Another NY Weapon Seizure
Well, it seems as if NY authorities are at it again. They’ve confiscated yet another weapon from a state citizen.
This case was a bit different than the norm, though.
Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office officials confiscated the weapon from Brian Malta. Seems as if he’d fired it, albeit while loaded with blank charges, towards neighboring homes during a dispute with neighbors.
The weapon confiscated was a Civil War cannon. Seems Malta had aimed it in the direction of his neighbors’ homes and fired it (with powder charge and wadding only) during his dispute with his neighbors.
Yeah, firing a freaking cannon towards someone’s house – even if only powder and wadding – is likely to get you a visit from the police, as well as an escorted ride to the station. Dumbass.
Malta was charged with 3 counts of harassment and 3 counts of menacing. He was arrested and later released on bail.
No, the amount of his bail wasn’t set at $5150. Though that might have been apropos. (smile)
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Dumbass Bullshit, Legal
I’ll bet THAT rattled some windows! And some nerves!
His bail should have been set at 8,008 (Boob)
I would have set it at just enough to force him to sell the cannon to come up with bail.
It will be interesting to see how the court treats this. If nothing else, setting off a charge of black powder that large alone is a noise and safety hazard alone, even without the cannon. Having did reenactments, I have seen the proper safety precautions hen dealing with these cannons. You dont want to have anyone within 50 yards of the front of the muzzle when firing. If you are a few yards directly in front you risk serious injury or death. Even a musket with blanks can shatter a watermelon from a yard away,
BFD….Big Fat Dummy…..
he just needed an excuse to fire the damn thing!
I think this is a perfect example of play stupid games win stupid prizes.
If it truly is a Civil War canon, he’s going to be a tad upset when it’s not returned to him. Even replicas are quite expensive. Knucklehead.
Poor guy. He was shooting blanks….
Should have been charged with one count of Extraordinary Asshattery!
True, but sadly, stupidity isn’t a crime.
Just my opinion, but I would say the NYPD did the right thing here. If they had charged him with assault with a deadly weapon, that would be one thing. Still though, even if it was blanks, firing off an explosive device in someone’s direction over a simple argument is no joke. I’ve never seen a civil war reenactment, but I’ve seen some YouTube videos of them, and that blast area is large. Even if there’s debris on the ground, that could be picked up by the cannon and thrown, which could definitely break a window or maybe even hurt somebody. If there was something in the barrel, than that could have resulted in some serious injury. What they’re charging him with, menacing and harassing, seems about right. Just my take.
Mark my words, when Civil War cannons are outlawed, only outlaws will have Civil War cannons. You have been warned.
/sarc
😉
No… You’ve got it all wrong… He was rehearsing his part in the philharmonic’s next performance of the 1812 Overture. Have you people no respect for an artist and his craft? Cretins.
Maybe they confiscated the cannon to replace the Mad Rabbit Riot cannon that used to be displayed at Camp Smith, just outside Peekskill, NY. That little beggar sat out in the open with no apparent safeguards, which may explain why it wasn’t there the last time I visited in 85.
Nice Van Halen reference. $5150 bail for case #OU812.
This guy’s MRE is missing the M&Ms.
When I lived up north out in the sticks on a lake every 4th of july the guys down the road who came up a few times a year on vacation would fire a cannon over the lake once an hour day and night. 24 straight hours. Hey, I thought it was cool.
I happened to visit the manor house at Ringwood Manor State Park (northern NJ) last Fourth of July (2012), and found that they had a group of reenactors there to put on a demonstration, which seems to be an annual event. They read the Declaration of Independence on the front porch, and among other activities, finished up by firing off a period mortar. Not even a cannon, it was maybe a foot long and couldn’t have been more than about 3/4″ caliber, but by Gawd was that thing loud!
(It was only loaded with powder and a handful of weeds; they couldn’t get a permit to put an actual ball in there. Shame, that.)
I’d say the neighbors lie who would let it happen for 8 days come on