Wow... just Wow

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OAKTOWN

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/article?f=/c/a/2008/01/13/BA4MUE050.DTL

The new year kicked off memorably for Donald Burnette and his wife, Deborah Martin, when they were awakened by the sound of someone kicking in the back door of their third-story apartment in San Francisco's Upper Haight about 1 a.m. Jan. 1.

Standing in the kitchen of the Stanyan Street flat was a vision out of a sci-fi comic book: a guy in his early 20s whose body, boots and gloves were studded with spikes, some more than an inch long.

"I'm being chased," the Studded One announced.

Burnette wasn't interested in providing refuge. He dialed 911 to report a break-in - but to his surprise, the dispatcher asked to talk with the intruder.

The guy with the spikes told the dispatcher he had been chased three blocks by four guys he'd tried to panhandle, had jumped three fences and had run up the back stairs of Burnette's building to get away.

With that, Mr. Studs hung up.

"I expected the cops to come through the door at any second," Burnette said. Instead, the minutes just kept ticking by, with the guy refusing to leave.

"I didn't know what to do," Burnette said. "I got my wife out of the house and just did my best to keep things calm."

In fact, Burnette's wife went downstairs to look for the cops. "I saw a black-and-white drive by and not stop," she said. (Apparently there was trouble at a bar just up the street as well.)

After about 10 minutes, 911 dispatch called back to see if police had arrived. They hadn't, and the intruder was still in the kitchen.

More time passed. Burnette called 911 again, and was told that there was a police cruiser about half a block away, but that it had gotten a flat tire.

The dispatcher suggested that Burnette go down the street and get the cops himself.

"When I got there, I asked the cops what they were doing," Burnette said. "One of the cops said, 'Can't you see we're changing a tire?' "

After some heated words, one of the officers - who thought someone else had responded to the call - finally arrived at the apartment and confronted the intruder.

He turned out to be a homeless guy from Florida. But because he hadn't stolen anything, Burnette said, the cop told him that the best he could do was book Studman for misdemeanor trespassing and vandalism.

The officer explained, however, that because the Stud was homeless, chances were nothing would come of the charges, Burnette said.

The officer did manage to get the guy to leave.

Park Station Capt. John Ehrlich confirmed the tale. He chalked up the confusion to the fact that it was New Year's Eve, a night when cops are besieged by calls.

Ehrlich denied, however, that the officer had told Burnette that nothing would come of arresting the guy.

"These were experienced and professional cops," the captain said. "They wouldn't say something like that."

Funny - we hear things like that from experienced cops all the time.

Just another reminder you're on your own. Good thing for SF residents the handgun ban went down in flames.:neener:
 
Reminds me of the guy who called 911 to report a burglary in progress - Someone was breaking into his tool shed. The dispatcher told him that no units were available to respond at the time, so he hung up. A few minutes later, he called back to tell the cops not to hurry any more, because he'd shot both suspects and they weren't going anywhere. Within two minutes there were multiple cruisers, a helicopter, and tactical response unit on scene. They found the two burglars unharmed and took them into custody. When one of the officers asked the resident "We thought you said you shot them?", he replied "I thought you said no one was available!"...

You kick my door in when I'm home, you get shot at. I'm not waiting on the cops to come and decide whether or not you are there to hurt my family.
 
If dispatch asked to speak to the intruder who I'd just described as a member of the Legion of Doom (old WWF reference! Bonus points!) I'd probably be too stunned to do anything right then. This whole story is just...weird. Only in San Fran.

Oaktown,brother,you are right. We are on our own,especially on nights when you know the PD is swamped. They'll get there when they get there,if at all. That's not police-bashing,that's just a fact. It takes time to get from point A to point B,especially if you're breaking up a brawl at point A.
 
This is what happens when you expect Police to take care of you.

The homeowner pretty much deserves the way it went down.

If he'd taken steps to provide for his OWN safety this would have a different outcome.

Although, being San Francisco, if they had shot the home intruder the ACLU would have taken the civil case since the "poor guy was homeless".
 
The homeowner pretty much deserves the way it went down.

And women who wear sexy clothing deserved to be raped too? Sorry I am going to have to disagree with you there.

If he'd taken steps to provide for his OWN safety this would have a different outcome.

There I can agree with you, but to each their own. If someone decides not to have a gun in their home, who am I to tell them they are wrong?
 
And women who wear sexy clothing deserved to be raped too? Sorry I am going to have to disagree with you there

No, you didn't read what I said, I said the homeowner depended on someone else to provide for their safety, and when you do that you have to take it as it comes, which in this case is that you get no help at all.

I didn't say they deserved to have their home invaded.

If someone decides not to have a gun in their home, who am I to tell them they are wrong?

That's not the point though. If they decide not to have a gun, or any means of self defense, then they have to take what the state gives them, which is crappy police protection.

Therefore, they got what they asked for, and they deserve it. The Supreme Court warned a long time ago that you are on your own, people should listen to that warning and if you ignore it then the consequences are very much self inflicted.
 
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That story doesn't surprise me. Everytime I've had to call the cops at any time in my life, they ALWAYS took at least a half hour to arive no matter what it was I called about or if they had anything else to do. My experience says LEO's are purely ornamental and only there for traffic tickets. If you need any real law enforcement done, it's up to you and your CCW because the cops don't care.

BTW, yes they would say something like that, I've heard it before.
 
Not to Cop bash so I will qualify the whole justice system from "SOME" police, and "SOME" courts (judges, prosecutors and even public defenders) care nothing about arresting, convicting or sentencing certain people that do not care about breaking the law...

They do however from time to time like to make examples out of ordinarily honest citizens that may unintentionally break the law to keep the rest of us stiffs in line.
 
I called the San Diego police once to report a neighbor's house being broken into. When dispatch told me that they were "busy" at the moment, I pulled the phone away from my ear and yelled to FirstInLine, "You take the shotgun and I'll carry my .357 and a flashlight. Stay behind me and a step or so to one side. We have to go clear X's house." Then I hung up and went to my back door to watch the fun. :evil: Took them about 2 minutes to find two cars and a motor cop who weren't "busy." ;)

Pops
 
I called the police from my new home. They couldn't find me. Literally. New subdivision, not on Google or Mapquest, and the dispatcher called ME back after 45 minutes to ask where I was.
I had a CZ PO1 and Mini-14, the wife had CZ RAMI and WASR 10 AKM, no worries. :)
I was stationed in Frisco years ago - I will never return.
 
I called the authorities . . . AFTER the turds in my garage were sweating on the floor (my dog didn't like them . . . they didn't like what I was pointing at them . . .)
 
I called 911 once, on a Tuesday night took them 3 hours to get there. I had the burglar sittin out front on the steps the whole time. They tried to arrest me, for illegally detaining him. Guess which two LEO had been at Apple Bees the whole time. Too bad for them since my dad works at city hall, and he made it to my place first. Those satelite GPS thingies are on the cars for a reason fellas.
 
It's hard to blame the cops for their attitude. The DA in SF seems unwilling to prosecute the scum bags. The following is a list from a couple of years ago that a precinct captain compiled. Hard to be an enthusiastic LEO when the DA can't get the thugs back on the streets fast enough.


A man booked for a stolen, loaded and concealed handgun pled guilty to a
misdemeanor and was given 3 years probation and 3 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for a loaded and concealed handgun was given misdemeanor
probation.
A man booked for a loaded and concealed handgun pled guilty to a felony and
was given 90 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of an assault rifle pled guilty to a
misdemeanor and was given 3 years probation and 90 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a concealed handgun and drugs had the gun
charge dismissed and the drug charge prosecuted.
A man booked for aggravated assault with a firearm had the case dismissed.
A man booked for possession of an assault rifle had the case dismissed.
A man booked for possession of a concealed handgun with obliterated serial
numbers pled guilty to a misdemeanor and was given 3 years probation and 90
days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a loaded and concealed handgun pled guilty
to a misdemeanor and was given three years probation and 2 days in the
County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a loaded and concealed handgun pled guilty
to a felony and was given 83 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a loaded and concealed handgun had the case
dismissed.
A man booked for possession of a stolen, concealed, and loaded handgun pled
guilty to a misdemeanor and was given 90 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a firearm by a felon pled guilty to a
misdemeanor and was given 37 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a firearm by a felon pled guilty to a felony
and was given 6 months in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a firearm by a felon pled guilty to a
misdemeanor and was given 37 days in the County Jail.
A man booked for possession of a firearm with obliterated serial numbers
had the case dismissed.
A man booked for possession of a firearm by a felon had the case dismissed.
 
Reminds me of the guy who called 911 to report a burglary in progress - Someone was breaking into his tool shed. The dispatcher told him that no units were available to respond at the time, so he hung up. A few minutes later, he called back to tell the cops not to hurry any more, because he'd shot both suspects and they weren't going anywhere. Within two minutes there were multiple cruisers, a helicopter, and tactical response unit on scene. They found the two burglars unharmed and took them into custody. When one of the officers asked the resident "We thought you said you shot them?", he replied "I thought you said no one was available!"...

That was a UK Newspaper Clipping I Posted a long time ago, will need to see if I can dig it back up :D
 
OAKTOWN that list of charges on post 19 really doesn't mean much, and the fact that most of the charges are weapon charges gets no sympathy from me, I wouldn't convict for a firearm offense on a jury period. Shall not be infringed.
In fact being the area it is I wouldn't be surprised if the severe anti gun stance didn't lead to a lot of charges that had little actual basis in law, and were subsequently dropped or plead down so they could at least make something stick.

What you don't see is the lack of evidence, the prosecutor making deals for them to plea to a lesser charge when they doubt they could make the charge stick in court. When officers charge people with the wrong crime which would fall apart in court. When officers abuse thier power in arresting someone, and the prosecutor knows a decent lawyer would exploit that and get the whole case thrown out so they try to get them to plead guilty to a lesser charge before they realize it.
When someone is really not guilty but was charged at the scene to let the courts settle it.

It goes on and on. Our system is supposed to be guilty until proven innocent, and with various protections. It sure beats a guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent anyone charged with a crime gets serious time system like you see in many other parts of the world.
I would rather see 10 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man convicted. There should be no room for "collateral damage" in the legal system, and they means it needs to be very tough to convict people.
If people were armed and capable of defending themselves and loved ones they would be less concerned of such men on the streets to begin with.
Freedom is not free.
 
Good thing for SF residents the handgun ban went down in flames

Did they ban kitchen knives and louisville sluggers too?

Sorry, but if I didn't own a gun and someone kicked in my door, 911 wouldn't be called until I caved in his spikey little head.
 
OAKTOWN that list of charges on post 19 really doesn't mean much, and the fact that most of the charges are weapon charges gets no sympathy from me, I wouldn't convict for a firearm offense on a jury period. Shall not be infringed.
QUOTE]

Sure, armed felons, bangers packing stolen guns, super good plan there. Advocating armed sociopaths is definitely a great way to gain more support for RKBA. :banghead:
 
I used to live in San Francisco. Pretty close to where all this went down.

There is a saying there "Every day in Halloween in San Francisco" and its true.
So the spikes on this guys gloves and boots.......kinda normal in SF; just ignore them.

San Francisco has its share of issues and a good number of very loud over the top P.C. types that get all the press, but in truth it has all types of folks and is a live and let live place for the most part.

It also has a lot of really great things, on the top of that list is its FOOD. YUM!!

I enjoy going back for a visit every now and then.
 
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