Stupid people of the week

My cup runneth over this week with stupid.

Auto theft suspect allegedly tries to sell a moped back to original owner

An Evansville man is facing auto theft charges when he allegedly tried to sell a stolen moped back to the original owner.

Evansville Police say the victim was in contact with Charles Connolly on Facebook who unknowingly was trying to sell him his stolen moped. When they agreed to meet, the victim contacted police.

Police say when they arrived Connolly attempted to run from them. He was eventually caught in the area and placed into custody.

Authorities say they found the victim’s stolen moped as well as another moped that was reportedly stolen.

Connolly said he was sold the moped from another person however, police verified that person was arrested on a date prior to the moped being reported stolen.

Connolly was charged with auto theft and resisting law enforcement. He is currently booked at the Vanderburgh County Jail.

Source; Tristate Homepage

FBI Arrests Marine Veteran After He Self-Published Book on His Role in Jan. 6 Riot at Capitol

What? It worked when OJ did it!

Marine Corps veteran Nathan Thornsberry hoped a self-published book might shine a sympathetic light on the violence that shook the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Now, it may land him behind bars.

Thornsberry, 42, from North Branch, Michigan, was arrested by the FBI on Aug. 22 on multiple criminal charges, including assaulting law enforcement, stemming from his alleged conduct during the deadly Capitol breach, the Justice Department said in a release.

Video allegedly captured the Marine veteran facing off with law enforcement during the Jan. 6 riot. But in the months that followed, Thornsberry also sought to put the day into his own words. He self-published “January 6: A Patriot’s Story,” a 103-page paperback, on Amazon under the alias “Nathaniel Matthews” in February 2022, court documents allege.

Thornsberry’s first-person account in the self-published book earned praise from some and raised eyebrows for at least one acquaintance, who flagged it to federal officials.

The Marine veteran was charged in D.C. federal court last week with two felonies: obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder; and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. He also faces four misdemeanor charges: entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; act of physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a Capitol building or grounds.

“His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election,” the DOJ said.

Thornsberry is also not the first recent case of a self-published book getting a Marine into trouble. The service launched an investigation last year into Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne, 36, after he self-published a book he described as detailing “a scandalous romantic relationship” with a potential female recruit.

Police-worn body camera footage of rioters captured Thornsberry trying to breach a police line by pushing against the metal bike racks that Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police officers were using as a barricade that afternoon, federal officials allege.

“Officers then attempted to push the bike racks back, and were met with resistance from Thornsberry and others,” the DOJ wrote in the release. “It is alleged that officers directed the crowd of rioters to move back and, in response, Thornsberry can be heard multiple times yelling, ‘Bring it!'”

Thornsberry is one of more than 200 current and former U.S. service members charged so far in connection with alleged crimes on Jan. 6, according to a terrorism-focused research consortium at the University of Maryland.

He enlisted in the Marines in January 2006 and served for five years, first as an air traffic controller trainee and later as a combat engineer, Corps spokesperson Yvonne Carlock told Military.com on Monday.

Thornsberry deployed to Afghanistan from December 2009 to June 2010, the service said. While in uniform, he earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal — awarded for meritorious accomplishment in overall performance or for a specific event — along with other commendations awarded to most troops who served during the war on terror and as part of the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan.

He separated from the military in January 2011 as a corporal with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Screenshots of video footage included in federal court documents that were unsealed last week appear to show Thornsberry sporting a black jacket with a large Marine Corps emblem on the back, as well as a black “Trump 2020” shirt and black gloves that “appear to have reinforced knuckles,” investigators said.

Thornsberry, who identified himself in a recorded video interview near the police barricade he had fought to break, told the interviewer he “got right up in the front” and linked arms with other rioters to push back against the officers protecting the Capitol.

He had pressed his back against a metal bicycle rack being held by multiple police officers on the Capitol’s lower west terrace, images included in the court documents show. He later said he believed police were preparing to attack the protesters and “moved to the front near the barrier in order to protect an old man and a young woman,” according to court documents.

While Thornsberry claimed he was pushed against the police line as the crowd surged, court documents argue that video evidence shows Thornsberry voluntarily pushed against the officers.

“I stayed up there for about four different pushes, got blasted over and over and over,” he told the interviewer at the Capitol. Court documents noted he appeared to be under the effects of chemical spray during the interview.

His self-published book included his motivation and opinion on the breach of the Capitol and the attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

“For over a year, the mainstream media and establishment politicians have created a narrative of a violent and coordinated insurrection. The reporting has been selective and misleading,” the book’s description on Amazon reads. “The author gives his opinion on what motivated hundreds of thousands if not millions of protesters to journey to the [nation’s capital], recalls what he saw and experienced that day, and shares his thoughts on the aftermath.”

The Amazon profile for “Nathaniel Matthews” was registered by a person named Nathaniel Thornsberry, with his email and the same phone number connected to Thornsberry’s social media, court documents said. An author biography on the site describes Matthews as a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, matching Thornsberry’s official service record.

The book is still available for purchase. Court documents said the book was later revised and published as “January 6th Redux: A Patriot’s Story” on Kindle in March 2023. That version has been removed from Amazon.

In the book, Thornsberry said he traveled to Washington to attend the “Stop the Steal” protest, which pushed false claims that widespread voter fraud had stopped incumbent President Donald Trump from winning the 2020 U.S. presidential election, court documents said.

The author warned of a “shadowy organization” that had “infiltrated” societies and institutions across the U.S. and around the world.

“I sense an internal threat, a threat that played a significant role in the deterioration of the war on terror, perverting it and turning it inward toward our own citizens,” Thornsberry wrote, according to court documents. “It is a threat to our way of life, to our freedoms, and to our constitution.”

Thornsberry also argued that the events of Jan. 6 were “orchestrated to complete the steal of an election” and “justify the government’s strong-arm tactics” in silencing Trump supporters. Despite the claims and numerous court cases, there is no evidence of widespread election fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

A warrant for Thornsberry’s arrest was issued Aug. 20; he was taken into custody in Michigan two days later.

Thornsberry appeared in federal district court in Flint on Aug. 22 and was released on a $10,000 bond, pending further court proceedings. He faces a minimum sentence of fines or at least 16 and a half years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of nearly 40 years behind bars.

Sanford Plotkin, Thornsberry’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Almost 1,500 people have been charged for crimes related to the U.S. Capitol breach so far, the Justice Department said. About one-third of them face felony charges of assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

At least 231 Capitol riot defendants — about 15% of those charged — have U.S. military backgrounds, Michael Jensen, research director at the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, or START, told Military.com on Monday. Nearly 90% of those were not currently serving on Jan. 6.

The federal investigation remains ongoing.

Source; Military.com

Overweight Ford F-750 Plunges Through Historic Wooden Bridge in Maine

Straight out of Funny Farm

Once upon a time, Maine could claim that more than 120 covered bridges dotted its landscape. Last week, the headcount was eight. Now, there are seven and a half. That’s because, despite posted signs, the driver of an overweight vehicle decided to cross one. He didn’t make it. Not even halfway. Instead, the bridge bottomed out, sending the driver, truck, and cargo plummeting into the water below.

Babb’s Bridge in Gorham, Maine, has the oldest history of the state’s remaining covered bridges, one that dates back to 1840. The wooden bridge also has a weight limit of three tons. The driver behind the wheel of a Ford F-750 thought he could make it, but alas—those trucks can be over 9,000 pounds empty, and depending on what was in the bed, GVWR can be between 26,000 and 37,000 pounds.

Oh, and the driver was also hauling crushed gravel, according to the Gorham Police Department. Even if the vehicle were an older F-Series with zero cargo, its weight would’ve still exceeded what the little old bridge could handle. The ability to read doesn’t necessarily mean you understand the words. At least, that’s my guess when the driver didn’t change his route.

Although there are no signs regarding weight limits placed on or near the bridge itself, there are roadway signs. Large and unobstructed, the signs indicate the bridge’s height (10 feet), width (single lane), and support (three tons max). They are placed along Hurricane Road at the last major intersection before arriving at the bridge crossing. Basically, there’s no way to miss them.

Based on the images, the bridge gave way almost immediately under the weight of the truck. The driver suffered minor injuries but was able to exit the vehicle on his own. Luckily, no one else was hurt, considering the area is popular with swimmers and kayakers.

Babb’s Bridge was originally built in the 1800s, and for more than a century, the wooden expanse had fulfilled its purpose of helping people cross the Presumpscot River. Unfortunately, vandals burned the bridge down in 1973. The state rebuilt an exact replica using historically accurate, locally sourced materials, which opened in 1973. Of course, now, it needs to be partially rebuilt again.

The Maine Department of Transportation said repairs will not be completed until next spring because obtaining the needed lumber to maintain the bridge’s accuracy will take several months. In the meantime, other repairs will take place while Babb’s Bridge remains closed. Repair estimates have not been released, but the owner of the truck company has offered to help pay for the rebuild. The incident itself remains under investigation by local authorities.

Source; The Drive

Woman run over by police officer while sunbathing at New Jersey beach: police

I don’t get how this keeps happening…

A woman relaxing at a beach in Wildwood, New Jersey, was reportedly run over by a police officer during a freak accident last week.

The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Star-Ledger. Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy told the Press of Atlantic City that the incident involved one of the department’s Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

The victim, whose name was not released by authorities, suffered broken ribs, three fractured vertebrae and a lung injury, according to WPVI-TV, which cited the victim’s boyfriend.

Murphy said the officer driving the pickup was responding to an ordinance violation when the accident happened.

“The officer was down there in performance of his duties on a call for service,” the police chief said. “Horrifically, he ran over a victim who was lying on the beach.”

Murphy added that the victim was visiting Wildwood while on vacation ahead of Labor Day weekend.

“There was a lot of help from people on the beach,” the police chief added. “The civilians on the beach did an incredible job.”

A bystander named Rose Simone told WPVI-TV that fellow beachgoers panicked when the pickup ran over the woman.

“Everybody was gathering around screaming, yelling at the person in the truck, ‘Stop! There’s somebody under your truck! You hit somebody!'” the Chalfont, Pa., resident recalled.

“A bunch of guys came around that were in the area, and they said we have to lift the truck, the front of the truck, to get her out,” Simone continued.

Simone told the Star-Ledger that she noticed the woman before the incident happened. The victim was wearing dark clothes while lying on a beach towel.

“It was an accident, clearly, but one that probably could have been avoided,” she added.

The victim is expected to survive.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Wildwood Police Department for more information.

Source; Fox News

Unqualified Colonel Crashed Apache Helicopter

An Army investigation found an F-35 pilot with no previous experience in the type was at the controls of an Apache attack helicopter when it crashed at a base in Utah last February. According to KUTV, which got a copy of the report, the pilot was a colonel and he had 35 minutes of sim time in the Apache before he took off on an orientation flight with a Master Warrant Officer who was qualified in the type.

The investigation found that on the colonel’s fourth attempt to hover and land the Apache at the army facility at West Jordan Airport, the colonel lost control. “In a moment of panic and due to his great unfamiliarity with the … helicopter flight controls,” an investigator wrote, “the [colonel] reverted to his fixed-wing … training and applied downward movement…. This motion … was not the proper input in a [rotor wing] aircraft.” The investigation also found fault with the Master Warrant Officer saying “overconfidence … led to inadequate aircraft flight control management and inadequate altitude selection with an unqualified person on the helicopter’s flight controls.”

Source; AV Web

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