Posted on 03/24/2006 12:04:47 PM PST by Supernatural
A worker at a Downtown steam plant who brought a pellet rifle to work to shoot pigeons was mistaken for a sniper Wednesday afternoon, prompting police to shut down part of the city for about two hours.
Richard Wills, of Dawson, Fayette County, a maintenance worker in the Pittsburgh Allegheny County Thermal building, brought the weapon to work to chase pigeons away from broken windows on the building's roof, said PACT President Robert Fazio. Someone apparently spotted him - and his rifle - when he stepped out onto the roof for a few seconds, Fazio said.
At least three witnesses called police, claiming they saw a sniper atop a Penn Avenue building, sparking a two-hour shutdown of several city blocks and a brief manhunt by the city Police Bureau's most heavily armed officers. Police arrived on the scene shortly after 1 p.m., stunning lunchtime crowds as they set up a command center in Fifth Avenue Place and blocked off parts of Penn Avenue, Stanwix Street, Liberty Avenue and highway ramps into the Golden Triangle.
A police officer standing guard outside the door of a Penn Avenue restaurant gave bar manager Carie Wakinekona a terse and troubling answer when she asked him about the massive police presence. "Guy with a rifle," he said. The news traveled fast.
For rest of article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_435980.html
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
Perfect poem!
We should e-mail it to the Mayor of Pittsburgh and the Chief of Police. LOL!
Well be my guest. I officially declare that little ditty public domain!
I'll see if I can find their e-mail addresses on the web...
www.morefirepowerthensense.com
How true!
Yea, it's true. These clowns get all this stuff and they suddently forget that about 99 times out of 100, they'll never need it.
This case is a classic example where ONE officer with a gun and a badge would have been quite sufficient.
Oh the Horror. Oh the Humanity.
At least it wasn't a Super Soaker!
Heck, they would have had to call out the National Guard and the tanks.
You're a funny guy, Gato. LOL
This guy sounds like he was the designated pigeon shooter to me.
Did anybody from the company call in? I doubt it. No need to.
The pellet gun was probably in a soft case when he brought it to work. Some cases are pretty plain.
~ Blue Jays ~
It made "Da Mayor" feel better. It's all about feelings and perception. Facts be blasted.
I had the bottom of the line Daisy when I was a kid. A spring operated BB gun. Same basic design as the Red Ryder, but cheaper. I could put a BB through one wall of a steel beer can from 5 or 10 yards. My cousin had a "pump", but steel spring operated, which would put one through both sides of that steel can. (Not the aluminum cans we have today, steel). All you have to do is keep 'em properly oiled
A mere BB gun can and will kill pigeon from close range. A good pellet gun is murder on 'em.
I've known people who think they are tasty.
My Dad used to raise show pigeons. He'd take his culls to the needy old folks, who were darn happy to get 'em. Way better than cat food, or horse meat even.
Quackenbush Air Guns: High power airguns suitable for hunting
Singing at the top of your lungs again, huh?
Holy smokes, that is impressive. My intention is to smack feral cats in the butt and convince them hunting pretty songbirds on my property isn't worth the sharp pain in the rump. Something tells me that those air rifles pictured above are going to have a fairly significant auditory report...which might get my suburban neighbors all worked into a froth! Very cool.
~ Blue Jays ~
hehe!
Same sort of thing is happening in New York State, as the cancer (aka, New York City) has started to spread outward into the countryside. :-(
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