Posted on 10/04/2011 5:44:58 AM PDT by lwd
A passing motorist on Organ Church Road called 911 Monday morning after seeing what appeared to be a bloody body pinned under a lawn mower.
But authorities quickly learned that the body was actually a graphic Halloween decoration placed near the road by a neighbor.
“It wasn’t too long after we dispatched a call that we found out it was a Halloween decoration,” said 911 center shift supervisor Autumn Davis.
The attention-grabbing gag, set up in the yard at 3475 Organ Church Road near Rockwell, wasn’t surrounded by any other Halloween decorations on Monday. The set-up depicts a body with bloodstained jeans trapped under the blades of a riding lawn mower, with a can of beer in its hand.
Chris Deaton, the man behind the mower, said this is his second year with the decoration, and said he did it because it got great reviews last year.
“It’s cool for a Halloween ornament,” he said.
Deaton said he hadn’t been contacted by authorities or passing motorists, but he didn’t think the decoration was offending anyone.
He got the idea from someone else’s yard, Deaton said, while traveling to the beach one year.
Last year, Deaton kept the mower closer to the house, so only those on his driveway could see it.
This year, though, he wanted to try it closer to the road.
Deaton said he hasn’t put any other Halloween decorations around the mower because he figures it’s going to get stolen and he doesn’t want anything else taken.
“That’s the only thing it’s good for,” Deaton said about the mower, which no longer has a working motor in it.
“It’s probably going to be stolen and sold for scrap metal,” he said.
I’m surprised a SWAT team didn’t show up and raid his home followed by charges of inducing panic and obstruction of justice.
I despise Halloween.
Why is that even a consideration?
It used to be fun.
My mother called it “the devil’s holiday”, even 30 years ago, and it has seriously gotten to be just that.
I don’t enjoy it a bit anymore. Our church has a “fall bonfire” for all the families to attend, and it is a good time.
Halloween is evil, and this is just one of the reasons. People who “decorate” like this need to be fined for creating a public nuisance, faking an emergency situation, or whatever.
I remember a story last year or the year before, about an actual dead body that was ignored because people just assumed it was a Halloween decoration.
Curious as to whether FReepers think this type of display is okay and whether they would be equally okay if someone were to set up a displaying portraying graphic sex in their front yard.
Isn’t the bleedin’ holiday 4 weeks away? Some people need to grow up and get a life.
So you'd be okay if someone put up a display of graphic sex in their front yard?
It also reminds me of the Sarah Palin effigy and the discussion we had about that in 2008.
I’m right there with you. I don’t know what happened to the little kids holiday it used to be. (im almost 50) Now it is a demonic drunken brawl. Count me out.
“People who decorate like this need to be fined for creating a public nuisance...”
IMHO, if it is this man’s property then he should be allowed to decorate how he wants. Do I like the decoration? No, it isn’t my cup of tea (we stick to pumpkins, Indian corn, hay bales etc). I may have agreed with your disdain up until about five years ago when several neighbors complained to our Civic Association that “manger” scenes shouldn’t be displayed on front lawns. It “offended” some liberal Jewish families/Atheists families. Once the door opens and someone slams their foot into it and regulated Halloween... believe me, Christmas and Easter will be next.
I hope you removed all the scratchy bark from that stick.
I’m surprised a SWAT team didn’t show up and raid his home followed by charges of inducing panic and obstruction of justice.
And shoot his dog. You forgot that part.
Whatever happened to witches, ghosts and goblins? How did Halloween come to be a day to celebrate knife-wielding serial killers?
You forgot "shoot the dog" and "taser Grandma"... ;-)
“Whatever happened to witches, ghosts and goblins?”
There is a % of the population that wants those decorations banned as well. I see it as “to each his own” moment. No, I don’t like realistic looking decorations like this (and we wouldn’t trick or treat at this house). However, he owns the property and pays the taxes on it. It isn’t any different to me then a neighbor who puts a noose on a tree. He got a visit from the local cops who said it was “racially offensive”. Thought police start with small incidents and then they go wild with restrictions IMHO.
I get a kick out of halloween, it’s cool driving around to see the neat creativity people do around their houses. Not far from me a guy decorates his entire yard and top of his house each year. What I can’t figure out is where he stores all his stuff. His theme is usually a toxic waste facility with marked 50 gallon drums and zombies.....LOL!
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.