# DC Police bring a gun to a snowball fight **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 20, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965 "2009-12-20T17:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/61 "2009-12-22T13:39:40Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Maybe he was undercover as a pompous jerkwad ? Maybe he figured if he didn’t jump out and start waving a gun around, his jerkwad cover would be blown. ---
**Author:** ![MovingTarget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@MovingTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovingTarget)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/62 "2009-12-22T14:11:10Z")
Originally posted by **DrDeth** > [@](#): > > Pulling a gun out means it’s there in his hand. Pulling a gun ON means that it is aimed at your personal ass. Having had a gun pulled ON me, I can tell you that the difference is not semantic at all. When it happens to you, you’ll also be aware of the clear and non subtle difference. Until it does, you are simply talking out of the ass I just mentioned. > > Projammer- no strawman at all. It happens. Did it happen here? Is the investigation closed yet? > > In any case, I checked out the video, and it’s clear the cop was absolutely in the wrong. As the hipsters assaulting his car were not wearing tinfoil hats, OBVIOUSLY he should have been able to read their minds and know it was all in fun, they did not intend him any harm, they didn’t know he was a policemen. Thus, just because he was assaulted by a mob outnumbering him by many times, he should have known it was all a harmless joke. : Sorry, but I’m calling bullshit, just like several others have already. If he at ANY time felt that he was actually " **assualted by a mob outnumbering him by many times**"he would have never got out of his fucking car without calling for backup. I’m not sure why you’re defending this to the death, but you’re full of crap. I’m in no way condoning the acts of throwing snowballs at cars, moving or not, but it was just a dick move on the detective’s part pulling out his gun. He wanted to act all big and bad to the people who hit his pweciousss widdle car with snowballs. I hope he gets a few weeks off without pay for this kind of crap. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/63 "2009-12-22T14:46:48Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In any case, I checked out the video, and it’s clear the cop was absolutely in the wrong. :dubious:As the hipsters assaulting his car were _not wearing tinfoil hats_, **OBVIOUSLY** he should have been able to read their minds and know it was all in fun, they did not intend him any harm, they didn’t know he was a policemen. Thus, just because he was assaulted by a mob outnumbering him by many times, he should have _known_ it was all a harmless joke. :rolleyes:: So, your car gets hit by a snowball while you’re driving along. **ofcourse** you should assume you’re under attack by an angry mob that wants to harm you. That’s why every other car that got hit kept on driving, right? They were probably too afraid to stop. :rolleyes: So why did this guy stop and pull out his gun? That’s the stupidest thing to do _if you’re really threatened by a mob_ pulling a gun immediately escalates the situation. The best you can hope for is everybody running away from you. Failing that… Over here we had a recentl situation with a bunch of plain-clothes cops feeling threatened (rightly or not - details still aren’t 100%) by a group of boozed up party-goers in a large beach party, but anyway they ended shooting over their heads and - apparently - into the crowd. Killed one 19 year old who very likely had nothing to do with the situation and wounding 4 others. Oh yeah: and then they tried to blame the party-goers for shooting first, but only police bullets were found. What I’m saying is: even if you “win”, getting your gun out in a situation like that is NOT going to end well. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/64 "2009-12-22T15:02:36Z")
What you people fail to realize is that snowballs are a **gateway projectile**. It’s already been firmly established in this thread (through clear-headed logic and cited research) that once people start throwing snowballs they will think nothing of adding stones, bolts, and pieces of ice. That puts us on a slippery slope to bricks, lead pipes, molotov cocktails, and suitcase nukes. The officer acted heroically by stopping the violence before it escalated, undoubtedly preventing hundreds if not thousands of deaths. Pin a medal on that guy. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/65 "2009-12-22T15:18:25Z")
How do we know how hip the snowball throwers were? ---
**Author:** ![MovingTarget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@MovingTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovingTarget)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/66 "2009-12-22T15:38:49Z")
I think the fact that they live in New York, and used twitter to organize this whole even proves their “hipness”. And watch the video, some of the stocking caps alone prove how hip these guys are. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/67 "2009-12-22T15:55:54Z")
See, when you say it like that, it seems a tragedy that he _didn’t_ discharge his firearm. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/68 "2009-12-22T16:17:17Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > See, when you say it like that, it seems a tragedy that he _didn’t_ discharge his firearm. No, thats only SOP for breaking up a pillow fight. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/69 "2009-12-22T17:16:25Z")
> [@MovingTarget](#): > > I think the fact that they live in New York, and used twitter to organize this whole even proves their “hipness”. And watch the video, some of the stocking caps alone prove how hip these guys are. They live in DC, as that’s where this incident took place. (Not that NW DC isn’t infested with hipsters.) ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/70 "2009-12-22T17:34:51Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > When I was a kid it was razor blades. When I was a kid it was hand grenades. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/71 "2009-12-22T17:53:06Z")
In fairness to the gun toting guy, it looks like he did take a snowball to the ear. That’s always painful! ---
**Author:** ![Slappy\_the\_Clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Slappy\_the\_Clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slappy_the_Clown)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/72 "2009-12-22T18:06:49Z")
I wonder if Obama thought the police acted stupidly? Probably not, since thhe detective was black. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/73 "2009-12-22T18:15:05Z")
Huh. A similar thing happened to me and my cousins when we were kids. We were maybe 9-12 years old in range and decided to get the bright idea to throw snowballs at passing cars. One car we hit was a cop. He got out, lividly screaming at us, and pulled back his coat/jacket to show us his holstered gun while threatening us, etc. Now, he wasn’t crazy enough to actually pull the gun on us, be he made it clear to point out the pistol to us. After some apologizing on our part, he was on his way, and my cousins had a good laugh about it. Never realized the inappropriateness of that until now. It’s not like we could tell our parents, either, as they’d probably just tell us “well, you learned your lesson. Don’t throw snowballs at cars, idiots.” But, yeah, stupid thing to do all around. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/74 "2009-12-22T18:17:46Z")
Those are some distant dots you’re trying to connect, **Slappy**. Hope you have a backup crayon. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/75 "2009-12-22T19:00:09Z")
> [@Slappy\_the\_Clown](#): > > I wonder if Obama thought the police acted stupidly? Probably not, since thhe detective was black. Had he accused the cop of acting stupidly, he would be obliged to invite the cops and the hipsters to reconcile over a beer. Then the hipsters would say, “Make ours a bud,” and Republicans would have a field day. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/76 "2009-12-22T20:13:37Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > What about a bomb? Or anthrax? Wow. Straight to Defcon 1. Do me a favor; if I ever piss you off, let me know. Give me a chance to apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/77 "2009-12-22T20:46:02Z")
> [@Slappy\_the\_Clown](#): > > I wonder if Obama thought the police acted stupidly? Probably not, since thhe detective was black. Welcome to the Straight Dope. Cool first post, bro. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/78 "2009-12-22T23:24:35Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > If this city has a policy that allows or directs plainclothes police officer to attempt to quell riots by themselves with the assistance of a single firearm and wihout identifying himself as a police, I’ve got to move the fuck out of here. God only knows what crazy ass Bruce Willis/Die Hard policies the MPD may have. > > Any cop who has a shred of common sense wouldn’t seriously confront scores of people who he believes are seriously threatening him with harm without calling for backup. Seriously? One man and a gun stopping a riot of something like 100 people launching snowballs that might have bolts or anthrax in them? That’s fucking stupid. > > I agree with others: he was pissed his car might be damaged. I would feel the same. But that doesn’t entitle me to pull a gun if I were armed. I didn’t say it was smart. I didn’t say it was good police work. He sees a potential safety hazard. He stops to investigate. He’s assaulted by a mob. His safety (he claims) is threatened. He draws his weapon just in case ( he claims). Unless this guy has made some serious enemies in the police union, or is otherwise dirty, he’s in the clear. Maybe the DC govt will pay him off to make him go away. I expect he’ll be cleared in the investigation, assuming he’s otherwise clean. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/79 "2009-12-23T01:40:32Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Had he accused the cop of acting stupidly, he would be obliged to invite the cops and the hipsters to reconcile over a beer. > > Then the hipsters would say, “Make ours a bud,” and Republicans would have a field day. Hipsters drink PBR. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/80 "2009-12-23T01:44:41Z")
Just not Coors. PBR, Corona, Miller, chilled yak pee, just not Coors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965.md?page=5)