Water-Cannon Robot Subdues 91-Year-Old
Man Held Off Police for 31 Hours
July 31, 2000
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) -- Police used a water-cannon robot to subdue a shotgun-wielding 91-year-old early Sunday and end a 31-hour standoff that began with a shooting death at the man's home.
Police who entered the home around 1:30 a.m. said one shot from the water cannon disabled the man, and police took him into custody. He was taken to a suburban Washington hospital for treatment of an injured knee.
Suffers dementia
The incident began at about 6 p.m. Friday when a relative went to check on the man, who police said suffers a dementia. The relative found James Newman, 59, the 91-year-old's nephew, behind the house with a gunshot wound.
Emergency personnel arrived at the scene, found Newman dead, and called police because the elderly man, armed with a shotgun, acted incoherent and threatening.
Unfazed by tear gas
He barricaded himself inside his rural home. Prince George's County Police Chief John Farrell said the man shot at officers and vehicles, and attempts to establish contact failed. Farrell said police even used tear gas, but the man was unfazed.
Almost 100 officers, two helicopters and two armored vehicles responded to the standoff.
Police spokeswoman Diane Richardson withheld the man's name. She said the office of the Maryland state's attorney will decide whether charges will be filed.
She said Newman had gone to the man's house to mow his lawn. Relatives said the man takes medication for his dementia but may have stopped taking it for some reason.
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Man Robbed of Wheelchair, Oxygen Tank
Police Seek Trio Who Threatened to Cut Victim
July 28, 2000
By Seamus McGraw
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (APBnews.com) -- Police are searching for three heartless bandits who accosted a handicapped 57-year-old and robbed him of his wheelchair and oxygen tank.
Dale McKinney, who suffers from heart problems, a breathing disorder and other ailments, told police he was tooling through an alley in his motorized wheelchair Wednesday morning on his way home when three young men in a white van pulled up alongside and started chatting with him, police said.
Two of the young men then stepped out of the van and threatened McKinney, police said. One of the men allegedly pulled out a folding knife, opened it, and threatened to "cut" the man if he didn't hand over his government-subsidized wheelchair, according to police reports.
McKinney, who is disabled, but can hobble around, complied and the three bandits sped off, police said.
Offers for new wheelchair
McKinney could not be reached today for comment. But a local newspaper, which printed details of the theft in today's edition, says it has received several offers from people willing to replace the wheelchair gratis.
The heartless heist is the first case of wheelchair-jacking in recent Milwaukee history and police say they haven't a clue about what the bandits planned to do with the motorized chair.
"I have no idea whether there's a black market for wheelchairs," said Karen Pride Garvin, public relations manager for the Milwaukee Police Department.
Seamus McGraw is an APBnews.com staff writer (seamus.mcgraw@apbnews.com)
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Wedding Grenade Joke Injures 17
Russian Soldier Brought Explosive to Reception
July 31, 2000
MOSCOW (AP) -- A soldier attending a wedding near the southern Russian city of Stavropol accidentally detonated a grenade at a wedding reception, injuring 17 wedding guests, police said Sunday.
The explosion Saturday night in the village of Kurskaya, near the border with Chechnya, prompted police to dispatch a rapid reaction team to search for Chechen terrorists, the duty officer of the regional Interior Ministry said.
The police team instead found that a drunken army sergeant was jokingly demonstrating how the grenade worked when it exploded, sending 17 guests to the hospital with fragment wounds.
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Thought that I would save a little “space” on the server by consolidating these three short and strange news stories into one post. Enjoy…
Skyhawk
[This message has been edited by Skyhawk (edited July 31, 2000).]
Man Held Off Police for 31 Hours
July 31, 2000
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) -- Police used a water-cannon robot to subdue a shotgun-wielding 91-year-old early Sunday and end a 31-hour standoff that began with a shooting death at the man's home.
Police who entered the home around 1:30 a.m. said one shot from the water cannon disabled the man, and police took him into custody. He was taken to a suburban Washington hospital for treatment of an injured knee.
Suffers dementia
The incident began at about 6 p.m. Friday when a relative went to check on the man, who police said suffers a dementia. The relative found James Newman, 59, the 91-year-old's nephew, behind the house with a gunshot wound.
Emergency personnel arrived at the scene, found Newman dead, and called police because the elderly man, armed with a shotgun, acted incoherent and threatening.
Unfazed by tear gas
He barricaded himself inside his rural home. Prince George's County Police Chief John Farrell said the man shot at officers and vehicles, and attempts to establish contact failed. Farrell said police even used tear gas, but the man was unfazed.
Almost 100 officers, two helicopters and two armored vehicles responded to the standoff.
Police spokeswoman Diane Richardson withheld the man's name. She said the office of the Maryland state's attorney will decide whether charges will be filed.
She said Newman had gone to the man's house to mow his lawn. Relatives said the man takes medication for his dementia but may have stopped taking it for some reason.
************************************************************
Man Robbed of Wheelchair, Oxygen Tank
Police Seek Trio Who Threatened to Cut Victim
July 28, 2000
By Seamus McGraw
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (APBnews.com) -- Police are searching for three heartless bandits who accosted a handicapped 57-year-old and robbed him of his wheelchair and oxygen tank.
Dale McKinney, who suffers from heart problems, a breathing disorder and other ailments, told police he was tooling through an alley in his motorized wheelchair Wednesday morning on his way home when three young men in a white van pulled up alongside and started chatting with him, police said.
Two of the young men then stepped out of the van and threatened McKinney, police said. One of the men allegedly pulled out a folding knife, opened it, and threatened to "cut" the man if he didn't hand over his government-subsidized wheelchair, according to police reports.
McKinney, who is disabled, but can hobble around, complied and the three bandits sped off, police said.
Offers for new wheelchair
McKinney could not be reached today for comment. But a local newspaper, which printed details of the theft in today's edition, says it has received several offers from people willing to replace the wheelchair gratis.
The heartless heist is the first case of wheelchair-jacking in recent Milwaukee history and police say they haven't a clue about what the bandits planned to do with the motorized chair.
"I have no idea whether there's a black market for wheelchairs," said Karen Pride Garvin, public relations manager for the Milwaukee Police Department.
Seamus McGraw is an APBnews.com staff writer (seamus.mcgraw@apbnews.com)
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Wedding Grenade Joke Injures 17
Russian Soldier Brought Explosive to Reception
July 31, 2000
MOSCOW (AP) -- A soldier attending a wedding near the southern Russian city of Stavropol accidentally detonated a grenade at a wedding reception, injuring 17 wedding guests, police said Sunday.
The explosion Saturday night in the village of Kurskaya, near the border with Chechnya, prompted police to dispatch a rapid reaction team to search for Chechen terrorists, the duty officer of the regional Interior Ministry said.
The police team instead found that a drunken army sergeant was jokingly demonstrating how the grenade worked when it exploded, sending 17 guests to the hospital with fragment wounds.
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Thought that I would save a little “space” on the server by consolidating these three short and strange news stories into one post. Enjoy…
Skyhawk
[This message has been edited by Skyhawk (edited July 31, 2000).]