I thought the argument was that these cartoon figure things looked like they might be explosive devices - not that they looked deceptively harmless The argument works either way.
Either they looked like explosive devices, in which case the police acted properly, or they looked harmless but could have been explosive devices, in which case the police acted properly.
Ted Kazinski put bombs inside of bits of wood. Remember that? A person was nearly killed when he attempted to move what he thought was a bit of scrap lumber.
It turned out to be one of Teds early experiments and IIRC the victim was very seriously injured and lucky to not be mortally wounded.
The folks who dreamed this little 'publicity stunt' up are morons. The ones who they hired to place these devices are morons. They all deserve criminal charges, speedy trials, appropriate prison time, and in a just world a good old fashioned ass whooping.
L
The hoax charges against the two morons probably won't stick. From the
Boston Globe:
As officials haggled over the details of the agreement, Berdovsky, a 27-year-old artist who lived in Arlington until recently, and his friend, Sean Stevens , 28, a self-employed computer consultant from Charlestown, appeared in Charlestown District Court, waving and smiling as they were each arraigned on a felony charge of placing a hoax device in a way that causes panic and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. Both men pleaded not guilty and were released on $2,500 bail. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison on the hoax charge and six months for disorderly conduct.
In the legal community, there was disagreement whether the hoax charge was appropriate because it requires prosecutors to prove the men intended to cause fear. The judge, Paul K. Leary , pointed out that Berdovsky and Stevens say they intended only to participate in an advertising campaign.
"If what they intended to happen is for people to discover the devices and get publicity, then that's not going to be enough to get a conviction," said Boston University law professor David Rossman.
Prosecutors defended their actions. Assistant Attorney General John Grossman said bomb squad members who examined the lighted signs immediately detected three components that suggested the contraptions could be bombs. He said the black signs, about the size of a laptop computer, had what appeared to be a duct-tape wrapped package with a wire running into it and a power source, which would be needed to detonate a bomb.
"The devices looked like bombs " and had an "ominous nature," Grossman said.
Grossman indicated that the investigation is shifting toward the companies and individuals who hired the two men. "We are aware that these defendants are not at the top of the hierarchy here," he said.