# 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:** 5
**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 23, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/81 "2009-12-23T02:21:32Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > 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). Answer me one question: do I get to play as fast and loose with the facts as you do? Because if I do, I have a different version of events that conveniently show that I’m completely right and you’re a fascist. ---
**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 23, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/82 "2009-12-23T02:45:57Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Answer me one question: do I get to play as fast and loose with the facts as you do? > > Because if I do, I have a different version of events that conveniently show that I’m completely right and you’re a fascist. His lawyers and union reps will, I believe, be able to present their case roughly the way I have. It’s routine for big city cops to walk away from bigger issues than this. I’m betting he gets cleared, unless he has other issues in his personnel file. There’s no getting around the fact that there was a mob acting in a way that posed (an extremely minor) danger to public safety, and that members of this mob committed multiple (completely harmless and trivial) felony assaults against the officer. It’s not me playing fast and loose with the facts. These are the arguments I think his team will make. ---
**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 23, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/83 "2009-12-23T02:51:23Z")
Well, as long as you admit that you’re making shit up. Such as that the officer stopped to investigate, was then assaulted, and then pulled his gun. If the detective does adopt this lie as his defense, there are about 100 witnesses who can show that’s a lie. And then the cop will lose his job. ---
**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 23, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/84 "2009-12-23T03:10:21Z")
If he stopped at all, he stopped to investigate. He’s a cop. He’s allowed to stop and investigate any time he believes a crime is being committed in his jurisdiction. Crimes were clearly being committed. Even if his actual motive was to punish somebody for disrespecting him. Since throwing objects at moving cars is a felony, he witnessed at least one felony. Once he was hit with a snowball, that was felony assault. I don’t have to make anything up. Now if he actually shot somebody, he’d have a much tougher row to hoe. But he still might get away with it. Many cops have. Between the union and the lawyers, he either keeps his job, with a temporary reassignment to a desk job, or he retires with a nice fat pension. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/85 "2009-12-23T03:16:17Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > If he stopped at all, he stopped to investigate. He’s a cop. He’s allowed to stop and investigate any time he believes a crime is being committed in his jurisdiction. Crimes were clearly being committed. Even if his actual motive was to punish somebody for disrespecting him. > > Since throwing objects at moving cars is a felony, he witnessed at least one felony. > > Once he was hit with a snowball, that was felony assault. > > I don’t have to make anything up. Give it up, dude. For these posters, all “kops are evil”. _Hummer_ driving cops are especially evil. Like it makes a difference if he was driving a Hybrid or a hummer. ---
**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 23, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/86 "2009-12-23T03:37:31Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Give it up, dude. For these posters, all “kops are evil”. The MPD Police Chief, Cathy Lanier, said that pulling out a gun to deal with a snowball fight was “totally inappropriate.” Which one of us Dopers is Chief Lanier? ---
**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 23, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/87 "2009-12-23T03:54:14Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The MPD Police Chief, Cathy Lanier, said that pulling out a gun to deal with a snowball fight was “totally inappropriate.” > > Which one of us Dopers is Chief Lanier? She’s brass, and she’s doing damage control. Of course, she’s right. It WAS totally inappropriate. Remember, cops have gotten away with shooting people for making “threatening” gestures. No projectiles needed. ---
**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, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/88 "2009-12-23T04:58:30Z")
Brandishing a gun before a potentially hostile mob of hipsters may not be criminally wrong, but it is ethically questionable and tactically ill advised. ---
**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 23, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/89 "2009-12-23T05:30:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Brandishing a gun before a potentially hostile mob of hipsters may not be criminally wrong, but it is ethically questionable and tactically ill advised. Agreed. The judgment and self-control are seriously in question here. Cops who act this way often have a pattern of such behavior. If his record shows this, he should be forced into retirement before he kills someone. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/90 "2009-12-23T06:23:38Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The MPD Police Chief, Cathy Lanier, said that pulling out a gun to deal with a snowball fight was “totally inappropriate.” It \*was \*inappropriate. However,the dudes throwing the snowballs are _criminals_, the cop just showed poor judgment. Esp in the light of 20/20 hindsight and since we now know those dudes were just having fun. ---
**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, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/91 "2009-12-23T06:42:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It \*was \*inappropriate. However,the dudes throwing the snowballs are _criminals_, … Mind if we call you “Stretch” from now on? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/92 "2009-12-23T08:26:55Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Why is it that no one shot the enraged nut who jump out of the hummer waving a gun and making threats? DC has the strictest gun control laws in the nation. It’s impossible to get a handgun unless you’re LEO. This is one instance where it’s a good thing no one else had a gun, they very likely would have shot him. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/93 "2009-12-23T14:02:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > "There was no police pulling guns \*\*on \*\*snowball… " > > “…pulled his service weapon…” > > Note the word " **ON"**. > > Pulling a gun **OUT** is different than pulling a gun **ON.** Wow, that’s pathetic. Anyway, a couple funny things about the video. 1. I saw a very mixed crowd, which made some of the comments above funny. 2. The guy at about the 0:50 mark who throws a snowball at a guy who had just pulled a gun, hits him in the face/neck, and then laughs at it might be too stupid to live anyway. 3. Why’d the copy spend so much time shuffling his feet in the snow? It looked like he was trying to find something. His balls? 4. The white uniform seemed to actually be an adult - but then he didn’t have all sorts of people disrespecting him. 5. I wonder how Prick Cop would have acted if there hadn’t been a whole bunch of obvious cameras in that crowd? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/94 "2009-12-23T14:13:29Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Wow. Straight to Defcon 1. > > Do me a favor; if I ever piss you off, let me know. Give me a chance to apologize. Prepare…THE ANTHRAX SUPPOSITORIES! > [@](#): > > It was inappropriate. However,the dudes throwing the snowballs are criminals, the cop just showed poor judgment. Esp in the light of 20/20 hindsight and since we now know those dudes were just having fun. Man, you’d think it’d make the news if dozens were arrested. After all, there were a bunch of criminals, in full view of a Valiant Police Officer, who were committing crimes. And apparently those crimes were such a serious threat to that officer that he drew his weapon. How many arrests were there? Certainly at least one. -Joe, working on Sharks With Lasers ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/95 "2009-12-23T14:51:25Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Give it up, dude. For these posters, all “kops are evil”. Which makes your “all kops _RAWK!!_@” viewpoint is so valuable, to restore a much-needed balance. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/96 "2009-12-23T15:11:14Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Which makes your “all kops _RAWK!!_@” viewpoint is so valuable, to restore a much-needed balance. I think it was more “Those guys are hipsters who never invited me to their parties - they can do no right and I hope cops start shooting them without reservation. Those liberals are so meeeeeeean.”. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/97 "2009-12-24T02:20:35Z")
I’ve seen several posts stating that throwing snowballs at a vehicle is a felony offence and that throwing them at a person is felony assault. Anyone have a link to the specific statutes? There are a few statements to that effect in comments on the original link and in this thread. But so far the needle on the credibility meter hasn’t moved off the zero pin. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/98 "2009-12-24T05:22:31Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Which makes your “all kops _RAWK!!_@” viewpoint is so valuable, to restore a much-needed balance. Clearly, you have _not_ been reading my posts.:rolleyes: What I am upset is about is the dudes here who think it’s perfectly OK to have a mod assault a police officer- _as he was driving a Hummer_.:dubious: For shame.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/99 "2009-12-24T05:23:48Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > I think it was more "Those guys are hipsters .. It’s _the Op_ who IDed them as “hipsters”. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965/100 "2009-12-24T06:00:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Clearly, you have _not_ been reading my posts.:rolleyes: > > What I am upset is about is the dudes here who think it’s perfectly OK to have a mod assault a police officer- _as he was driving a Hummer_.:dubious: For shame.:rolleyes: Wait a minute, what mod assaulted a cop? Is there video? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-police-bring-a-gun-to-a-snowball-fight/521965.md?page=6)