If you see these men on the streets, you are advised to be cautious and avoid eye contact Charles Gill and Ryan Knight, both 21, are felonious snowballers. The James Madison University students were arrested in Harrisburg when they threw a snowball at a city plow, which hopefully could handle the hits. The snowplow driver was aghast and called police. The men then threw snowballs at the officer’s unmarked vehicle. Of course, in Washington, our detectives go directly to the use of their handguns to warn snowballers, here.
The students were jailed for throwing missiles at occupied vehicles, a felony. They face between one and five years in prison, and a maximum $2,500 fine.
The foreign press is all over this story, here. They are right to find it ridiculous. It is part of our criminalization of America where every infraction must be defined in criminal terms, here. I am only surprised that this was not charged under the ever-expanding domestic terrorism laws. After all, snow is only a few chemical changes away from C-4 plastique.
Now, if it was this snowball I could understand the response:
For the charge sheet and story, click here.
This event will do nothing for maintaining respect for the police and justice system. The increasingly militaristic and self-isolated police are literally already in the crosshairs among minorities who’ve declared war on them: at the rate they’re now losing the respect and generating the hatred of the white middle class, how long will it be before whites also start shooting?
When I was in High School I was almost arrested for “Throwing a missle”. The missle in question was a water balloon and, granted, the kid was younger than me. The kid’s parents called the cops and tracked my down from my very distict ’52 Willy’s Jeep. A police woman asked me some questions and I ended up having to go apologize to him.
I almost got in trouble for “Contempt of Cop” because the lady cop thought I was rolling my eyes at her but I was looking at my parents with disbelief.
Thanks BF. It’s not a word I use often, and I wasn’t worth looking it up. 🙂
I see it coming–Eight Year Old Tasered by Police for Throwing Snowball at His Pal, Middle School Student Arrested for Throwing Snowball at Recess.
Duh: “I think we call all rest well knowing that these two have already had the bagesus (sp?) scared out of them.”
ba-JESUS*
mespo,
Though far less than imprisonment, 100 hrs of community service is a heck of a price to pay. I think two 8 hr days washing city vehicles would send the appropriate message. I think it was a stupid prank, but I don’t think any harm was intended. I think we call all rest well knowing that these two have already had the bagesus (sp?) scared out of them.
I think that the cops over reacted and it is the direct result of gaining names and information on every US citizen that they would ordinarily be able to get.
Think of in terms of association. The information sheet at intake ask for every known associate etc and most will state that they can charge you with filling out a form and giving false information yada yada yada.
Ever run a credit report on someone? Ever noticed how many addresses that are associated with the person that is the target of the investigation? One person that I am thinking of in particular and he was or still a House member. They got divorced and his credit report tied him to an address in states over. Then a series of different addresses for about 9 years, including an apartment and utility bill.
Just because the SSN’s were tied together for a 4 year period. I could track this person via a credit report. It Showed judgments civil as well as a criminal DUI conviction on this person’s credit report that were the obligation of the ex-spouse.
How far and how much information do they get to collect on these students. Plus a deferred is not a deferred until it is cleared off of the record by the record holder. I know a guy that had a felony, the only one on his record dismissed after the term of probation was satisfied. It was on his record for more that 20 years. He could not get a job and the attorneys he spoke with did not know what to do.
All it took was a few well placed calls and ala it was gone. Ok a threat to the Department of Public Safety that a Defamation suit was being prepared to be filed. All because an employee at the clerks office did not enter the information correctly. What are 20 years worth of wages against the state worth? This may have been a ministerial act but the damage that it caused this person.
If the snowplow driver and cop knew each other perhaps the students can respond to the official complaint with a charge of collusion … what a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Duh:
In my experience in that jurisdiction, the young men are likely headed for diversion programs and some serious washing of public safety vehicles for about 100 hours or so.
I bet the officer was pissed off that the doughnut shop was closed.
mespo,
I agree. They had to do “something”. The proper response (in my book) would be to explain the potential danger of throwing the snow, and tell the two men to knock it off.
I’m pretty sure that getting snow inside of the officer’s vehicle was what pushed him/her over the edge resulting in the felony charges. Now that heads are cooler (warmer?), the prosecutor should have the charges dismissed w/o prejudice. The threat of potential felony charges is probably enough to keep these two on the straight and narrow.
Duh:
I think the problem was that they were throwing the snow onto the windshield of the plow. Under those circumstances, the cops had to do something assuming that this account is true.
Here’s a link to the charged statute.
http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1802000/18.2-154.html
According to the news release (issued by the Harrisonburg PD), they didn’t throw snowballs, but instead,”shovels of snow”.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0209101snow4.html
Before reading the department’s release, I had thought about some of the snowballs I had created in my youth. The kind that were more like 3″ diameter balls of ice. They could do some serious damage. But this was not the case.
This is a case of over-reaction. They’ve had their warning. Now drop the charges and get over it.
“Humorless people suck only marginally worse than terrorists.”
***************
“Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.”
~Oscar Wilde
Felony snowballing charges while unconstitutional treasonous war criminals not only still walk free, but are protected from prosecution?
I don’t think so, but if that is the case?
Pardon me if the next time an “officer” says “you’re coming with me” if I laugh in his face and tell him to kiss my pucker.
Justice for all or justice for none. This is how this cookie crumbles, you Washington Morons.
And I really REALLY hope a judge tells the arresting cops, the plaintiffs and the prosecution words along those lines as well.
Humorless people suck only marginally worse than terrorists.
Snow balls.
Get an f’ing grip, you pansy simps.
I hear that there’s an economic crisis, and that we need to reign in the spending… well then, let’s reign in the spending we’re doing on both this city plow driver and officer. Fire/jail them both for misappropriation of public assets and generally wasting people’s time.
I have no patience for humourless people that cannot cope with two 21-yr olds, mkay. I can only wonder what these morons would have gone through if instead of these nice ‘kids’ it had been a bunch of not so nice gang members playing with snow….
Let’s just say they would’ve probably taken the plow and the car…. THEN maybe I let you call the cops, ffs.
Not to supplant nal or Elaine M, but JMU is located in Harrisonburg, not that other “H” town about three hours north on I-81.
As a sign of the times, I am not surprised. When I was on the campus at this fine school located in the Shenandoah Valley about an eon ago, the student body arose as one on a joyful snowy morning and proceeded to pummel venerable and well-loved college president Ron Carrier’s vehicle with snow balls as he surveyed the scene on the campus. Rather than throw the campus into lock down and call in the National Guard to arrest those with every human intention besides the felonious one, “Uncle Ron,” as the students of that era referred to him, stopped the SUV and threw a few back. My, my what progress we have made.
Charged with a felony? It would seem proportionality has gone out the window in this case.