From My Cold Dead Hands!
Where's Bill?
Posted on 04/08/2006 6:22:52 AM PDT by Dane
Masked Swordsman Arrested
By GABE WELLS and MICHELLE BLUM
WHEELING — A man wearing a Halloween mask and swinging a sword in the middle of Main Street Friday morning slowed traffic and drew stares, but the incident ended abruptly when the allegedly drunken swordsman was taken into custody by Wheeling police.
Rickey A. Britton, 21, of 82 Virginia St., Wheeling, was arrested for brandishing a weapon shortly after 9:22 a.m. Friday in the 600 block of Main Street after police received a report of a man wearing a mask standing in the middle of the street swinging a sword.
Wheeling police recovered a sword with a 2 1/2 foot-long blade and a 10-inch-long hilt as well as a clown mask at a nearby residence.
Britton’s arraignment before Ohio County Magistrate Charles Murphy was delayed until later Friday, but details of the proceeding were unavailable. Murphy refused to arraign Britton shortly after his arrest, noting Britton was too intoxicated. As a result, Britton was taken to the Northern Regional Jail pending arraignment.
A North Wheeling resident said Britton had been seen with his friends in the rear of a neighborhood apartment building swinging swords, while another resident said the man has been seen in the neighborhood with an ax.
According to one neighborhood resident, Britton walked into the street wearing a skeleton mask that had long, black hair. He said Britton entered an apartment building when he saw police arrive at the scene, but he was quickly brought out of the building by officers, who also recovered the mask and the sword.
Gary Weekley, a resident of the neighborhood, saw the incident.
“He was in the middle of the street swinging the sword around,” Weekley said. “A UPS truck came down the street and had to stop. ... He smelled like booze. One of his buddies tried to pull him back inside, but he ignored him.”
Reports indicate when officers arrived at the scene, witnesses directed them to a residence, where they found the mask lying on a bed and two males, one of whom was Britton, sitting on a couch. Officers said the sword was found mounted on a wall.
Officers said Britton appeared to be intoxicated with a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath. He later told officers he had been drinking gin all morning.
According to reports, a witness told officers he was driving south in the 600 block of Main Street when he saw a man wearing a clown mask swinging a large sword at passing vehicles. Another man said he saw a young man wearing a mask running into the street several times, carrying a sword and stopping traffic. The second witness said the man took off the mask and asked him if he had watched the movie, “Excalibur.”
Been there. Done that.
zoro bump
I used to see the midnight cowboys standing out in the middle of 7th and west tenth in NYC when I worked the clubs there in the 60's, dressed up in leathers or whatever and usually brandishing some kind of similar weaponry...swords, boathooks or whatever....usually harmless and looking to attract those of similar sexual ilk.
Where's Bill?
That's a really specific law.
Blasted on gin at 9am. I raise my glass . . . .
Fully Clothed Drunken Swordsman ping
Yes. This has happened more than once -- not only to Zorro, but also to Batman.
And, for whatever reason Seargent Garcia {Zorro}, and other authorities {Batman} never seem to think of removing the mask.
But the real question...Did the caped crusader in the story escape? And how?
Boys will be boys.
You seem disappointed.
Yeah, If only he'd been there BEFORE 9:22 AM, he'd have been OK.
I wonder if he was wearing one of those long black "duster" coats like Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix"?
Curses! Ze Alacalde, he hasss captured Zorro!
Oh, now I get it.
That will do it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.