Armed police raid home after mistaking Lara Croft dummy for gunman

[Aram]

Overreact much?

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

 

When police spotted a gun-wielding suspect lurking in the shadows of a suburban front room, their response was swift.

 

Armed officers burst into the house, shouted at the owner to lie on the floor, and ordered him to surrender his weapon.

 

But efficiency turned to embarrassment when the "gunman" turned out to be a life-sized model of the video game character Lara Croft, complete with trademark outsized pistols.

 

Computer shop owner David Williams, 42, had taken the dummy home to put it up for sale on the auction site eBay.

 

As the source of the confusion dawned on all concerned, it might have been the moment for an apology from the police.

 

Instead, however, Mr Williams was taken to the cells and held for more than 13 hours before being released.

 

He is now on bail for a suspected firearms offence, and Lara Croft remains impounded as evidence.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Aram

[LadyCrimson]

I can see mistaking the dummy, perhaps - especially since they were answering a report for "nuisance phone calls" by the houseowner - but have no idea, from that story, why he would be arrested afterwards.

 

Oh and, I wouldn't mind having that Lara Croft doll.

[metadigital]

I really hope this is a complete fabrication, an exaggeration, or there were other facts (like some real firearms). Otherwise these people should be locked up.

[Volourn]

Meta wins easily.

[Walsingham]

The behaviour AFTER the arrest is silly. I don't find anything odd about cops thinking they could be being lured into a trap.

[metadigital]

I just saw this on BBC News 24: the incident is in Britain! (Of course, I was wondering how the US police could raid a house based on the evidence of a dummy).

[Tale]

It's not even a very good representation of Lara.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

If this man gets in prison because of mistakes from police officers... that would be so unfair... and retarded.

[SteveThaiBinh]

As the source of the confusion dawned on all concerned, it might have been the moment for an apology from the police.

I'd go along with that. As if they haven't just embarrassed themselves enough (they can be forgiven for the first mistake, though), they then proceed to make themselves look complete idiots by blaming someone else for the mistake.

[Hurlshort]

If this man gets in prison because of mistakes from police officers... that would be so unfair... and retarded.

 

Life is not fair.

[metadigital]

They confiscated Lara, supposedly because they wanted to check the weapons (it is an offence to use replicas, too), but they then returned the mannequin later. With most of her fingers broken off. I can see a law suit for damages (he was going ot sell Lara on eBay.)

[Walsingham]

They confiscated Lara, supposedly because they wanted to check the weapons (it is an offence to use replicas, too), but they then returned the mannequin later. With most of her fingers broken off. I can see a law suit for damages (he was going ot sell Lara on eBay.)

 

They broke the doll to check the fake weapons? That's fething retarded.

[Hurlshort]

I don't know much about British law enforcement, but in the US, this would be an easy lawsuit win. But then again, they never would have gotten a warrant to break into the guys place in the first place.

[Tale]

You don't need a warrant in every case. If the police have significant cause to believe something is going on they can break in. Anything from noises (screaming, etc) or viewing a crime through a window (unlawful possession of a firearm if they were illegal).

 

This would not be an easy lawsuit to win in the US. I see this as very similar to what happened in Boston with the Mooninite lights that were mistaken for bombs.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Tale

[Walsingham]

Tale's right. We have a lot more clauses which say that the cops can do what they want provided they can claim good cause.

[SteveThaiBinh]

The police can probably claim that breaking into the house and immobilizing the guy was justified, and so too was any damage sustained by Lara during that. What might be harder to defend was their behaviour once they'd realised it was all a mistake and it was just a doll. At any rate, yet another public relations screw-up.

[Gorgon]

It's illegal to own replica firearms ?

 

Is it forbidden to use dangerous words or paint your house in busy annoying brigth colours as well.

 

Oddball brits.

[Gorgon]

I remember when I made a halfmoon shield and matching goblin scimitar for a school project. No one gave it a second though, although they would'nt let me sharpen it. Is it just me or were ye golden olde days also less hysterical.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Gorgon

[Walsingham]

I remember when I made a halfmoon shield and matching goblin scimitar for a school project. No one gave it a second though, although they would'nt let me sharpen it. Is it just me or were ye golden olde days also less hysterical.

 

I recall splitting the atom at school, and the masters were all "It's only an A-bomb. Boys will be boys."

[Aram]

Que the Benny Hill music...

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

 

Armed police swoop on fancy dress cowgirls with toy guns

By LIZ HULL

 

Last updated at 21:42pm on 18th May 2007

 

As gunfights go, it was something of an unequal contest.

 

On one side were dozens of armed police officers assisted by dogs, with helicopters hovering over head.

 

On the other were two teenage girls in cowboy outfits, with one toy gun between them.

 

Not surprisingly, 19-year-olds Fatima Rupp and Holly Spedding surrendered without a fight in the stand-off outside a Tesco supermarket.

 

But they faced several hours in police cells before Miss Rupp was cautioned for possession of an imitation firearm and the pair were released.

 

"We were petrified when we stopped and they came screeching up and surrounded us," said Miss Stepping, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

 

"There were four jeeps, two vans full of dogs, armed police, helicopters and they were screaming, "Where's the gun?" Our gun was obviously a toy, but the guns the police pointed at us certainly weren't imitations. They were scary. I've never seen a real gun before, it was terrifying."

 

Miss Rupp added: "I completely froze and was too scared to move an inch in case they shot me. I had a gun pointing in my face."

 

The incident happened as the pair drove along the M62 after a Cowboys and Indians party at Chester University. Miss Rupp said: "Lorry drivers were pretending to shoot me with their fingers. So I pointed the toy gun back at them. Everyone was smiling and laughing. Some were even pretending to die and shouting 'Bang, bang!'."

 

An off-duty police officer failed to see the joke, reporting the girls for threatening motorists. Miss Rupp, who was in the passenger seat, said she realised something was wrong when she noticed six police cars on their tail.

 

The girls pulled off the motorway and into a supermarket car park in Brighouse

 

"We chose Tesco's car park to stop because there were lots of people around and we thought if they were armed they might be a bit more careful with all the public there," added Miss Rupp, a mother of two.

 

A police spokesman said: "When we receive reports of guns being pointed at people, we have a duty to take firm action and that means responding with armed officers.

 

"Imitation weapons are difficult to distinguish from the real thing, especially at distance."

[Sand]

Overreact much?

[metadigital]

"An off-duty police officer failed to see the joke" ... yeah, right. More likely s/he wanted to have their own vindictive fun.

[Walsingham]

I think you can be fairly certian that the officers responding won't be allowed to forget this one by their colleagues. What teh hell has happened to the old British tradition of policing where an officer would turn up and tick you off a bit then send you on your way?