Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, June 28, 2011
City / ??!! AR-15 Left Sitting On Trunk of Seattle Police Car
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 5:21 AM
Slog tipper Nick says he spotted this SPD car parked in front of the Roosevelt Hotel on Pine in downtown Seattle last night just after 9 PM. There were no cops in the car, says Nick, no cops on the sidewalk, no cops anywhere. Just a cop car with an assault weapon sitting on the trunk.
"Flagged down bike officers," says Nick, "they were shocked as hell."
Um... good thing it was a Slog tipper—good citizens, all—who happened by and not, you know, a sociopath or an anarchist or a gun collector.
1
The crazies probably have worse, already. But, yeah, this is outrageous and I haven't even heard about this on the news. It's a Savage scoop and shows why The Stranger is Seattle's only newspaper.
2
The license plate is visible on the picture, and this is a very visited website, so me thinks someone is getting their ass dressed down severely this morning.
3
Anyone seen that assault rifle? I pulled it out to look cool and point it at all the hipsters but maybe I left it in that pawn shop OH CHICKEN FUCK THIS I'M HUNGRY. Someone needs a drug test.
8
@2 I had the same thought on noticing the plates front and center... Wonder if we'll ever hear about any followup to that. Really makes me wonder what was going on, whether a massive brain fart or a sting. But then never attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity...
10
Are you sure that thing is an AR-15? I realize it's all pimped out with accessories, but I'm still not seeing it. Maybe it's the angle?
12
I remember Ron Reagan Jr. talking about how he got rid of his secret service detail after a kid in his building turned up with an Uzi they left lying around.
14
Speaking of Michele Bachmann, what is up with that hair? She has a seriously over-sized Something-About-Mary wave going on. Maybe she uses it like a wind sail in order to get to book burnings faster =)
18
@4, 6, 7. It's been a long time since I took Crim pro, but I can guarantee you that if that's a "sting," it qualifies as entrapment in any jurisdiction. Very few things do, but that would.
I feel better about the Dallas PD now. At least they're semi-competent corrupt brutal pricks.
I feel better about the Dallas PD now. At least they're semi-competent corrupt brutal pricks.
19
Paging Rich O'Neil... Paging Rich O'Neil... Mr. O'Neil please pick up the SPOG-o-phone...
Please try and get a statement from him on this one. It should be really, really good.
Please try and get a statement from him on this one. It should be really, really good.
23
Christ, when I was in Afghanistan, if I left my weapon even ten feet away from me, I was going to get *fucked* up.
Maintain accountability of sensitive equipment, piggies.
Maintain accountability of sensitive equipment, piggies.
26
@18 there is a great This American Life episode that deals with a bait car and its been something like 2 years and the people who got baited were still in court. It was a bait car parked in their driveway (or right in front of their house), they called the cops for like a week about it, and finally they opened the door to check for registration or see if they could find some identification to contact the owner.
This is america. You can get thrown in jail with a felony if you video a cop in some states.
This is america. You can get thrown in jail with a felony if you video a cop in some states.
27
If this is not some sort of prank, the police officer who did this should not be dressed down, they should not be read the riot act, they should be fired. Fired. Anything less is unacceptable.
28
what's your pal Jocelyn up to? maybe she can write up a pledge for the police to take about how to treat their assault weapons. you know, something as useful as a second attempt at that nonsensical abortion pledge.
31
It was probably super-glued to the trunk, so the officers hiding out of sight could giggle when people tried to pick it up.
32
If only somebody would invent some sort of strap for carrying your shotgun or rifle when you don't want to use you hands and couldn't otherwise secure it.
33
@32 Maybe something like that strap hanging down almost in front of the car's license plate? An *excellent* idea! It could totally blend in with the gun, too.
36
@Dan Savage:
I might be a lot of things, to include a "gun collector". That doesn't mean I'm a thief.
Gross and unfounded generalizations are gross and unfounded.
I might be a lot of things, to include a "gun collector". That doesn't mean I'm a thief.
Gross and unfounded generalizations are gross and unfounded.
37
"Um... good thing it was a Slog tipper—good citizens, all—who happened by and not, you know, a sociopath or an anarchist or a gun collector."
You don't read the comment threads, do you Dan?
@31: :-D
You don't read the comment threads, do you Dan?
@31: :-D
38
@6 Not a chance this was a sting operation. There's no way that even Seattle police would be stupid enough not to realize what a PR disaster this kind of image would be. They want to appear as professionals, not as stupid, incompetent, and dangerous.
There are other ways to do weapons-related sting operations.
There are other ways to do weapons-related sting operations.
39
So Dan, just because I'm an anarchist I'm a violent nut who's likely to steal an assault weapon (probably to use for violent over throw of the government am I right?)? Maybe try not insulting your readers . . .
40
That's twice you've made anarchists the bad guys when they weren't (the other time was the story about the anarchist cafe).
41
"Cops" and "sociopaths" are synonyms, and are far more likely to murder someone with that rifle than either anarchists or collectors.
42
I take the police actually use weapons like that?
My first thought was that someone had wanted to turn over a found or illegal firearm to the police, but didn't dare go into a station with it. But I suppose that's too naïve to think about the US - at least the idea that firearms could be illegal seems to be.
My first thought was that someone had wanted to turn over a found or illegal firearm to the police, but didn't dare go into a station with it. But I suppose that's too naïve to think about the US - at least the idea that firearms could be illegal seems to be.
43
Only the police should have guns.
They are the only ones responsible and trained enough to use them. Clearly.
They are the only ones responsible and trained enough to use them. Clearly.
44
Yes, Sili, the Police actually use weapons like this. They are usually secured *in* the trunk, not left lying around atop it.
45
Dan, when you are right, you are right. And when you're insulting ignorant prick, you're an insulting ignorant prick. I am not a fan of anarchists, but I know them well enough that they're not inclined to grab such a gun. And I do know a lot of gun collectors, and they wouldn't touch that. First of all, they have more and better, and second, because they are more law abiding than the average cop, or the average newspaper editor.
49
Yes because a gun collector would be stupid enough to take a rifle sitting on the back of a police car.
51
Good catch, Dan,
I really think you should run for mayor....then we can have a little more life to the party, perhaps City Light could just leave extension ladders around, or maybe FD could have a chainsaw fall off the truck every now and then......
Better yet, if vice could misplace a couple of escorts here and there....
I really think you should run for mayor....then we can have a little more life to the party, perhaps City Light could just leave extension ladders around, or maybe FD could have a chainsaw fall off the truck every now and then......
Better yet, if vice could misplace a couple of escorts here and there....
52
God, people. All of you whiney anarchists and gun collectors need to grow some balls to go along with your bullets and anarchist-y things. For people trying to seem tough, you are coming off as silly little boys.
53
How dare you Dan! I'm a sociopath and I would never even THINK of picking up that gun and going on a mad killing spree, crushing the worthless meat bags of this city like ants under my shoe.
(Tee hee. sorry guys, I couldn't resist.)
(Tee hee. sorry guys, I couldn't resist.)
54
Please, somebody use the Photoshop healing tool to clear the rifle off the police car and post the blank image. Then everybody else, please start adding beer kegs, scottie dogs, penguins, Darth Maul dolls, etc. and post them to the "Things SPD Left on their Car" website.
55
Hey! "Open carry" is legal in Washington, much to the surprise of many..even some police. But the police really ought to be more careful, with firearms in their cars. Remember, it was the former Chief of the SPD whose Glock was stolen from his car. That"s the same former CHief who went on to bigger and better things as an "Obama czar", and whose first official pronouncement was the claim the the Mexican drug cartels were obtaining their heavy fire power from American gun shows. I guess he wasn't privy to the fact that our own BATFE was actually one of their principal suppliers.
58
as a gun collecting sociopathic anarchist, i would probably use it to rob a pharmacy of all its opiates and proceed to Kurt Cobain myself into the pages of history
60
Well what does one expect from the 'I'm the only one professional enough to handle this gun' LEOs.
For them it's, "don't do as I do; do as I say"......Don't you all feel safer knowing that we are being protected by the likes of this upstanding 'Professional'??......
For them it's, "don't do as I do; do as I say"......Don't you all feel safer knowing that we are being protected by the likes of this upstanding 'Professional'??......
62
"Um... good thing it was a Slog tipper—good citizens, all—who happened by and not, you know, a sociopath or an anarchist or a gun collector."
Savage, you putz. The last time THIS gun collector came across some Seattle police firepower, I returned it to the police department myself.
The thing about us gun collectors is that we are typically more responsible than people who don't own firearms. We have to be, given our hobby.
Savage, you putz. The last time THIS gun collector came across some Seattle police firepower, I returned it to the police department myself.
The thing about us gun collectors is that we are typically more responsible than people who don't own firearms. We have to be, given our hobby.
63
Sili #42:
You could EASILY go into a police station with that weapon! First, eject the magazine. Second eject the round in the chamber (if there is one). Third, break the weapon down into two pieces by separating the uppers (the part with the barrel) and the lowers (the part with the pistol grip and stock). It's easy, it only takes removing two pins to do it. Once it is broken down you can easily bring it into a police station because it is no longer a functional weapon!
Of course, you'd actually have to KNOW what they hell you are doing to properly do that instead of just sitting on your butt all day long gasping about how the police have big bad black weapons that look all scary (which actually can only fire bullets just as fast as a revolver).
Too bad cops in L.A. didn't several years ago:
http://articles.cnn.com/1997-02-28/us/97…
The police didn't have weapons capable of penetrating the body armor of the assailants and the bad guys kicked their asses for it...
You could EASILY go into a police station with that weapon! First, eject the magazine. Second eject the round in the chamber (if there is one). Third, break the weapon down into two pieces by separating the uppers (the part with the barrel) and the lowers (the part with the pistol grip and stock). It's easy, it only takes removing two pins to do it. Once it is broken down you can easily bring it into a police station because it is no longer a functional weapon!
Of course, you'd actually have to KNOW what they hell you are doing to properly do that instead of just sitting on your butt all day long gasping about how the police have big bad black weapons that look all scary (which actually can only fire bullets just as fast as a revolver).
Too bad cops in L.A. didn't several years ago:
http://articles.cnn.com/1997-02-28/us/97…
The police didn't have weapons capable of penetrating the body armor of the assailants and the bad guys kicked their asses for it...
64
I'm a sociopath/anarchist/weapon collecting histrionic teen girl who would badlands the fuck out of a showing of Tree of Life if I found that. Hey #58, wanna hang out?
65
Since when is a gun collector (law abiding citizen who enjoys collecting guns) put in the same boat as sociopaths and anarchists as opposed to "good citizens"? Who's to say that the people who tipped off the cops WEREN'T gun collectors?
An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man is a subject.
An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man is a subject.
66
It is only an assault rifle if it is an M16, AR15s are not.
But hey, if you call a fish a moose, that makes it a moose right?
But hey, if you call a fish a moose, that makes it a moose right?
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