American police snowball Madness!

[Rum]

Here on da BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8424836.stm

and on Youtube




US policeman 'draws gun' at Washington snowball fight

Police in the US are investigating a detective who appears to draw his gun during a mass snowball fight on the streets of Washington DC.

Video taken at the scene shows people pelting a man with snowballs after his car, a Hummer, gets stuck in the snow.

The man - not in uniform at the time - then appears to pull out a gun while an angry crowd gathers and chants: "Don't bring a gun to a snowball fight."

DC police refused to comment, telling the BBC an investigation was under way.

'Don't shoot'

At one point on the video - shown on YouTube - the man identifies himself as a "detective", but refuses to give his full name.

Then he proceeds to admit to pulling his gun.

"Yes I did because I got hit by snowballs," he tells angry residents who demand to know his badge number.

Images and video appear to show him exposing his gun briefly, always pointing towards the snow on the ground.

Panicked residents shout, "He's got a gun," but others continue to lob snowballs his way.

The confrontation, which took place on Saturday, ended only when other policemen were despatched to the scene, and managed to calm everyone down.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police, Det Kenny Bryson, told the BBC on Sunday that he would not comment on the allegations and refused to identify the officer involved.

Det Bryson said the department was looking into the allegations of misconduct but that there was "nothing further" to report.

[devogue]

Crazy fuckin' Yanks.

[Drewish]

Punk ass kids. I'm totally with the detective here. Fuck those 'kids.'

EDIT - I was totally ready for a police brutality story here, till I saw the video. With the way those 'kids' were acting, if he hadn't flashed that gun they might have tried something. Fuck those punks, endangering traffic and then hiding behind "It's just a snowball fight!"

[klr]

I too have some sympathy with the detective. Having you or your property pelted with snowballs is not exactly a zero-risk activity. It's not as if the area was reserved for a snowball fight. He had a right to drive through there without being hit.

[Rum]

Yeah, but a fucking gun!?

[klr]

Yeah, but a fucking gun!?

Oh, I agree. But the standard polite cease and desist didn't seem to work. If he'd just waved his badge, would they have stopped ... or pelted his car (and maybe him) even more?

[Drewish]

The video (suspiciously) starts right when he pulls out his gun. There's bias in this here editing.

[klr]

The video (suspiciously) starts right when he pulls out his gun. There's bias in this here editing.

Yup. What are the chances that someone would start filming at the very moment he reveals that he's packing iron?

[Drewish]

The video (suspiciously) starts right when he pulls out his gun. There's bias in this here editing.

Yup. What are the chances that someone would start filming at the very moment he reveals that he's packing iron?

Before they realize it?

[The Dawktor]

Yeah- he could have pistol-whipped the varmints!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

For all you guys that were dissing the Americans for over reacting.
Go Wales!

[Rum]

For all you guys that were dissing the Americans for over reacting.
Go Wales!

Yeah, but no poleece involved!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

For all you guys that were dissing the Americans for over reacting.
Go Wales!

Yeah, but no poleece involved!

No guns either. I guess Britain should outlaw snow?

[Animavore]

Did anyone check to see if Pappa was ok?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Did anyone check to see if Pappa was ok?

I wouldn't try to wake him up right now.