Stupidity in the news...

[Dustzilla]

How is a phone mistaken for a gun???

Samsung Galaxy handset mistaken for a gun, closes college

 

[jaeisber]

How is a phone mistaken for a gun???

Samsung Galaxy handset mistaken for a gun, closes college

Just....wow. Too much fear mongering will result in this.

 

[nakinate]

No surprise, this happened in California. They are so strict on gun laws they apparently forgot what a gun looks like.

 

[nakinate]

On the plus side, the students got out of some classes.

 

[squidvt]

No surprise, this happened in California. They are so strict on gun laws they apparently forgot what a gun looks like.

I fully expected this to be from somewhere in Illinois.

 

[eldirector]

One of the comments on that article hits a home run:

Americans are coward.
That lunatic guy looked at what seemed to be a weapon and without jogging his mind, that idiot immediately called police.
That American was "Scared" that he might puke out or go insane if what he looked at were a weapon in reality.
Had he thought a bit more and visualised to what he saw, the University would not have ended up closed.
Poor Americans who have to bear such Useless, Pathetic and Invaluable Americans!

 

[CathyInBlue]

If our political leadership, as a general rule, were not so successful at cultivating a populace of panicky hoplophobes, people in general might have a better, more proper working understanding of firearms, their forms and functions, and so not mistake personal electronics devices for one.

 

[indykid]

If you check other news reports of late, there have been more than a couple of people shot for being armed with that dreaded black cell phone.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I came real close to shooting someone with a cell phone. Him and his buddy were getting ready to rob a restaurant one night and fled when a marked car pulled into the parking lot. They were masking up outside the door and one was armed with what later turned out to be an airsoft gun that looked exactly like a Beretta 92. The officer put out that they were armed and running north. I immediately saw one and chased him down into a creek. His foot got stuck in the mud, he flopped over on his back half in the water and half on the opposite bank and reached into the front of his pants and pulled out a cell phone in the exact same motion you'd pull a gun out. I was taking the slack out of the trigger when he turned it enough I could see what it was. If he'd have continued with his original motion and pointed it at me I would have shot him. Turns out the other one had the "gun" when they caught him.

We ended up fighting in the creek and I got him in cuffs I asked him WTF he was thinking and how close he came to being shot. He said he knew we were getting ready to fight and he didn't want his phone to get wet so he took it out to throw it into the grass. So yeah, I can see how it can happen. If I'd have been quicker to pull the trigger or he'd been slower with tossing it, this might have been a very different story.

 

[nakinate]

He didn't want his phone to get wet? That's hilarious. What an idiot.

 

[MCgrease08]

I came real close to shooting someone with a cell phone. Him and his buddy were getting ready to rob a restaurant one night and fled when a marked car pulled into the parking lot. They were masking up outside the door and one was armed with what later turned out to be an airsoft gun that looked exactly like a Beretta 92. The officer put out that they were armed and running north. I immediately saw one and chased him down into a creek. His foot got stuck in the mud, he flopped over on his back half in the water and half on the opposite bank and reached into the front of his pants and pulled out a cell phone in the exact same motion you'd pull a gun out. I was taking the slack out of the trigger when he turned it enough I could see what it was. If he'd have continued with his original motion and pointed it at me I would have shot him. Turns out the other one had the "gun" when they caught him.

We ended up fighting in the creek and I got him in cuffs I asked him WTF he was thinking and how close he came to being shot. He said he knew we were getting ready to fight and he didn't want his phone to get wet so he took it out to throw it into the grass. So yeah, I can see how it can happen. If I'd have been quicker to pull the trigger or he'd been slower with tossing it, this might have been a very different story.

I know most criminals are dumb, but why would you bring a cell phone along on a robbery anyway? You could drop it and get ID'd. You could be arrested and the gps could be used to prove you were at the scene. Do these dummies put any thought at all into their crimes?

 

[nakinate]

I know most criminals are dumb, but why would you bring a cell phone along on a robbery anyway? You could drop it and get ID'd. You could be arrested and the gps could be used to prove you were at the scene. Do these dummies put any thought at all into their crimes?

You have to be careful. If you put too much thought into a crime then it becomes too much like a "real job". And criminals wouldn't want that now would they?

 

[jbombelli]

I know most criminals are dumb, but why would you bring a cell phone along on a robbery anyway? You could drop it and get ID'd. You could be arrested and the gps could be used to prove you were at the scene. Do these dummies put any thought at all into their crimes?

How else are you going to brag to your friends when you're done?

 

[MCgrease08]

You have to be careful. If you put too much thought into a crime then it becomes too much like a "real job". And criminals wouldn't want that now would they?

Where are all the old school criminals like jewel thieves, safe crackers and armored car robbers? At least I respect someone who puts a little planning into their heist. You'd never see me risking serious prison time for less than a six figure score.

 

[AngryRooster]

Where are all the old school criminals like jewel thieves, safe crackers and armored car robbers? At least I respect someone who puts a little planning into their heist. You'd never see me risking serious prison time for less than a six figure score.

I'm torn on if it's better to have the old organized crime syndicate that treated it like a business or the unorganized disrespectful thugletts running wild that we have now. Sorry, there isn't a half purple in the pull down menu, I really haven't decided even after i typed this if it's sarcasm or not.

 

[nakinate]

How else are you going to brag to your friends when you're done?

I wonder if that guy snapped a pic of BehindBlueIs and put it on Instagram? "Here's a sweet shot of the cop who busted me!"

 

[femurphy77]

I came real close to shooting someone with a cell phone. Him and his buddy were getting ready to rob a restaurant one night and fled when a marked car pulled into the parking lot. They were masking up outside the door and one was armed with what later turned out to be an airsoft gun that looked exactly like a Beretta 92. The officer put out that they were armed and running north. I immediately saw one and chased him down into a creek. His foot got stuck in the mud, he flopped over on his back half in the water and half on the opposite bank and reached into the front of his pants and pulled out a cell phone in the exact same motion you'd pull a gun out. I was taking the slack out of the trigger when he turned it enough I could see what it was. If he'd have continued with his original motion and pointed it at me I would have shot him. Turns out the other one had the "gun" when they caught him.

We ended up fighting in the creek and I got him in cuffs I asked him WTF he was thinking and how close he came to being shot. He said he knew we were getting ready to fight and he didn't want his phone to get wet so he took it out to throw it into the grass. So yeah, I can see how it can happen. If I'd have been quicker to pull the trigger or he'd been slower with tossing it, this might have been a very different story.

Stupid NEEDS to be rewarded! Sounds like the perp came close to being rewarded!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I wonder if that guy snapped a pic of BehindBlueIs and put it on Instagram? "Here's a sweet shot of the cop who busted me!"

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I know most criminals are dumb, but why would you bring a cell phone along on a robbery anyway? You could drop it and get ID'd. You could be arrested and the gps could be used to prove you were at the scene. Do these dummies put any thought at all into their crimes?

The "I'll never get caught" attitude is pretty pervasive. Kids these days (yes, I said it) are so ingrained in sharing everything they do with everyone at all times that they'll even Facebook and Twitter about their crimes. I'm social media stupid, but we've got guys who specialize in that and they've helped me with several robberies and shootings over the years.

 

[nakinate]

First off, for using Calvin & Hobbes. Second, the perp knows he is caught at that point. He HAS to get SOMETHING out of this, so he gets a pic for a souvenir...perfectly logical.