Zombie or terrorist?
Why is there such a disconnect between police, FBI, Homeland Security and other policing agencies and the general public that crap like this keeps happening week after week?
‘Zombies’ arrested in downtown Minneapolis
Six friends spruced up in fake blood and tattered clothing were arrested in downtown Minneapolis on suspicion of toting “simulated weapons of mass destruction.”
Police said the group were allegedly carrying bags with wires sticking out, making it look like a bomb, while meandering and dancing to music as part of a “zombie dance party” Saturday night.
“They were arrested for behavior that was suspicious and disturbing,” said Lt. Gregory Reinhardt, a police spokesman. Police also said the group was uncooperative and intimidated people with their “ghoulish” makeup.
Then, from another source, we get this which makes it all seem even more absurd they got arrested.
The two original officers didn’t appear to think the backpacks were bombs, said Kibby, who said she had a messenger bag. They weren’t searched until after they arrived at the First Precinct, where she said several officers appeared to be making fun of them, she said.
So these kids will end up with a criminal record because the police (who had witnessed other Zombie parties in the past without incident!) overreacted. Conformity now!
This is why I hate cops. The are ALL a bunch of a**holes.
Note to self:
Don’t dress like a ridiculous zombie in big major city in the Midwest and act a fool…
Will people have to rethink how they do costume parties and Halloween? Terrorist aren’t changing the way we live our lives, the government and DHS are.
If you guys knew the major of Minneapolis you would understand why this kind of thing is going on with the cops.
This is a guy who, after a very violent shooting, went and walked around uptown. Of course, he had about a 45 cop escourt with several dozen cars. He showed us that the streets were safe!!! Those cops didn’t have anything bette to be doing: like chasing the killer, making sure no other crimes go on, SERVING AND PROTECTING?
Hypothetical question: If a 1000 people were dressed like this and arrested and one of them, just one, had something that would be harmful (biological, chemical, or explosive), then would the arresting of a 1000 people be justified for saving thousands more?
#5 thats nitpicking. this is clearly a case of cops that dont understand thier jobs. They want to do what they please and cover it with the phrase “we are protecting you”
#5… Wouldn’t that be zombie profiling?
“Conformity now!” If you are going to a zombie party isn’t conformity to dress up like a zombie. Maybe they should get a “dress up like Donna Reed Show” night if that is the crowd they want.
I think “suspicion of looking like a potential terrorist” should be a crime in every city. You should only be allowed to look like a potential terrorist in rural areas, and even then, only under the supervision of a responsible adult.
Dressing up like a responsible adult is never a crime 😉
#5 Any weapon that can be carried by one person is not likely to affect more than 100 people. Especially dressed up like a zombie. Arresteing 1000 people to get to one person causes distrust of the police authorites. This distrust will spread causing more harm because people will not help police in fear that the police will arrest them.
The police have a hard job they must protect the people but also keep the people’s trust. Arresting people for every little quirky behavior or to fill quotas does not earn trust.
…the group were allegedly carrying bags with wires sticking out, …
Wires? Probably the cord between their earphones and their iPods. [grin]
5 Hypothetical question: If a 1000 people were dressed like this …
If they arrested 1000 people with backpacks [Madrid & London bombers, Atlanta Olympics bomber]…
If they arrested 1000 people wearing business suits & carrying briefcases…
#5 Um, don’t terrorists try not to attract attention to themselves before they carry out their attacks, rather than dress like, er, zombies? Shouldn’t the cops be expected to use some small % of their gray matter before arresting someone?
Oh, and one more thing – no one has a legal obligation to ‘cooperate’ with the police. If you are simply out on the street not doing anything illegal, you are perfectly free to refuse to stop and be searched.
This is one thing that cops really don’t get. In their universe, anyone refusing to surrender to their show of authority must be doing something illegal.
Bac (#10), There are a lot of things out there that you can carry on your person that will affect a lot more than 100, 1000, or 10,000 people.
Mike (#11), yes that would justify it. To use your example, if bombs were set off in backpacks all over a city, then searching ALL backpacks is acceptable.
Doug (#12), They assimilate themselves into society. The local society (i.e. the group they are with) was dressing like zombies. Hence, anyone that’s part of that particular society dresses like zombies. A more specific example: the cowards who flew the plans into the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and who high jacked the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania all were assimilated within their “society”. They went to bars, worked, etc… for years.
Raff (#7), LOL…
Lets see…
Now if only that had been a bomb…… the precinct would have been blown to bits…
Power hungry ***holes.
14: Not that I condone it or anything, but I wouldn’t call committing suicide for one’s beliefs cowardice.
All joking aside, isn’t the real problem the city for allowing a zombie event happen at all. They would never have a “terrorist dance party” with everyone dressed up as suicide bombers (for all you FOX watchers that would be “homicide bombers.”) How could you spot a real terroist.
What if there was a meteor strike or something and real zombies hit the street eating brains. How would we know who to shoot. We’d have to shoot them all.
This is just plain idiocy on the party planners and the city for not outlawing anything other than total conformity.
What self respecting terrorist is going to dress up like a zombie and go about his /her evil doings with bomb wires sticking out of their bags? For gawd sake!
One group member said the “weapons” were actually backpacks modified to carry a homemade stereos and were jailed without reason. None of the six adults and one juvenile arrested have been charged.
So why were they arrested if there is nothing to charge them with?
“Given the circumstance of them being uncooperative … why would you have those (bags) if not to intimidate people?” said Inspector Janee Harteau. “It’s not a case of (police) overreacting.” …
Kibby said they were cooperative and followed the two officers to the station where they were questioned and eventually loaded into a van and booked into jail.
Looks like a 5th Amendment violation to me. Why do the Police insist on doing crap like this? After paying out big bucks to these kids and then paying the lawyers, how many Police can’t be hired or worn out equipment replaced?
The simple thing is that if there had been a bomb threat, then the bomb disposal unit would have been called. The Police offered nothing in the way of a criminal offense.
Hypothetical question: If a 1000 people were dressed like this and arrested and one of them, just one, had something that would be harmful (biological, chemical, or explosive), then would the arresting of a 1000 people be justified for saving thousands more?
That would depend upon the circumstances. If there was a credible tip that someone carrying a backpack on a city bus had a bomb, maybe. If the Police merely wanted to check those carrying backpacks to see what they were carrying, no. The Police generally need reasonable suspicion in order to search someone.
I would ask first, why the 1000 people were being arrested in the first place?
brains!