Colorado Conservative

Another Jaw Dropper

From the Rocky Mountain News...

Within a half-hour of Denver police notifying the media of a manhunt for suspected cop killer Raul Garcia-Gomez, out-of-state agencies from New York City to Los Angeles knew what he looked like and what type of car he was driving.

But officers closer to home, in Colorado towns along the suspect's likely getaway route, remained in the dark.

Law enforcement officials acknowledged Wednesday that more than four hours passed on May 10 before all Colorado law enforcement agencies were alerted to the identity of investigators' primary suspect in the death of Denver Detective Donald Young.

The slip-up has prompted a call for additional training and possibly a written policy as to which law enforcement agency is responsible for issuing statewide alerts.

What?  You forgot to tell cops along the route from Denver to L.A. that you were looking for an "alleged" cop killer?  A breathtaking admission.  Not only did this lack of foresight hinder the search for this guy, but also put jurisdictions along the route in undue danger.  I'm one of the biggest cop supporters in this town, but this admission is stunning, and disappointing to say the least.

Hard Lesson NOT Learned

From Metro Networks....

A deputy who left her gun in a third floor restroom of the Fulton County Juvenile Justice Center in Atlanta has been suspended.  Fulton County Sheriff Myron Freeman placed Fulton County Deputy Hattie Richey on 30-days suspension yesterday after an assistant D.A. found the weapon.  Fulton County Courthouse personnel are on high alert since the courthouse shootings of March 11th.  The man accused in those shootings, Brian Nichols, was in court yesterday asking for new legal counsel.  One of the priorities of Nichols' new lawyer, public defender Gary Parker, is to get the case moved out of the Fulton County Courthouse. 

Jaw dropping negligence considering what happened in that courthouse a few short months ago.  It would seem to me that a deputy, who I'm sure knew the folks killed by Brian Nichols, would be a bit more careful...I guess not.

When Will They Learn?

From Metro Networks....

The Secret Service is investigating a caption printed in a high school yearbook in Fountain, Colorado.  One student in Mesa Ridge High School's yearbook was labeled "most likely to assassinate President Bush."  About 100 yearbooks were distributed earlier this month before Widefield School District officials were notified about the caption.  District spokesman James Drew says about 70 of the yearbooks were returned, and the caption was blacked out on all returned and undistributed yearbooks.  District officials were told they did not need to file a police report because the photo caption was clearly a prank.  Denver Secret Service district agent Lon Garner says the incident will be looked into because all threats against the President must be investigated.

O.K. we get the joke...ha ha, funny.  At what point do people get that it's not o.k. to talk about assassinating a President.  It's not like it's a new law.  It wasn't o.k. when Clinton, or Reagan, or Carter, or Washington were in office.  You just don't do it.  My real concern is the adults who supervised the yearbook staff.  Come on people, being a supervisor means YOU MUST SUPERVISE!  Geez!  Considering that Fountain is right near Colorado Springs which is home to the Air Force Academy, and a strong military contigent, it becomes even less likely that any official would not know that talking, even in jest, about killing a President is wrong.  A serious dropped ball.

She Has Sealed Her Fate

An elderly North Carolina woman is accused of misusing the 911 emergency system by calling it over and over to complain about a pizza delivery.  According to the "Charlotte Observer," police say Dorothy Densmore made 20 calls to 911 in less than 40 minutes last weekend to complain about a pizza shop that wouldn't deliver to her home.  Densmore was arrested Sunday afternoon  and had to spend two night behind bars.  It's not the first time Densmore has had this type of trouble.  She was charged last year after police say she wouldn't stop calling 911, even after being told to.  She is now facing resisting a public officer and misusing 911 charges.

The only outcome of her abuse of the 9-1-1 system is that she has effectively cancelled herself from receiving help from them in a timely matter.  Any call that comes from that house in the future will be treated as skeptical, and as something less than an emergency.  A tough spot for an elderly persson who will inevitably need some type of help.  Unfortunately, it's a hole she has dug for herself...

A Rule That Should Be Bent

No formal decision has been made regarding a California high school student's request to wear his dress-blue Marine uniform to graduation ceremonies next month.  The "Press Democrat" reports that 17-year-old Steven Kiernan of Petaluma finished his course requirements early in order to attend boot camp.  He is set to finish boot camp next week and wants to wear his uniform to the June 11th commencement.  However, district rules say caps and gowns must be worn.  Kiernan's father along with other supporters asked the Petaluma School Board to bend the rules the night before last but no vote was taken on the issue.  It's not clear what the next action will be.

Considering how poorly many school officials have reacted to military personel in the last couple years, letting this guy wear his uniform would be a good step to show folks how most schools are not anti-military.

Nice Sword

From Metro Networks...

A "Naked Zorro" is terrorizing women in Pennsylvania and authorities are on the look-out for him.  Police in Bucks County say the guy dubbed, "Naked Zorro" wears nothing more than a black mask and sneakers as he approached half a dozen women but done nothing to harm them.  He was last seen this past Saturday night in the business district area of Doylestown.  All of the incidents have happened within two blocks of each other.

Authorites suggest that people should shy away from "sharpening his blade"...

Not The Sharpest Tool In The Shed

Police officers in Brooklyn, New York were shocked when a 20-year-old man wanted in two livery-cab hold ups walked into the 90th precinct to ask police a question, and unknown to him, stood right in front of his wanted poster.  Police tell the "New York Post" when Awiey "Chuckie" Hernandez came into the station house in Williamsburg, it only took them a few seconds to match the picture behind him with suspect.  They quickly slapped handcuffs on Hernandez who is wanted for robbing two livery cab drivers on May 7th and 8th.

Jaw dropping stupidity out of Brooklyn....I have to say, I think I saw this in an episode of Droopy Dog.

When Lawyers Go Bad

From Metro Networks...

A British lawyer today will finish what is believed to be the longest speech in the country's legal history.  The "Guardian" newspaper reports that Nicholas Stadlen has spent 119 days presenting the case for the Bank of England.  Stadlen will break the record set last year by his rival in the same case.  After Gordon Pollock concluded his 80-day-long opening statement last year, Stadlen said, "After six-months the empire strikes back."

If there's ever a reason to cap the number of lawyers practicing in the world, this is it.

This Cracks Me Up

North Korea's Kim Jong-il is standing tall in a photo released by a South Korean newspaper today, but he's getting a little help.  The picture shows Kim during a 2002 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin standing about five inches taller than usual.  It also shows the reason why  --  platform shoes.  A North Korean analyst says Kim likes adding to his height by wearing platform shoes for meetings with world leaders.  He says the shoes are essential for Kim who's afraid he'll be ignored because of his height.  Kim's actual height is a closely guarded secret, but estimates put him at just over five feet tall.

Platform shoes, nukes...sounds like someone has a case of the old Napoleon Complex....

When Cigerettes Go Bad

From Metro Networks...

An Arkansas man must have really needed a smoke, considering he jumped out of a fast moving car to retrieve his cigarette that fell out.  The "Texarkana Gazette" reports that Jeff Foran of Winthrop had his cigarette blow out of the window Saturday night and jumped out of the car to get it.  The car was going more than 50-miles-an-hour at the time and the result was not pretty.  He ended up bleeding from the nose, eyes and chin and suffered facial trauma.  Authorities say Foran was drunk at the time but no charges were filed.

I guess those experts are right...cigerettes really are bad for you...