Posted on 07/04/2007 5:07:59 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
OTTUMWA, IA -- Iowa police arrested a man outside the hotel where Barack Obama spent Tuesday night after the man was confronted by Obama's Secret Service detail.
Ottumwa Police Lieutenant Tom McAndrew said Davit Zakaryan, of Cincinnati, Oh., was charged with illegally possessing a concealed knife more than 8 inches long after he was arrested for failing to produce a drivers license Wednesday morning.
"We have no reason to think he was a threat at all," Lt. McAndrew said.
Zakaryan, 24, in a white undershirt, was pacing outside his small, black car with Ohio license plates when Obama's security detail confronted near Obama's motorcade in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn in Ottumwa. Soon, local police arrived, and began inspecting his car and identity documents. The scene was visible to departing reporters on the nearby press bus.
A person familiar with the encounter said the man, who appeared to have been born outside the country, had given contradictory answers to an agent about his presence outside the hotel, saying at one point that he was planning to show up at a campaign event later in the day, and also saying he'd seen the Obama campaign bus.
Obama's campaign spokesman declined to comment on the incident, and Secret Service Spokesman Darrin Blackford confirmed the arrest, but referred questions to the Ottumwa police.
McAndrew said he didn't think the Secret Service was continuing to follow the case. He said Zakaryan is being held in Wapello County Jail on $6,825 bond.
Obama was assigned a Secret Service detail earlier this year in response to unspecified threats.
probably one of the leftover kerry-edwards tire-slshers, LOL
He was just confused, he apparently thought the Hildabeest was coming instead of Mr. Emptysuit.
Any way ya slice it, this is a weird story.
“after he was arrested for failing to produce a drivers license Wednesday morning.”
arrested for failing to produce his papers. sounds like communist russia to me.
“Much ado about nothing.”
“was pacing outside his small, black car with Ohio license plates”
“said the man, who appeared to have been born outside the country, “
I would say it’s premature to say it’s nothing. Not a typical person who would hang out in Ottumwa Iowa.
It seems to have the kook factor involved.
Charismatic people like Obama would probably attract the kook factor.
I hope Obama and all the other candidates stay safe through the campaign.
“What in heck is Osama Obama (or anyone else) doing with a Secret Service detail at this point in time?”
He got it a couple months ago due to threats he supposedly received.
flying monkey?
“black car with Ohio license plates”
Ohio license plates in IOWA. Man he should fry.
/sarc
NSDT.
I’m guessing he wasn’t there on vacation. Ottumwa isn’t known as a vacation spot.
A Ohio license plate would be unusual.
Racial profiling.
“Obama was assigned a Secret Service detail earlier this year in response to unspecified threats.”
More xenophobia under the Bush regime! (/SARC)
Got to clean your fingernails with something! A Kabar works fine!
armenianow.com/doc/janoyanreport.doc?PHPSESSID=33d
The decision on suspending case proceedings specifies that at around 10pm on the day of the murder, witnesses Davit Zakaryan and Karen Margaryan, as they were entering into the building courtyard, saw Joshua Haglund who was on the ground, bleeding, and called the police and an ambulance, trying to find out what had happened from Joshua Haglund, who was then still alive. According to the witnesses, Hugland had said his name and shown his three fingers. Before the ambulance arrived, Joshua Haglund was dead.
It is not clear from the decision when the ambulance received these witnesses telephone call, who introduced himself as the caller, what circumstances were communicated over the phone, when the ambulance left the station, which road it took, and when it arrived. If assistance had been provided earlier, could it have saved Joshua Haglunds life? It is not clear from the decision who witnesses Davit Zakaryan and Karen Margaryan are, whether they are law-enforcement officers or not. There is also concern that after the murderers escaped, the knife used for the crime was left in Joshua Haglaunds body, but disappeared thanks to some individuals during the first contact with the body.
Omigosh! A professional hitman! Some sicko doesn’t want Obama alive! How sick and evil!
Hey it is what it is. I would bet half a dozen FReepers did a search on the name.
“Im guessing he wasnt there on vacation. Ottumwa isnt known as a vacation spot.”
Been there and its ok. Ohio isnt all that far away. My point was that when we can be arrested for not having our papers with us then we are in a world of hurt.
If he was arrested for having a weapon or making threats it would be different. From the article they didnt know he had the weapon until they arrested him.
We were told that the threats were from white bigots. Doesn’t sound like the case here. And the man apparently did mention a campaign event.
As to why he was asked to produce an ID, he had a car.
Even passengers may be asked to fork over IDs when a driver is stopped. It’s happened to me.
Just a Hillary supporter.
Yeesh! If it’s the same guy..........!!!
“As to why he was asked to produce an ID, he had a car”
He was pacing outside the car. Thats not grounds for providing id.
Obama is staying at the Fairfield Inn. I guess he’s slumming it. Next John Edwards will join him and they will start reminding all of us simple minded americans how there are two americas. What a fraud.
Are you seriously suggesting that passengers should be subject to ARREST for refusing?
Better that a candidate be defeated at the polls than ever become a martyr for conspiracy theorists and eternal dreamers who tell us how much better things would’ve been “if only JFK/RFK/Teddy/etc.” had been president.
I’m not saying that they should be subject to arrest. Although if you provide one name to the officer and he discovers that you lied, you will be arrested.
The case was from 2004 and he was a student in college at the time.
If it is the same guy I would be reopening that murder case if I was the DA
The sodomite couple who were arrested in Texas were not “arrested for engaging in sodomy”. The statute only carried a fine.
But the word is that the men continued the act in the presence of the investigating officer (who’d been called to the residence by an abused lover of one of the men under the guise that an assault was in progress). When an officer says “stop”, you are expected to obey.
You have free speech but if he says “be quiet” you may find yourself arrested as well.
Not saying that this is “right” but it is so common that it has never been declared unconstitutional.
The cops or USSS ran the license plates and it comes back with his info.
So now they ask the guy , " Is this your car ?"
If he says yes, they ask him for some ID.
He can't produce a drivers license, so he's screwed.
black car with Ohio license plates Ohio license plates in IOWA. Man he should fry.
*************************************
Driving through Georgia with Florida plates only rates an automatic contribution to the county courthouse not death...they’re tough in Iowa..
“If he says yes, they ask him for some ID.
He can’t produce a drivers license, so he’s screwed.”
Agreed with you up to this point. He probably should have been arrested. I just disagree with the idea that someone on the street should be required to present their papers. Owning a car is not justification for providing papers either. Driving would be justification. But then we are in a state where nobody can travel without their papers. You can’t fly without government permission and evidently you can’t even walk.
In Texas you are required by law to have an ID on your person when you enter a bar regardless of how old you are. 72 is clearly above the drinking age but I guess if an altercation happens they want to be able to take names.
Between now and March, we’ll have plenty of “Godfather Baptism Scenes”. Not all Ft. Marcy Parks, but, well, you know.
“In Texas you are required by law to have an ID on your person when you enter a bar regardless of how old you are. “
Did this happen in a bar?
They also have dry counties in Texas. Places where you have to belong to a drinking club in order to buy a beer in a restaurant.
Hildebeast is gonna have to try again!
Soon, local police arrived, and began inspecting his car and identity documents.
I wonder on what grounds???
The guy was obviously acting suspiciously. Sounds like they made a good arrest.
Please tell me that this was not his actual charge. That would be absolutely ridiculous.
It’s probably the nicest place in the town.
The authorities must know who they are dealing with. Those with nothing to hide should have no problem producing any documentation requested by the authorities.
What are you, some sort of anarchist?
/ sarc
Damn it!!!! I just finished reading Ludlums “The Ambler Warning” and now this....I’m gonna have to pull my tin foil outta moth balls.
That would be enough to freak out the Secret Service. I gotta wonder about the knife. He was at the scene of a murder by knifing. What’s the likelyhood of a coincidence.
Got a hat you can loan me? Mine is at the cleaners. ;-)
Police Lieutenant Lou Costello McAndrew: "We have no reason to think he was a threat at all."
Leni
I agree with you totally on this producing ID matter. If I were not doing anything illegal and someone demanded my ID, I might just fail to produce it, just on general principle. This smacks of a communist regime.
Priceless.
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