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Law Enforcement and household supplies

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 2:47 am
by Technician1002
I'm not sure if the news on the Texas paramedic is related to detection of common household materials.

Something a paramedic may have in his home, you too.. Instant cold packs. They could be detected by LE as explosive building materials.

I guess if they arrest people for pointing a cell phone to video them because it might be a gun, then I guess first aid supplies might be a bomb.

When will the insanity end?

I wonder if they investigated him, then found traces of "explosives" and then searched the house and found plumbing supplies.

I hope I never get stopped and searched. I carry a first aid kit.

None of the news articles mentioned why he is suspected and then searched. Only that he was searched and "supplies" were found.

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 2:56 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
One day the powers that be will realise that it is not the tools at hand but the brains that control them that pose the threat, and thought crime will come into effect.

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 5:48 am
by jrrdw
I'm guessing this is being tied into the fertilizer plant explosion?

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 6:03 am
by Technician1002
Good guess. I presume from watching a video of the fire, the fire may have caused the explosion.

An industrial accident starts a witch hunt. I wonder what they are NOT telling us that may link him to more than responding first.

I don't see any link by what is factual and printed in the news.

An Ammonium Nitrate plant has a fire. A responder has traces of nitrates on his clothing, and is suspected.. He has normal first aid supplies as a first responder including instant cold packs. I wonder how he had traces of nitrates on his clothing? The news smells of a witch hunt instead of proper investigation. Did he possibly treat anyone on his shift with a sprain?

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 6:33 am
by jrrdw
The news can be so far off it's mind boggling. Interpretation of 'facts' from the opinions of 'witnesses' statement of the 'facts'.

Example: Fifth grade teacher has the entire class stand in a line and tells the students to repeat a statement to the classmate standing behind them, only whisper it so the next student can't hear what they are saying from the 1st student to the last. Then the last student repeats the statement out loud.

The teacher whispers to the 1st student (Little baby buggy bumpers" and the students pass it down the line to the last student who states out loud "Little rabies bugger thumpers"!

Is it a?

1: Failed experiment in communications?
2: Inability to focus on what is being said?

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 2:43 pm
by jimmy101
I've seen no reference in the press that nitrates were detected on him or that that contributed to the investigation or arrest.

An acquaintance contacted the police about suspicious materials (pipe, fuse, chemicals) that the suspect left with the acquaintance.

Granted many of the "suspicious materials" are pretty silly, like a spoon, lighter and a digital scale. The "chemicals" have not been specifically named, to my knowledge. An ice-pack or a container of a nitrate or of black powder? Without knowing what was actually found it is impossible to say if the charge makes sense or not.

Fuse was found, but I can buy fuse at the local fireworks store.

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 4:31 pm
by POLAND_SPUD
lol black powder isn't illegal even here in Poland

and I've got like 500 kg of nitrates too (exactly the stuff that's needed)

does this make me a terrorist??

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 4:59 pm
by MrCrowley
I thought this story was worse to be honest:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... t/2130381/

Federal charge for a science experiment? I can agree with the expulsion but come on, she wasn't trying to blow up the school. I imagine the dry ice bombs we made in science class at my high school would probably land me with a felony charge (and my teacher and classmates too) if we were in the U.S.

We all know why there are laws about having/using explosive devices at schools but prosecuting this girl is not fixing anything; she isn't the one that LE should be interested in, convicting her is a waste of LE's time and tax payers money.

Then again, all my information has come from the media and I don't exactly think of them as a reliable source.

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 6:42 pm
by PVC Arsenal 17
POLAND_SPUD wrote:lol black powder isn't illegal even here in Poland

and I've got like 500 kg of nitrates too (exactly the stuff that's needed)

does this make me a terrorist??

Heh. If you were in the US, you bet it would. We have a thing called "constructive intent" which means that you can, in theory, be charged. But it all starts to get very subjective at that point. You would have to keep a good lawyer handy.

MrCrowley wrote:I thought this story was worse to be honest:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... t/2130381/

Federal charge for a science experiment? I can agree with the expulsion but come on, she wasn't trying to blow up the school. I imagine the dry ice bombs we made in science class at my high school would probably land me with a felony charge (and my teacher and classmates too) if we were in the U.S.

We all know why there are laws about having/using explosive devices at schools but prosecuting this girl is not fixing anything; she isn't the one that LE should be interested in, convicting her is a waste of LE's time and tax payers money.

Then again, all my information has come from the media and I don't exactly think of them as a reliable source.

I agree with your ruling. That girl was just plain stupid. Some argue that "it was just a hands-on education experience" but that arguments falls pitifully short. If the girl truly was curious about the chemical reaction, she could have read her textbook or asked her teacher. But that was not the case. She just went ahead and did something dumb in the least ideal location.

For that sake alone, I think she should be made an example of. I don't believe she's mentally unstable or out to disrupt public safety but she, along with the majority of high school aged kids, desperately need to learn the life lesson: Think Before You Act.

Federal charges? No. Expulsion? Absolutely.

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:One day the powers that be will realise that it is not the tools at hand but the brains that control them that pose the threat, and thought crime will come into effect.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 1:08 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
POLAND_SPUD wrote:and I've got like 500 kg of nitrates too (exactly the stuff that's needed)
Image
PVC Arsenal 17 wrote:For that sake alone, I think she should be made an example of. I don't believe she's mentally unstable or out to disrupt public safety but she, along with the majority of high school aged kids, desperately need to learn the life lesson: Think Before You Act.

Federal charges? No. Expulsion? Absolutely.
Image

Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 8:22 am
by spudzooka98
if i remember correctly any one who has made any kind of firework or explosive is considerd a terrorist to the goverment :?

Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 6:07 pm
by ramses
I would not go further than maybe suspending her for a few days. Apparently, the person who charged her with all of that BS also declined to prosecute a 13 year old who killed his kid brother with a BB gun.

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 3:13 pm
by jimmy101
POLAND_SPUD wrote:lol black powder isn't illegal even here in Poland
and I've got like 500 kg of nitrates too (exactly the stuff that's needed)
does this make me a terrorist??
If your black powder and nitrates are stored in a box with suitable lengths of threaded pipe, plus caps, plus fuse ... yep pretty much. Not only a terrorists but under the current US definition of "weapon of mass destruction" you aren't just a bomb maker, you are a weapon of mass destruction maker.

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 3:21 pm
by POLAND_SPUD
lol never said I've got BP only that it isn't illegal

now as far as nitrates are concerned plenty of ppl here have them in large quantities - they are used as fertilizer

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 8:12 pm
by Hubb
One thing to keep in mind fellas is that the media tends to play into what the people want to hear. Drama sells and they know that. Most of the time, the media is only going to get the "bare bones" of any sort of investigation, and they have to dress it up no matter who has to suffer.

Oh, and FYI, the police and the news people don't get along too much.