Ohio family held at gunpoint by police at Dayton Air Force Museum

wlwt.com ^ | Apr 08, 2014 | WLYT-5

[Las Vegas Dave]

The ordeal lasted for more than an hour. The authorities said they had a report of two people casing cars in the parking lot that would have been Alice, 65, and her 8-year-old grandson Aaron looking at license plates.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/Ohio-family-held-at-gunpoint-by-police-at-Dayton-Air-Force-Museum/25383150#ixzz2zuuRVHrJ

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[Las Vegas Dave]

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[Steely Tom]

I remember this story from when it first made the news two weeks ago.

Link.

[Tupelo]

In 20124, It look like you are betting your life, just going onto government property.
Too bad, the Air Force Museum was the place to go when I was growing up.

[Tupelo]

Of course, that should be 2014. Scheesh.

[GeronL]

Aaron is the brains of this criminal enterprise

[KarlInOhio]

This little piece was missing from the current story:

"An initial check of the vehicle plates with the National Law Enforcement Terminal System reported the vehicle as stolen,"

puts the police actions in a whole new light. Instead of asking people looking at cars what they are doing, it jumps to likely car thieves casing cars. Although a full check showed that their car wasn't stolen I can understand why they weren't very friendly and it explains why four police officers (three military and one civilian) were there.

And at least no dogs were around to be shot.

[GeronL]

he was at the Air Force Museum looking at license plates. On Christmas he ignores the toys and plays with the bubblewrap too.

Creative type I bet

[The Great RJ]

Another example of the death of common sense and political correctness. Seeing a grandmother and her grandson walking thorough the parking lot looking at license plates...not looking in cars or trying doors to see if they were unlocked.. would in a common sense world not be any cause for alarm. However some young punks going through the parking lot looking into cars and trying doors to see if they were locked would be a concern. This is common sense.

The police stop with guns drawn is bizarre and could have easily turned tragic. Couldn't an officer just stopped them and asked to see identification or simply asked them about looking at license plates? I thought that in the US there was a presumption of innocence. This poor woman and her family were treated like they had brandished guns, were identified as robbery suspects or implicated in some other serious criminal act. This is police overreaction and with some common sense should never have happened.

[staytrue]

The dayton air force museum has a collection of stuff that rivals air and space museum in Washington dc.

They have full scale b-52, f22, b29, b24, spitfires, etc. in the hangars and it is not that crowded.

It is also the permanent home of the Doolittle gobblets as the last toast was given last year at the Dayton museum with the three surviving Doolittle raiders.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The police stop with guns drawn is bizarre and could have easily turned tragic. Couldn't an officer just stopped them and asked to see identification or simply asked them about looking at license plates? I thought that in the US there was a presumption of innocence.

I think you live in the same 1950s snow globe that I do. I'll keep my eye open for you next time I head down to the Rexall soda fountain.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

They have full scale b-52, f22, b29, b24, spitfires, etc. in the hangars and it is not that crowded.

And a B17 cutaway fuselage...and Little Boy & Fat Man.

[TomServo]

...and Little Boy & Fat Man.

[Grams A]

My grandson wants to go to Europe and design cars after he graduates from college. We often stop at local car lots on weekends just to see what’s there and sometimes he gets a tape measure and pad and pencil out if he sees a car whose design appeals to him and he wants to draw a picture and jot down dimensions.

Have had police stop on occasion to see what we were doing but never been threatened, harassed or arrested. More often than not my grandson engages the guy in conversation about cars. Did have one though that did say our actions would more than likely arouse suspicions, warned us to be careful and suggested that we confine our visits to times when the dealership was open.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Welcome to Amerika.

[Haiku Guy]

Here is an experiment you can try at home. Report your own car has been stolen so your license plate gets into the database of stolen vehicles. Wait a few days and then blow through a stop sign in front of one of your local cops, and see what kind of response you get.

Confirmed report of a stolen vehicle will result in a high risk stop, which means guns drawn, in any jurisdiction in the country.

[Haiku Guy]

Read the article.

They were driving around the lot looking at all the cars. That got their license plate called in. The report back from the database that the vehicle was stolen is what got them stopped.

If that doesn’t work for you, feel free to make up any fact pattern you want to make your point.

[Pontiac]

They have full scale b-52, f22, b29, b24, spitfires, etc. in the hangars and it is not that crowded.

When I was there (25 years ago) they had a SR-71 and a full Saturn 5.

Those are things you just don’t see every day at a museum.

[Pontiac]

Little Boy & Fat Man.

More like Fat Boy and Fat Head.