[skeptoid]

Another confidence-building incident that makes us proud of all LEO's.

I shouldn't be so sarcastic; I wasn't there.

[arthurus]

What caliber is the gun the fellow is carrying in that picture?

[VanDeKoik]

I had a similar, but not as severe, as a teen and amateur astronomer. In that case the officer just shined a light from his car at me, and did apologize after seeing it was a lanky nerd with a scope.

In his defense there were a couple of gun shot sounds that went off about 30 mins before, that I heard and brushed off because I wasn’t going to pass on a clear night. Teen astronomy nerds are hard-core like that, yo.

[woofie]

If you look carefully at the criminal’s picture you will see the word “paintball” posted on the trunk of his car....obviously some kind of cult member who has done this before

[Mad Dawgg]

The mistook that for a gun?

Maybe a mortar or a cannon, but a gun?

[Lion Den Dan]

Even if the boys had a rifle and “tactical” vest (what ever that is), they were breaking no laws. Tyhose cops need shooting and fire the survivors. They are a hazard to the community.

[jaydubya2]

Levi Joraanstad and Colin Waldera were setting up the large device to take pictures of the moon behind their apartment's garage on Dakota Dr. N when they were blinded by a bright light and told to stop moving.

But because they couldn't see who was shining the light at them, they thought it was all a dumb joke.

Authorities say an officer patrolling the area had spotted the two out of the corner of his eye, and thought Joraanstad's dark colored sweater with white lettering on the back looked like a tactical vest and that he might be carrying a rifle.

He checked area agencies to make sure none had any operations going on before he called for backup.

Three or four officers made verbal contact.

Joraanstad says what was especially frightening was what could have happened, he says the two originally thought the whole thing was a prank by some neighboring college students they had talked to earlier and continued digging in their bags - ignoring the officers shouting.

"I was kind of fumbling around with my stuff and my roommate and I were kind of talking, we were kind of wondering, what the heck's going on?" said NDSU junior Levi Joraanstad. "This is pretty dumb that these guys are doing this. And then they started shouting to quit moving or we could be shot. And so at that moment we kind of look at each other and we're thinking we better take this seriously."

Police say the two were never in any danger and that it was a situation of "better safe than sorry."

Joraanstad says the officers were very apologetic when they realized their mistake, and that they explained what had happened.

SWAT was not called in.

[colorado tanker]

I guess they went to a Kolluge where there were no telescopes?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

“Police say the two were never in any danger and that it was a situation of “better safe than sorry.” “

Being within a second or two of being shot to death is not my idea of “never being in danger.”

If the officer mistook their sweaters for tactical vests, what does this mean to a police officer that might have to shoot? I’m thinking, “Aim for the head”.

[PLMerite]

Chinese Type 79 anti-tank missile launcher:

I could see that mistake being made.

[rigelkentaurus]

that is a fully auto telescope - nothing semi-auto about that model

[Ozark Tom]

Confused civilian scope with this:

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54b7f444ecad043a7bce645a-1200-1715/navy_laser_how_it_works.jpg

[CurlyDave]

Telescopes are considered weapons by ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations).

Personally, I think this is a correct classification due to the military usefulness of telescopes, binoculars, and especially space-based telescopes.

OTOH, I very much doubt that Law Enforcement in Fargo was thinking of ITAR at the time.