Man arrested for shooting traffic camera

yahoo news ^ | 27 Nov 2007 | ap

[Jet Jaguar]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Police have lost red-light cameras to traffic accidents but never to gun play. "This is the first one that's been shot," Capt. Gordon Catlett said of the wounded camera at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Interstate 640 — one of 15 camera-equipped intersections in the city.

Clifford E. Clark, 47, was charged with felony vandalism and reckless endangerment for allegedly firing at least three rounds from a .30-06 hunting rifle at the camera, knocking it out of action.

He was arrested after patrol officers heard shots around 2 a.m. Sunday, spotted a minivan leaving the parking lot of a closed business and pulled it over. Inside they found Clark and the high-powered rifle.

Clark, now facing a $50 fine if convicted and loss of his rifle, refused to say anything about the incident to police, leaving the motive unclear.

Catlett, who oversees the red-light camera program, said 6,798 drivers have been photographed running the red light at Broadway and I-640 and ticketed since the camera was installed in 2006. Clark was not one of them, he said.

[Jet Jaguar]

If nothing else, he appears to be a good shot.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

He only got one? Come on.

[DuncanWaring]

I’m surprised they called it a “hunting rifle” and not a “sniper rifle”.

[EGPWS]

Catlett, who oversees the red-light camera program, said 6,798 drivers have been photographed running the red light at Broadway and I-640 and ticketed since the camera was installed in 2006. Clark was not one of them, he said.

When Lutefisk is outlawed all lutefisk eaters will become outlaws....

[Jet Jaguar]

Tennessee reporting, not NYC.

[Petronski]

I thought snipers relocate after each unsuppressed shot.

[MaxMax]

A good shot? He fired three times. A good sniper never fires more then
once, if only to avoid detection. If he had only fired once maybe the police
wouldn't have found his location so quickly and he would've vanished.

Just a thought.

Oh, and only a 50-dollar fine. Bah, that's nothing. I hope he didn't
become too attached to his rifle though.

[Jet Jaguar]

Depends on the distance and the size of target.

The cameras around here are about 4” x 4”.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

I’d pay $50 for the privilege of shooting out a traffic cam. Too bad about the rifle though.

[#1CTYankee]

"He only got one? Come on."

Dumb ass needs to sneak up under the cover of dark without an auto.

Three shots? send him back to the rifle range with a BB Rifle, preferably a Red Rider. ;-D

You'll shoot your eye out!

[DuncanWaring]

Silly me.

[org.whodat]

If nothing else, he appears to be a good shot.

You on the bottle, it took him three shots!

[org.whodat]

Old Clifford, needs to be taught how to shoot, use a smaller caliber and one shot.

[P8riot]

I’d have used a shotgun

[Jet Jaguar]

Well Put.

[Redcloak]

So what is the bag limit for cameras anyway?

[OldCorps]

..."This is the first one that's been shot," Capt. Gordon Catlett said...

But probably not the last.

[weegee]

Will this permit them to call him a (robo)cop killer?

[upsdriver]

Maybe he will start a trend. Gotta do it with only one shot, though. Three shots with a 30:06 is just not acceptable.