Assault and Batteries?

[Rapscallion]

I've made my views pretty clear over at Fratching about gun control, but I have to admit that this was pretty funny.

That said, he could have been a war vet who was used to sniper sights, I suppose, but that's pretty unlikely. I prefer to just snigger.

Rapscallion

[Andara Bledin]

Tell me you never did something dumb like shining a laser pointer at someone.

I have never done anything like shining a laser pointer at someone.

Yes, I'm a goody two shoes. And I will go out of my way to make people who want to try to do that sort of thing stop and think about what they're doing. I've been like that since junior high.

While normal circumstances would dictate that the drawing of a firearm is an overreaction, we don't know that these circumstances were normal.

^-.-^

[kibbles]

I agree that the old guy going nuts and pulling out a hand gun richly deserved being hauled way IMO. Yes, the kids should have had a good talking to, but the guy got what he was asking for.

[morgana]

I'd possibly see it as a threat, as well. And I guarantee you anyone who's handled laser targeting equipment for the military is going to. They're going to think they're in some sniper's sights and freak.

Which may be what happened to the old guy with the gun . . .

[scruff]

I don't know all the laws, but I cannot imagine that any judge would see two kids with a laser pointer as a valid threat.

I'd see it as a threat. They are at least a distraction, and if it's one of the higher power ones mentionned in the last paragraph of
http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/unde...r_pointers.htm
there is the potential for eye injury.
As well as injury from falling etc whilst temprorily blinded.
(and yelling at them to stop doesn't always work, I've had a moron ex-colleage point a laser pointer in my eye repeatedly, till I physically threatened him.)

Admittedly I'd not see it as a valid reason to pull a gun, but guns are not exactly usual around here. :-)

[draftermatt]

I don't know all the laws, but I cannot imagine that any judge would see two kids with a laser pointer as a valid threat.

And seriously? Close your eyes and yell at whoever to knock it off.

I'm not anti-gun, I'm anti idiot with gun. (i'm not calling anyone here an idiot mind you) Pulling it out and waving it around never solved anything.

[Banrion]

If the guy was LEGALLY carrying, he is licensed to pull that gun if he feels threatened. Someone trying to shine a laser pointer in my eye is attempting to cause me bodily harm, you bet I would draw on them.

[draftermatt]

I agree with AFph. The cops could've/should've given those kids talking to, but I think having a wack job pull a gun on them scared them good enough.

Tell me you never did something dumb like shining a laser pointer at someone. Would you have been happy if someone threatened to kill you over it? And then if you had been arrested and not the person threatining.

Bad thing + worse thing does not equal good thing.

[AFpheonix]

...pulling a handgun out in a crowded store sounds a little overboard to me, so no, I'm really not sorry that the older guy got taken away.


However, those kids needed a good talking to by the cops to for instigating crap, although I'm sure they'll think twice before doing that next time.

[Rahmota]

What an old guy gets arressted when he is targeted by punk teens? How was he to be sure it wasnt the setup for a mugging? I mena shine the laser in his eyes and he's blinded enough then the teens whack him. Sounds like the guy should have gotten off scott free as he followed all proper procedures and the teens should have been arressted for assault and causing a public disturbance among other things. How was he to know they where just beign idiots and not building up to an attack on him. Simple self defense.

[K245five]

Everybody remember when laser pointers were popular with teenagers?

Well, this was at the center of an incident that happened one day at the local Sears. Two teens were walking around with the laser pointer pointing it at various objects. Eventually, they started pointing it at PEOPLE!

Big mistake! They pointed it at an older gentleman, late 50's or so. He was targeted right at the center of his forehead. This guy actually pulls out a REAL 9mm semi automatic handgun! He points it right at the two teenagers, who more or less proceed to piss themselves!

The employees just freak and call the cops. The older guy still has the gun on the two teenagers and is just looking for an excuse to pull the trigger. The State Police arrive, and "persuade" the guy to drop his gun. He is then handcuffed and taken away. Nothing happened to the teens, and the guy got probation and community service time, as well as a hefty fine in the end.

[Sliceanddice]

oK this is going to bring up so issues with my sanity but there is a wonderful wonderful website that has Cap guns (AKA NOT AIR GUNS, PELLET, OR BB) that look real. I MEAN REAL. Some are even made out of metel. They are made so to be deterents.... but man are they awesome... if i find the link ill post it.

[Andara Bledin]

The actor Jon Erik-Hexum was killed by a pistol that fired blanks. That's right, he was killed when what amounts to a wad of paper shattered his skull at the temple (this was, what, about 20 years ago, I think).

Yup, he managed to Darwin himself with a stage pistol. If anyone ever suggests playing Russian Roulette with a gun that's loaded with a blank, just drag out Hexum's story. (he was the star of Voyagers, which was a pretty decent show)

I highly doubt any sane cop is going to shoot a child.

It happens all the time, unfortunately. Especially in areas that have a lot of gang activity. Thankfully, more and more police are using tasers first, so there are fewer deaths and serious injuries.

who the hell pulls a gun, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S FAKE, on a COP????? I've just lost all faith in humanity. It's official.

Darwin award nominees, is who. And there are plenty of them out there. Just watch Video Justice or Cops and you'll see hundreds of people who do stupid things to officers each week.

My ex used to play laser tag at night on the weekends at his old high school. One time, some concerned local called the cops on the people with guns and dark clothes running around the school grounds. Thankfully, the group was very proactive about what to do if you should encounter the police while playing so nobody got hurt.

^-.-^

[Jules Of All Trades]

A boy who lives a few houses down from me has a couple of Airsoft guns, and one day had a friend over to play. They're both 13. Apparently (as I didn't see it myself), they were in the front yard goofing around with the guns, shooting at trees and whatnot. The friend who came over thought it might be fun to use my 4 year old (who was minding his own business playing in my front yard with his brothers) as target practice. I hear him screaming from inside and hubby and I go running to see what happened.

Luckily he was far enough away that the pellets didn't leave welts, but he had some nice red marks on his leg, he was hit twice. We brought him inside, calmed him (and me) down, and then very politely called the local police department and informed them of what happened. While we were waiting for them to arrive I walked down and talked to my neighbor. It wasn't her son who shot my baby, so I didn't go off on her, but I let her know that the police were coming and why, and suggested she call the "friend's" parents to inform them of the situation. Then I walked back to my house to clear my head before his parents got here.

The cops showed up just before the kid's parents did, and quite the crowd gathered to see what was going on (nosy neighborhood). My whole family walked down to the house and we talked with the police and the parents a bit. The police then talked to the parents, who were really pissed off at their son, because they have a strict "no gun" policy and he knew that he's not supposed to ever play with them. We then watched while the police officers cuffed the kid, put him in the back of the car, and gave him what I'm sure was the scariest lecture of his life. They eventually let him out and uncuffed him, then released him to his parents, who tag-teamed him with an even worse talking-to.

We declined to press charges, the parents of this kid were more than apologetic and sincere in their handling of the situation. The sobbing boy was forced to apologize to my son (who was handling things rather well for his age), and they made him buy my son a popsicle with his own money from the ice cream truck that was just coming through the neighborhood as things were settling down.

I think the kid definitely learned a lesson, and I heard that the boy who lives in that house isn't allowed to play with the guns when he has someone over anymore.

Unfortunately my little guy is now terrified of any type of gun, even water toys. We don't have Airsoft guns in my house, but we did have a couple of Nerf Dart Tag guns, but those have been put well out of sight, as he's too scared of them, even though he was the one that wanted them to begin with.

Scary situation overall, I'm just glad he wasn't seriously hurt, or I might not have been so calm about the whole thing.

[Best Made Tacos]

At the least, it could have been frightening for the woman and some older people have health conditions that make stress a life or death issue for them. That said, I believe the parent (s) deserve most of the ass kicking for this, but the kid certainly deserves a good fright.
Reminds me of that King of the Hill episode with Caleb - "He's just so SMART!"
For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's season 10, episode 14. Hilarious