Fight with computer brings SWAT team

Daily Camera ^ | January 9, 2003 | Mary Butler

[tarawa]

Fight with computer brings SWAT team
No charges filed after misunderstanding cleared up

By Mary Butler, Camera Staff Writer
January 9, 2003

A 32-year-old Boulder man who had opened his apartment's patio door to enjoy Wednesday's unusually warm weather was later overheard screaming threats and seen waving what appeared to be a handgun, prompting a maintenance worker to call police.

Officers, as a precaution, evacuated the man's apartment building and called SWAT officers to assist in defusing the situation.

It turned out that the man was simply upset at his computer — which he had called a "bitch" he "wanted to kill," police said — and the gun was a plastic pellet gun, not the .45-caliber automatic handgun it was made to resemble.

"It was alarming and concerning and expensive for us, but the man's conduct didn't warrant any criminal charges," Deputy Police Chief Dave Hayes said.

Three people were evacuated from the man's eight-unit building, at 3350 Bridger Trail in the Remington Post condominium complex at the intersection of 30th Street and Iris Avenue.

The 3 p.m. incident was resolved by about 4:30 p.m. The man, whose name wasn't released because he wasn't arrested on suspicion of any crime, was cooperative once police contacted him. Police did not confiscate the pellet gun, but with the man's permission, they took another firearm from his home "for safekeeping."

"He was very surprised, embarrassed and apologetic," Hayes said.

Hundreds of people driving near the housing complex — which is adjacent to banks, a grocery store and the Alterra retirement community — were detoured as police officers directed traffic to keep residents of the complex from going home. Many people watched from sidewalks to find out why SWAT officers were carrying large rifles around the housing complex.

[AdamSelene235]

bump

[lorrainer]

We'll probably be seeing him on one of those lame Apple "Switch" commercials.

Why did they take his other gun for safekeeping?

[Paulus Invictus]

Had to have been a Dell! Or an HP Or a Compaq.

[justshe]

There is only one way to TERMINATE me!

DONATE NOW!

OR........I'LL BE BACK!

Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com Become A Monthly Donor
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

And THANK YOU!

[Bonaparte]

The man missed an opportunity of a lifetime. Could've answered the door and said, "Officer, I did it. I shot the b*tch. Bucked me once to often."

[Poohbah]

A Zenith Z248 that he was trying to run Windoze XP on :o)

[supercat]

Police did not confiscate the pellet gun, but with the man's permission, they took another firearm from his home "for safekeeping."

At least it didn't say the police "recovered" another firearm from the property [which would be the normal newspeak term].

[coloradan]

Police did not confiscate the pellet gun, but with the man's permission, they took another firearm from his home "for safekeeping."

Apparently all it takes these days to be disarmed by the kind Men in Blue is pointing a rubber pellet gun at a contankerous computer. Well, at least in the Socialist Utopia of Boulder, CO (only 85,983 more things to be banned before utopia is finally realized).

[Bonaparte]

A Dell? I love my Dell. Most trouble free computer I've ever owned.

[Ches]

The police took his gun for safe keeping?

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[Hawkeye's Girl]

Hostage down!

[TightSqueeze]

What I really want to know is did they close the friggin' airport?

[gundog]

Maybe this is why Dell supports gun control.

[Ches]

Yeah, we had a kid in my hometown who was blown away for brandishing a butter knife by the local SWAT team (like a town of 6000 really needs a SWAT team). Of course the official report was that he was drug crazed and attacked them. Apparently these big JBTs with all their equipment can't handle a teenager with a butter knife in any other way.

Give them the tools and they're going to use them.

[humblegunner]

Hey, every time I get fragged on QuakeIII I do the same thing!
Freakin' computers!

[x1stcav]

I lived outside of Boulder for about 8 years and this is pretty much a typical over-reaction on the part of the 'Public Safety' apparatus there. A real earth-mother keep-everybody-very-safe-culture.

The county government had a real expropriator mentality.
The city government was simply unbelievable with the mayor in the mid-90's bemoaning the fact that Boulder was becoming too gentrified and what was really needed were more homeless.

The Latimer county line was 2 miles up the road and how I wished I could've moved it.

[Prodigal Son]

Well, it's good to know the SWAT team is on the job and relieved the man of his property for "safekeeping". /sarcasm

[ancient_geezer]

The Latimer county line was 2 miles up the road and how I wished I could've moved it.

"Latimer" County? Easy there wetback, this is Larimer County and we don't want none of them thar Boulder refugees mov'n in up here.

Them Kalifornia ones is bad enough ;0|

Boulder Border Patrol is gitt'n down right tight nowdays.