Darwin Award Winner of 2005?

[BillyVance 35]

Darwin Award still keeps getting winners (or losers) I
think this is the KING. We may have a Darwin winner and so early in the year... This one might be a repost as it reportedly happened over a month ago...

The following mind-boggling attempt at a crime spree in Washington, USA, appeared to be the robber's first (and last), due to his lack of a previous
record of violence, and his terminally stupid choices:

1. His target was H&J Leather & Firearms. A gun shop specializing in handguns.

2. The shop was full of customers - firearms customers.

3. To enter the shop, the robber had to step around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door.

4. A uniformed officer was standing at the counter, having coffee before work. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and
fired a few wild shots from a .22 target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, the police officer with a 9mm Glock 17, the clerk with a .50 Desert Eagle, assisted by several customers who also drew their guns, several of whom also fired, The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified
rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt in the exchange of fire.

Here we are at the beginning of March and we already may have the 2005 winner of the Darwin Award. This guy is going to be hard to beat. What a fookin' dumbass!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Jimbo 0]

http://www.snopes.com/crime/dumdum/gunshop.asp

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[mr2mk1g 10]

Could'a sworn this one did the rounds a couple of years ago...

[BillyVance 35]

You know, you're probably right... I have seen similar stories like this before... now why didn't I think of that before posting...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[mr2mk1g 10]

Still it's good for a chuckle at least.

[BillyVance 35]

Quote

Still it's good for a chuckle at least.

Yeah, like the grandma shooting her granddaughter's rapist in the balls in Australia story (also found in Snopes)... Just one of those too good to be true but can't help believe it at first and laugh...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[mr2mk1g 10]

My fav's the JATO STOL rockets on the back of an Impala... shame the author(s) go overboard and make it seem totally implausible in the end.

[Guest]

Quote

http://www.snopes.com/crime/dumdum/gunshop.asp

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Jim

I'm blocked from Snopes at work (along with just about the rest of the Internet ). What does it say about that story?

mh

.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[BillyVance 35]

Quote

Quote

http://www.snopes.com/crime/dumdum/gunshop.asp

-
Jim

I'm blocked from Snopes at work (along with just about the rest of the Internet ). What does it say about that story?

mh

Well, I'll be damned... I looked at Snopes, and it says the story is true... I just assumed because seeing the Snopes url posted here that the story was false... I cut and pasted the report below....

++++++++++++++++++++++

Origins: Often, the various "dumb criminals" stories that come our way prove to be little more than fiction. This tale is an exception, in that it is relatively accurate, although some details of the event have been altered by whoever penned the "Darwin Awards" account chronicling it.

On 3 February 1990, David Zaback attempted to hold up H&J Leather & Firearms Ltd., a gun shop located in Renton Highlands near Seattle, Washington. About 4:40 p.m. that day, he entered the crowded shop and announced his intention to rob it by telling everyone to put their hands on the counter and saying if anybody moved, he'd kill them. He then spotted a uniformed policeman having coffee with Wendall Woodall, the shop's owner. What happened next is less than clear in terms of who shot first, but there was an exchange of gunfire between David Zaback, the would-be robber; Timothy Lally, an 18-year veteran of the King County police force; and Danny Morris, one of the shop's clerks.

Zaback, who had fired three times, was shot three times in the chest and once in the arm. He died in the hospital about four hours after the shooting. No one else was injured during the incident, and no charges were subsequently laid against Lally or Morris.

The e-mailed narrative holds up as a news item for the most part, but some of its elements have been altered to make for better storytelling.
Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a .22 target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, the police officer with a 9mm Glock 17, the clerk with a .50 Desert Eagle, assisted by several customers who also drew their guns, several of whom also fired.
Although the Darwinized account presents the encounter in the humorous light of a hapless robber waving a pop gun being felled in a hail of bullets by a mass of heavily-armed gun shop patrons, that wasn't precisely the way of it. Zaback's weapon was a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol, not the .22 target pistol of the e-mailed account. The clerk, Morris, fired a 10mm semiautomatic pistol, not a .50 Desert Eagle, and the policeman, Lally, fired a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. As for the participation of others, according to Renton police Capt. Don Persson, although several other customers had guns and pulled them, they did not shoot — the only ones involved in the exchange of lead were Zaback, Lally, and Morris.
The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons.
It's unclear how many shots were fired, in part because some of the suspect's shots struck ammunition on a counter, causing the ammunition to explode. "There were slugs all over that place," Persson said. As for Zaback, he died with four wounds in him, one in the arm and three in the chest, not the 23 wounds claimed in the colorized account.

Yet one item of the Darwinized version one would otherwise suspect to have been the product of overwriting does indeed hold up: Renton police Capt. Don Persson said, "The surprising thing is that the man had to walk right past a marked police car to get in the front door."

Barbara "red light district" Mikkelson

Last updated: 25 March 2005

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Gravitymaster 0]

Origins: Often, the various "dumb criminals" stories that come our way prove to be little more than fiction. This tale is an exception, in that it is relatively accurate, although some details of the event have been altered by whoever penned the "Darwin Awards" account chronicling it.

On 3 February 1990, David Zaback attempted to hold up H&J Leather & Firearms Ltd., a gun shop located in Renton Highlands near Seattle, Washington. About 4:40 p.m. that day, he entered the crowded shop and announced his intention to rob it by telling everyone to put their hands on the counter and saying if anybody moved, he'd kill them. He then spotted a uniformed policeman having coffee with Wendall Woodall, the shop's owner. What happened next is less than clear in terms of who shot first, but there was an exchange of gunfire between David Zaback, the would-be robber; Timothy Lally, an 18-year veteran of the King County police force; and Danny Morris, one of the shop's clerks.

Zaback, who had fired three times, was shot three times in the chest and once in the arm. He died in the hospital about four hours after the shooting. No one else was injured during the incident, and no charges were subsequently laid against Lally or Morris.

The e-mailed narrative holds up as a news item for the most part, but some of its elements have been altered to make for better storytelling.
Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a .22 target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, the police officer with a 9mm Glock 17, the clerk with a .50 Desert Eagle, assisted by several customers who also drew their guns, several of whom also fired.
Although the Darwinized account presents the encounter in the humorous light of a hapless robber waving a pop gun being felled in a hail of bullets by a mass of heavily-armed gun shop patrons, that wasn't precisely the way of it. Zaback's weapon was a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol, not the .22 target pistol of the e-mailed account. The clerk, Morris, fired a 10mm semiautomatic pistol, not a .50 Desert Eagle, and the policeman, Lally, fired a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. As for the participation of others, according to Renton police Capt. Don Persson, although several other customers had guns and pulled them, they did not shoot — the only ones involved in the exchange of lead were Zaback, Lally, and Morris.
The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons.
It's unclear how many shots were fired, in part because some of the suspect's shots struck ammunition on a counter, causing the ammunition to explode. "There were slugs all over that place," Persson said. As for Zaback, he died with four wounds in him, one in the arm and three in the chest, not the 23 wounds claimed in the colorized account.

Yet one item of the Darwinized version one would otherwise suspect to have been the product of overwriting does indeed hold up: Renton police Capt. Don Persson said, "The surprising thing is that the man had to walk right past a marked police car to get in the front door."

Barbara "red light district" Mikkelson

Last updated: 25 March 2005

[BillyVance 35]

LOL beat ya to it!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[chuckbrown 0]

While this doesn't involve death, this guy's undoubtedly a candidate for a future award.
------------------------------------------------------------
Smelly Money Lands Indiana Man in Jail

Published: Apr 07, 2005 7:48 AM EST
GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) - A man who went to the sheriff's department to bond out his brother-in-law also ended up in jail when police realized the money he handed them reeked of marijuana.


Timothy Richards, 45, of Columbus, went to the Decatur County Sheriff's Department and when he handed dispatcher Julie Meyers $400, she counted it and then noticed something unusual.

"When I walked back toward the jail I noticed the money was damp and smelled funny," Meyers said.

A jailer who sniffed the money told her it smelled like marijuana, she said.

Indiana State Trooper Chip Ayers was nearby and asked for the money, she said. He smelled it and then asked Richards for consent to search him and his car, Meyers said.

Ayers found a pipe and a small amount of marijuana and charged Richards with possession. If convicted, he could face six months to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Richards remained in jail for several hours Tuesday — until his brother-in-law made bail and came back to pay his own $250 bond.

©2005 The Associated Press

[Kennedy 0]

OK, so he was the Darwincandidate for 1990, not 2005. OK.

I still have one problem with the snopes article.

Quote

quote]The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons.

It's unclear how many shots were fired, in part because some of the suspect's shots struck ammunition on a counter, causing the ammunition to explode. "There were slugs all over that place," Persson said. As for Zaback, he died with four wounds in him, one in the arm and three in the chest, not the 23 wounds claimed in the colorized account.

Ammunition does not explode. Modern gun powder is not an explosive, it is only combustible. It burns, not booms. Additionally, if the ammunition was hit is sucha way that it "fired," the bullets would not travel far. With no chamber to support the casing, and no barelt to direct the bullt, the casing simply pops and deforms, leving the bullet to fall inches away. Finally, a single round striking a box might set of two or three. Firing enough to justify "There were slugs all over that place," is higly unlikely.

-----
I am basing this post on personal experience and studies and videos done by SAAMI for firefighters and trucking companies. There's a reason shipping ammunition doesn't require any tags other than flammable on the truck.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[billvon 3,120]

>Ammunition does not explode.

I bet if you put a round into a box of ammo, the contents would end up dispersed over quite a wide area. I've dropped glass bottles and had them explode. No explosives involved, but still quite a mess over a very large area.

[Kennedy 0]

Actually, we lit a bunson burner's big brother under a fifty round box, the box on a metal plate about three feet off the ground. (I don't remember how hot the plate was when things started popping) At the end of the test everything was within a five to six foot radius, including packing materials.

ps - technically calling your bottle break an explosion is incorrec - just ask kallend.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

While this doesn't involve death, this guy's undoubtedly a candidate for a future award.
------------------------------------------------------------
Smelly Money Lands Indiana Man in Jail

Published: Apr 07, 2005 7:48 AM EST
GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) - A man who went to the sheriff's department to bond out his brother-in-law also ended up in jail when police realized the money he handed them reeked of marijuana.


Timothy Richards, 45, of Columbus, went to the Decatur County Sheriff's Department and when he handed dispatcher Julie Meyers $400, she counted it and then noticed something unusual.

"When I walked back toward the jail I noticed the money was damp and smelled funny," Meyers said.

A jailer who sniffed the money told her it smelled like marijuana, she said.

Indiana State Trooper Chip Ayers was nearby and asked for the money, she said. He smelled it and then asked Richards for consent to search him and his car, Meyers said.

Ayers found a pipe and a small amount of marijuana and charged Richards with possession. If convicted, he could face six months to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Richards remained in jail for several hours Tuesday — until his brother-in-law made bail and came back to pay his own $250 bond.

©2005 The Associated Press

Why are people so stupid that they consent to a search when they know they have something illegal? Maybe it was because he was too stoned to understand what the consequences would be.

[Casurf1978 0]

Quote

Ammunition does not explode. Modern gun powder is not an explosive, it is only combustible.

Are you sure about that. In chem class while going over the reaction of gunpowder we classified it as Low-order explosives (LE). Also gun powder deflagrates which is a rapid form of combustion. TNT detonates which is instantaneous combustion. If gunpowder was not an explosive it would not have been used as a propellant for weapons throughout history.

edited for spelling and one typo.

[SpeedRacer 1]

"Look, Ma! Gun Nerds!"

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[kelpdiver 2]

This sort of thing has happened more than once, and is usually a form of suicide.

[Kennedy 0]

The original gun powder of Bacon was an explosive. What is commonly called blackpowder is an expolosive. Modern gunpowder is combustible. I believe the primer in a cartridge is an explosive (though I could be wrong), but the powder is not.

I'm also fairly sure the ATF does not classify gunpowder as an exposive. (though we all know they don't know shit anyway)

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

Quote

Ammunition does not explode. Modern gun powder is not an explosive, it is only combustible.

Are you sure about that. In chem class while going over the reaction of gunpowder we classified it as Low-order explosives (LE). Also gun powder deflagrates which is a rapid form of combustion. TNT detonates which is instantaneous combustion. If gunpowder was not an explosive it would not have been used as a propellant for weapons throughout history.

edited for spelling and one typo.

Firing a bullet is a controlled and DIRECTED explosion (1 dimension - and not so much of an explosion as more of a rapid energy release resulting in a pressure buildup in a contained volume). A bullet just sitting there will expend the energy/pressure in 3 dimensions. Do the math - not much is going anywhere. The slug itself will travel the least distance at the lowest velocity as it's the most massive element.

edit: funny how people tend to think of the little things as "mini grenades" - very far from the truth

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants