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Man Charged With Filing False Report of Seeing Sniper on Suburban Washington Roof
ap ^ | 10/13/02

Posted on 10/13/2002 7:34:05 PM PDT by knak

STAFFORD, Va. (AP) - A fast-food restaurant manager was arrested Sunday for allegedly reporting a rooftop sniper in an attempt to get a day off from work, sheriff's deputies said.

Stafford County authorities closed a milelong stretch of highway and evacuated at least five businesses in response to the 911 call, Sheriff Charles Jett said.

Deputes traced the call to Richard L. Jones, 25, manager of the Burger King in the plaza where the gunman was reported, Jett said.

The sheriff said Jones told authorities he made the call because he was living out of his car and wanted the day off to find a place to live.

Stafford is between Manassas and Fredericksburg, two communities that in the past four days have recorded killings linked the suburban Washington, D.C., serial sniper.

A gunman has shot at 10 people, killing eight, in suburban Washington since Oct. 2.

Jones was charged under a new state law aimed at stopping terrorism hoaxes. The statute makes it a felony to falsely report a possible terrorist act with the intent to "intimidate or panic the civil population or compel evacuation," Jett said.

Deputies also charged Jones with filing a false police report and obstruction of justice.

Jones was jailed without bond Sunday night. A court date was not immediately set.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS:
What a jerk.
1 posted on 10/13/2002 7:34:05 PM PDT by knak
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To: knak
Well at least he found a place to live.
2 posted on 10/13/2002 7:37:20 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: knak
Leave it to a Burger King employee to tell a Whopper.
3 posted on 10/13/2002 7:38:13 PM PDT by JennysCool
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To: LibWhacker
you beat me to it!
4 posted on 10/13/2002 7:41:36 PM PDT by Mary's Child
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To: knak
I've done some things I'm not proud of to get a day off work, but this dude really crossed the line.
5 posted on 10/13/2002 7:42:09 PM PDT by Welsh Rabbit
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To: knak
Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special snipers don't upset us, have it your way at Burger king?BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
6 posted on 10/13/2002 7:43:54 PM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: JennysCool
LOL...good one.
7 posted on 10/13/2002 7:49:00 PM PDT by shiva
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To: knak
Jones was charged under a new state law aimed at stopping terrorism hoaxes. The statute makes it a felony to falsely report a possible terrorist act with the intent to "intimidate or panic the civil population or compel evacuation," Jett said.

I guess this moron doesn't pay attention to state politics and current legal affairs. Plus he should know in these modern times, there is virtually no call that can't be traced. What a dullard.
8 posted on 10/13/2002 7:55:12 PM PDT by Welsh Rabbit
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To: Welsh Rabbit
The good thing is this opens up a honest paying job for Jesse Jackson.
9 posted on 10/13/2002 8:10:32 PM PDT by Callahan
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To: LibWhacker
LOL.... true enough... now, they should grill him until he tells all he knows...
10 posted on 10/13/2002 8:10:47 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: knak
Great. Now people will be afraid to report suspicious people and actions, for fear of being arrested.
11 posted on 10/13/2002 8:20:59 PM PDT by proxy_user
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To: proxy_user
It looks as though when he saw the upheaval it caused, he had a huge rush of remorse and confessed to the prank. This would not happen with someone who had a genuine suspicion.
12 posted on 10/13/2002 9:08:20 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: knak
A fast-food restaurant manager was arrested Sunday for allegedly reporting a rooftop sniper in an attempt to get a day off from work, sheriff's deputies said.

I think he'll be getting a nice vacation from his job.

13 posted on 10/13/2002 9:12:40 PM PDT by john in missouri
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To: LibWhacker
What color was the van he was living in.
I hope they search under all the burger wrappers.
14 posted on 10/13/2002 11:41:00 PM PDT by battlegearboat
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