But in the end no one was wrongly arrested, and after all only a few cops responded to the call. The last time there was a report of a gun in my neighborhood, they called in an entire fucking SWAT team and shut down the whole street for 6 hours. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

12-28-2010, 01:45 PM	#15
skysidhe ~~Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.~~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 6,828	My ex boyfriend gave my son a bbgun rifle. It looks like a 22. We treat it like a 22. I had a real 22 growing up. It wasn't anything to be walking around with rifles in the country then, and probably now, but cops seem like trigger happy fools these days. I have my own bad cop story that doesn't involve guns,(fist fights at school) so I am not surprised the dude reacted out of emotion.

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