Tuesday, November 21, 2006

When Spuds Attack

A 43-year-old man was arrested and police seized nine improvised potato guns of various sizes...

"We haven’t found any damage or found anyone with injuries [but] the potential is obvious that someone could get hurt."

Getting hit by a potato would cause the same damage as a fast ball thrown by a major-league pitcher, said Sylven. Aiming a potato gun at someone can draw more serious charges than just firing it off a balcony, as this man is alleged to have done.

The answer is obvious.

Ban major league pitching.

The guy wasn't threatening anyone and didn't hurt anyone, so naturally they have to come in heavy on the force, haul him off, confiscate his property and leave him hanging with an expensive legal fight and potential criminal record. They couldn't just investigate the report and see for themselves no harm was being done--or caution him to move to a more appropriate area if there was any real danger. They couldn't just tell him it was pretty neat, and ask if they could fire a round or two.

We can't just mind our own business and have fun any more, can we?

5 comments:

me said...

"improvised" Perhaps he should have bought one off the shelf, registered it and he'd be OK? Seriously, reporters need a little reeducation, or just education, and 95+% of people need a refresher on freedom.


Sicherheit uber alles!
Sicherheit uber alles!
Sicherheit uber alles!

Anonymous said...

It never ceases to amaze me the inability of these "protectors" to apply their logic onto other inanimate objects such as vehicles, and then realize how idiotic their logic truly is. Do you know how many morons out there drive without regard for others on the road? My co-worker is one of them. Of course I haven't personally seen him cause damage or injure anyone, but the potential is obvious that someone could get hurt. Law enforcement needs to confiscate his car!

Nylarthotep said...

If potato guns are illegalized what will be happening with pumpkin chunkin'? If they're worried about throwing a potato at the speed of a pro baseball pitcher, what do they think of devices that can throw a 10 pound pumpkins up to a mile. Hell, that's artillery.

Nate said...

The last time the cops came to my house because of my potato guns, they wanted to see how they worked... They did advise me not to shoot them inside the city limits but that wasn't any pain.

Rivrdog said...

I don't unnerstand. Firearms laws are written to control FIREARMS. A potato gun isn't a firearm, unless it uses a charge of gunpowder to expel the potato plug.

The standard defense to ANY firearm charge is to require the police to produce an affidavit saying that they FIRED the weapon, and it functioned as designed.

That's not likely to happen with a potato gun.

A potato gun is not a firearm.

Any arrest for a potato gun, or seizure of potato guns, based on firearms law is improper and excessive.