How Two People Researching A TV Show Got in a Gunfight

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Tuesday, January 14, 2003 | MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS

[TroutStalker]

LOS ANGELES -- There are a million stories in this town, and any one of them could end up as a screenplay. On a cool night last summer, Todd Kessler and Jan Oxenberg -- both screenwriters -- found themselves in the middle of their own script.

[Wolfie]

...and Officer Deamer had a small speaking part.

Which undoubtedly involved yelling "Dude!Dude!" a lot.

[dsmatuska]

"...pathetic profession,"...

Nice to hear them admit it.

[justshe]

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[Willie Green]

and Ms. Oxenberg, who won't talk about her age,

Bobby Riggs incognito???

[Don W]

Twenty-one shots had been fired, and nobody was hit. The LAPD ruled last month that the officers acted correctly.

And according to the gun-grabbers,only the police and military should possess firearms. I would think that some serious time on the range, especially for the guy who had the back surgery, would be a priority. It certainly would be for me.

Then there's the 3 strikes thing: Would this guy have drawn and fired at the cops had the fear of hard time not been there? It seems to show that mandatory sentencing is counter-productive, unless you like firefights in the streets.

[RAT Patrol]

Wild!

I found this comment interesting: "Life and gun battles are a hell of a lot more chaotic than they're portrayed in our pathetic profession," she says.

[KantianBurke]

3 Strike Laws are imho a lesser evil than having liberal judges, which Cali is riddled with, handing out slaps on the wrists to violent felons like candy. Such an environment led to the passage of the bill in the first place.

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Officer Deamer's pistol was tangled up in the air bag and the team's shotgun was stuck in its holder by the front seat."

And these cops will probably show up in Sacramento next year to testify in favor of legislation requiring trigger locks or "safe, unloaded" storage of firearms in the home.

[Imal]

Then there's the 3 strikes thing: Would this guy have drawn and fired at the cops had the fear of hard time not been there? It seems to show that mandatory sentencing is counter-productive, unless you like firefights in the streets.

This guy was a twice-convicted felon -- and gang member, which means this guy almost certainly has committed dozens more felonies on a routine basis for which we was NOT convicted -- and was illegally carrying a gun in rival gang territory. When approached by police, rather than do something like, oh, say RUN, he starts shooting.

And you are suggesting that this is somehow a problem with the "three strikes" system? This murderous bastard is clearly far too dangerous to be running around free, and has duly earned the life sentence being prepared for him.

Your thinly veiled contention that laws are the problem, rather than violent habitual criminals, is both shocking and morally bankrupt.

You may want to think more clearly about this issue.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Now that was funny.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Twenty-one shots and no hits (except by the squad car)? Someone is in definite need of gun control.

[Eagle Eye]

Your thinly veiled contention that laws are the problem, rather than violent habitual criminals, is both shocking and morally bankrupt.

Is your knee-jerk over?

The courts are supposed to mete out punishments. Mandatory sentencing laws are wrong-headed and just as bad as courts legislating from the bench.

If judges are not performing properly, use the existing constitutional means to remove them, don't just write more laws.

This jparticular case shows the weakness of the three strikes laws as well as the fallacies of gun laws.

[ijcr]

Now if Mr. Castillo was wearing a dog outfit, it would have been over in a single shot.

[Don W]

Thank you for your well-worded and concise rebuttal to Imal. You said what I was trying to say FAR better than I could have.

[Redcloak]

I remember the episode that came out of this. In the screenplay, the homie's gun is considerably more interesting than an old East German pistol; it's a full-auto AK-47!

Ain't Hollywood somethin'?!?

[an amused spectator]

Your thinly veiled contention that laws are the problem, rather than violent habitual criminals, is both shocking and morally bankrupt.

Is it just me? We have a "justice system" where a guy can publicly hose down the scenery in front of a bazillion witnesses, and then plead "not guilty", and be taken seriously. The system is a freaking joke.

We need a "ya did it, dude" exception to the "innocent until proven guilty" rule. I don't think it ever crossed the minds of the Founding Fathers that arguing over the obvious was going to be an integral part of the American justice system two centuries later.

[JeeperFreeper]

Thanks for the post.

"...pathetic profession..." sums up the performing arts as practiced in Hollyweird very nicely.
If a few more actors, directors and musicians could get a taste of real life along these lines, liberals would be rare as dodos in that sick twisted community