Slog Jun 28, 2011 5:21 AM

AR-15 Left Sitting On Trunk of Seattle Police Car

by Dan Savage

Comments

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.
Vince on June 28, 2011 at 5:38 AM · Report this
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.
Lynx on June 28, 2011 at 5:38 AM · Report this
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.
watchout5 on June 28, 2011 at 5:46 AM · Report this
4
It's a trap!
iagox86 on June 28, 2011 at 6:01 AM · Report this
5
Finders Keepers!
Urgutha Forka on June 28, 2011 at 6:21 AM · Report this
6
What @4 said. That looks like a sting operation to me.
Eric Arrr on June 28, 2011 at 6:24 AM · Report this
7
I mean, bait cars are cool and all, but if you're looking to nail perps with decades-long mandatory minimum sentances, weapons charges are the way to go.
Eric Arrr on June 28, 2011 at 6:28 AM · Report this
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...
BEG on June 28, 2011 at 6:51 AM · Report this
9
@2 i know ...whenever i leave my junk unattended, there's always hell to pay.
reverend dr dj riz on June 28, 2011 at 6:54 AM · Report this
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?
Brooklyn Reader on June 28, 2011 at 6:56 AM · Report this
11
PLEASE!!! Tell me that's Shandy Cobane's car!!! Please!!!!
monkey on June 28, 2011 at 6:56 AM · Report this
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.
Mr. J on June 28, 2011 at 6:57 AM · Report this
13
Or Michele Bachmann =)
Mudkips on June 28, 2011 at 7:14 AM · Report this
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 =)
Mudkips on June 28, 2011 at 7:25 AM · Report this
15
Gil Kerlikowske's back!
DOUG. on June 28, 2011 at 7:47 AM · Report this
16
are_you_fucking_kidding_me.jpg
happy renter on June 28, 2011 at 7:52 AM · Report this
17
@11 yes!
gloomy gus on June 28, 2011 at 7:53 AM · Report this
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.
Bluejay Banana on June 28, 2011 at 7:54 AM · Report this
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.
Action Slacks on June 28, 2011 at 8:06 AM · Report this
20
Wow, that's one embarrassing photo for the SPD. Yikes! Someone's gonna be read the riot act.
lark on June 28, 2011 at 8:22 AM · Report this
21
Maybe it's a prop gun for the film crew of "Speed 3: Shuttle Express".
gloomy gus on June 28, 2011 at 8:39 AM · Report this
22
Excellent prank:
1. Buy a realistic toy gun, preferably an assault rifle.
2. Surreptitiously leave it lying around on the trunk of a parked police car.
3. Passersby shit brix.
4. ???
5. PROFIT!

I'd be tempted to try that, but I am most certainly NOT this guy.
venomlash on June 28, 2011 at 8:42 AM · Report this
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.
jj41243 on June 28, 2011 at 8:43 AM · Report this
24
SPD doing a typically pathetic job.
Swearengen on June 28, 2011 at 8:49 AM · Report this
25
With a mag inserted too. Ruh-row!
Westside forever on June 28, 2011 at 8:49 AM · Report this
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.
tigntink on June 28, 2011 at 8:51 AM · Report this
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.
Soo on June 28, 2011 at 9:15 AM · Report this
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.
on June 28, 2011 at 9:17 AM · Report this
29
Oh ho, it appears multiple news media are suddenly all over this.
Joe Szilagyi on June 28, 2011 at 9:34 AM · Report this
30
It's like still from "Heat".
Supreme Ruler Of The Universe on June 28, 2011 at 9:42 AM · Report this
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.
leek on June 28, 2011 at 9:45 AM · Report this
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.
restlessnative on June 28, 2011 at 10:10 AM · Report this
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.
BEG on June 28, 2011 at 10:21 AM · Report this
34
@restlessnative: What you did there,... I see it! :-D

I'm sure someone's a$$ is in a sling now.
TESC's conservative base on June 28, 2011 at 10:30 AM · Report this
35
@restlessnative: What you did there,... I see it! :-D

I'm sure someone's a$$ is in a sling now.
TESC's conservative base on June 28, 2011 at 10:32 AM · Report this
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.
TESC's conservative base on June 28, 2011 at 10:38 AM · Report this
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
John Horstman on June 28, 2011 at 10:39 AM · Report this
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.
on June 28, 2011 at 11:27 AM · Report this
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 . . .
redwulf25_ci on June 28, 2011 at 11:33 AM · Report this
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).
James Hutchings on June 28, 2011 at 11:44 AM · Report this
41
"Cops" and "sociopaths" are synonyms, and are far more likely to murder someone with that rifle than either anarchists or collectors.
Badgermaster on June 28, 2011 at 11:58 AM · Report this
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.
Sili on June 28, 2011 at 12:07 PM · Report this
43
Only the police should have guns.

They are the only ones responsible and trained enough to use them. Clearly.
on June 28, 2011 at 12:35 PM · Report this
44
Yes, Sili, the Police actually use weapons like this. They are usually secured *in* the trunk, not left lying around atop it.
on June 28, 2011 at 1:17 PM · Report this
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.
MarkA on June 28, 2011 at 1:23 PM · Report this
46
Not all "gun collectors" are thieves...noob.
on June 28, 2011 at 2:01 PM · Report this
47
A collector is likely the last person who would steal a rifle.
on June 28, 2011 at 2:37 PM · Report this
48
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/th…
Lezzy.Minell on June 28, 2011 at 2:41 PM · Report this
49
Yes because a gun collector would be stupid enough to take a rifle sitting on the back of a police car.
on June 28, 2011 at 2:42 PM · Report this
50
Gun collector != thief, asshole.
on June 28, 2011 at 2:45 PM · Report this
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....

kito on June 28, 2011 at 3:41 PM · Report this
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.
bear on June 28, 2011 at 5:52 PM · Report this
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.)
Kitchenwitch on June 28, 2011 at 6:42 PM · Report this
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.
on June 28, 2011 at 7:19 PM · Report this
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.
on June 28, 2011 at 8:07 PM · Report this
56
@54: I agree. Anyone up for making an OH EXPLOITABLE?
venomlash on June 28, 2011 at 8:48 PM · Report this
57
#4 is right. Perversion of justice.
on June 28, 2011 at 9:32 PM · Report this
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
on June 28, 2011 at 10:38 PM · Report this
59
just more KerliCOWski legacy here! some patrol dufus wants to be DRUG CZAR next!
on June 29, 2011 at 2:47 AM · Report this
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'??......
on June 29, 2011 at 7:20 AM · Report this
61
Stranger was first! http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-2…
ilikeu on June 29, 2011 at 9:07 AM · Report this
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.
on June 30, 2011 at 6:42 PM · Report this
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...
on June 30, 2011 at 6:54 PM · Report this
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?
on July 1, 2011 at 6:27 PM · Report this
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.
on July 6, 2011 at 11:12 AM · Report this
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?
on February 9, 2012 at 2:59 PM · Report this
67
The only difference between The Seattle Times and The Stranger is the the sex ads
on March 15, 2013 at 5:02 PM · Report this