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Man In Florida Accused Of Trying To Use Potato As Silencer
Local 6 (Florida) ^ | June 3, 2006

Posted on 06/04/2006 3:31:27 AM PDT by Stoat

Man In Florida Accused Of Trying To Use Potato As Silencer

 

POSTED: 11:43 pm EDT June 3, 2006
UPDATED: 11:54 pm EDT June 3, 2006

 

A man is accused of putting a potato on the barrel of a gun, believing the spud would act as a silencer and muffle the shooting of a woman, according to Miami-Dade police.

Police said Shane Thompson carved a hole in a potato with a spoon, stuck his gun inside and threatened to shoot the mother of his child. Thompson reportedly told her that no one would hear the shot, because of the potato's silencing qualities. Police said he never fired the potato-tipped gun, but instead hit the woman several times. Thompson has been charged with false imprisonment, aggravated assault and battery.

While spuds are nutritious, the silencer potato is an urban legend dating to the 1920s. Thompson apparently isn't alone in believing the myth. A Miami-Dade financial advisor was convicted in the early 1990s for shooting one of his clients to death with a gun topped with a potato.

Crime scene technicians found the potato under her body.



TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: bang; banglist; crime; criminals; firearms; florida; guns; potato; silencer; spudgun
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I hadn't heard of this urban legend before, but hopefully the perp will be sent away for a very long time to a place where he will be able to find out firsthand whether the stories about gang rape in prisons are true. I understand that peeling potatoes in prison is a popular pastime, and so hopefully he will be properly educated as to the official, intended uses of our good friend the Spud, Idaho's Pride.

Please be cordially reminded that Free Republic is a family-friendly website, and so any postings of potatoes in an obscene context or in suggestive poses will be instantly reported to the Administrator.

Thank you for your attention.

1 posted on 06/04/2006 3:31:31 AM PDT by Stoat
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To: Stoat
hit the woman several times.

with the potato?

2 posted on 06/04/2006 3:33:52 AM PDT by ZinGirl
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To: Stoat

--I hadn't heard of this urban legend before

I've heard it.


3 posted on 06/04/2006 3:35:06 AM PDT by bkepley
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To: bkepley; Stoat
hmmm...maybe stoat hadn't 'heard' this urban legend before because someone had put a potato around it.

;)

4 posted on 06/04/2006 3:37:02 AM PDT by ZinGirl
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To: Stoat
Potato Gun - more than 300 shots from one potato!
5 posted on 06/04/2006 3:41:00 AM PDT by generalhammond
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To: ZinGirl
with the potato?

Unfortunately, crucial details such as those pertaining to your question were omitted from this woefully short news story.  It is said that the potato was found under the woman's body and so I'm guessing that she was hit with something else, because for her to fall on the object that was used to hit her might be a somewhat difficult maneuver, although that's just my idle musing.

I would imagine also that for an otherwise healthy person to be injured so badly as to cause her to fall unconscious, as is suggested by the story, it would take a fair amount of force.  Such force would, I'm guessing, most likely render a typical potato into a more or less mashed state.

6 posted on 06/04/2006 3:43:09 AM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: generalhammond

I have had several of those whilst engaged in the meanderings of my generally-misspent youth. I have been impressed by their utililty and accuracy and legendary ability to upset any cleanliness-conscious adults in the vicinity.


7 posted on 06/04/2006 3:46:27 AM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Stoat

I think a watermelon or a giant taco would make a good silencer.


8 posted on 06/04/2006 3:47:15 AM PDT by dennisw (We should return to calling them Muhammadans -- Worshippers of Muhammad and maybe Allah)
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To: ZinGirl
hmmm...maybe stoat hadn't 'heard' this urban legend before because someone had put a potato around it.

;)

Perhaps 'silencing' an urban legend is the ten-thousand and first use of our friend the Potato?   :-)

9 posted on 06/04/2006 3:48:38 AM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: dennisw
I think a watermelon or a giant taco would make a good silencer.

I'm thinking that you're definitely onto something, although the testing process would likely be a bit messy.  Furthermore, any thoughts of concealment, particularly with the watermelon option, should be dispensed with at the outset    :-)

10 posted on 06/04/2006 3:51:34 AM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: dennisw

From a CSI episode: How about an empty water bottle?


11 posted on 06/04/2006 3:55:14 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: Stoat

"Is that a watermelon in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"


12 posted on 06/04/2006 3:57:19 AM PDT by Paladin2 (If the political indictment's from Fitz, the jury always acquits.)
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To: Stoat
Please be cordially reminded that Free Republic is a family-friendly website, and so any postings of potatoes in an obscene context or in suggestive poses will be instantly reported to the Administrator.

Your comment is more bizare than the actual news article. I don't even want to know....

13 posted on 06/04/2006 3:58:24 AM PDT by killjoy (Same Shirt, Different Day)
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To: Stoat

The 'potato-silencer' showed up in an episode of the TV series "Shaft" back in the early 70s. On a rifle, no less!


14 posted on 06/04/2006 4:03:44 AM PDT by Grut
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To: Stoat; generalhammond; dennisw
Man In Florida Accused Of Trying To Use Potato As Silencer

.... could have mashed them first.

;-)

15 posted on 06/04/2006 4:07:17 AM PDT by beyond the sea (A nativist rube ..... yep, that's me.... and oh, the Senate and nearly ALL Senators SUCK.)
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To: dennisw

I've heard that in China, the peasant mafia use egg-rolls for this purpose. Of course, I could also be lying.


16 posted on 06/04/2006 4:07:28 AM PDT by Socratic ("I'll have the roast duck with the mango salsa.")
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To: Grut
 

The 'potato-silencer' showed up in an episode of the TV series "Shaft" back in the early 70s. On a rifle, no less!

 

When moviemakers uses silencers (of any sort) on rifles, you just have to roll your eyes and try to avoid thinking about physics.

Can potatoes be regarded as Soul Food?  I honestly don't know

AdvancedSpuds - Potato Gun Silencer - Spud Guns - Your source for spudgun information!

 

17 posted on 06/04/2006 4:13:34 AM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Truth29

Anything that captures the gases and muffles the report of a firearm will reduce the "Signature". The issue is how much.



18 posted on 06/04/2006 4:16:46 AM PDT by Malsua
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To: Stoat
When moviemakers uses silencers (of any sort) on rifles...

My favorite is in books, where somebody slips the safety of his silenced .44 Magnum off....

19 posted on 06/04/2006 4:21:08 AM PDT by Grut
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To: All
FYI..

 

There exists a Spudgun / Potato Gun webring on the internet (I am reminding myself that there is most likely a webring pertaining to ANYTHING).

It's a ring of enthusiasts who view potatoes not so much as food items, but as projectiles.  Here is the spud cannon webring home page

WebRing hub

 

20 posted on 06/04/2006 4:21:24 AM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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