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kids threw waterballons at me today. What now?

motorman4life said:
Would it be "okay" with you if some kids threw a water ballon at you while you are in uniform? Say you roll up on a hot DV call and you catch a water baloon in the groin.. splash, from a passing vehicle. Are you just going to laugh it off?
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Or sipping a latte? Or while stopped at a red light? I agree- it would be immediate Contempt of Cop and sure as hell not laughed off ("Those silly kids").:(
 
I'm in no way trying to say that I wouldn't be pissed or that I would "laugh it off," but furthering it to the point of trying to prosecute the children is just ridiculous... that's all.
 
I hear ya. This track does suggest though, that maybe it is more daunting. What if the target was the Mayor? A local store owner? A homeless person? A mom with a child in a stroller? Someone in a business suit? A tradesman? A teacher? My first reaction too was one should just blow it off and move on...but as I think it through, its not so funny any longer- and not sensible to have to factor "who" the target is to make it ok or not.
 
NorCalBusa said:
I hear ya. This track does suggest though, that maybe it is more daunting. What if the target was the Mayor? A local store owner? A homeless person? A mom with a child in a stroller? Someone in a business suit? A tradesman? A teacher? My first reaction too was one should just blow it off and move on...but as I think it through, its not so funny any longer- and not sensible to have to factor "who" the target is to make it ok or not.
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I hear ya -- but the thing is... all those "what if's..."... they didn't happen.

That's like saying the punishment for shooting a firearm into the air should be the same or similar as someone who shoots it *at* a person (and misses)... merely based on the "what if the round had came down and struck a...[insert whatever here]."

The what-if thing is always good to look at -- I'm not disputing that... but the what-if didn't happen and that cannot be ignored.

The baloon didn't strike the bicycle rider. The baloon was thrown by a child. The baloon didn't strike a police officer, mayor, business owner, person with a stroller, etc. The baloon toss didn't cause any injury or loss of any kind. Etc. etc.

Again, I hear what you're saying -- but people who persue things like this (to prosecute for assault or whatever he wants) is just ridiculous.
 
So let's say, for the sake of argument, the balloon did hit someone- now what is the response/consequence? Does there have to be some harm done for it to glean attention? Or is getting someone wet merely enough? Let's say (in the realm of possibility) the person in a suit had an important meeting, or the LEO had a hot call come in, or whatever- the action created a condition none of the victims signed up for or wanted? I have trouble accepting a stupid and selfish action (for the thrower's own amusement/pleasure) is ok as long as, "nothing bad happens" as a result.

(I think firearms takes this to an entirely different level- so I'll stick to the OP's)
 
If it did hit someone I'd say the children being admonished and punished by their parents is appropriate for the crime which they participated in.

Being admonished for doing stupid things as a child -- especially when mostly harmless -- being criminally prosecuted for them is where my issue comes in.
 
I don't think the OP really wanted to prosecute, as professionals you guys do provide a side to the possibilities we don't necessarily see, and that has been stated here.

I believe he just wanted someone to make an “official” impression on the kids, probably would have more lasting results than if he or the parents did it.
 
antarius said:
If it did hit someone I'd say the children being admonished and punished by their parents is appropriate for the crime which they participated in.

Being admonished for doing stupid things as a child -- especially when mostly harmless -- being criminally prosecuted for them is where my issue comes in.
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Something about being spoken to by someone with handcuffs, and a sidearm strapped to his/her side put the appropriate fear of what if into the little shits.
Agree not to pursue prosecution but I like the idea of the biggest, meanest, scarred up, twisted, angry, dark, and bitter cop pounding on the door with his gnarled fist and just presenting the little bitch with a busted up water balloon-looking her in the eye and maybe just a low guttural growl.
Far more effective than a mild scolding from Mommy and Daddy
 
Maybe it was these geniuses, and now they've gotten their just rewards:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/13/BAM8118R08.DTL

(06-13) 09:28 PDT DANVILLE -- Two teenage boys lying on blankets in a street in Danville were run over early this morning by a woman delivering newspapers.

The 15-year-olds were trapped for a time under the driver's Nissan Sentra before being extricated by rescuers from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, said Sgt. Phillip Wisotsky of the Danville Police Department.

One boy suffered moderate injuries, while the other's injuries were minor, Wisotsky said. They were taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where police plan to question them later today.

"We don't know why they were in the street," Wisotsky said.

The incident occurred at 3:24 a.m. on Ashland Court. The driver had delivered newspapers to the cul de sac and drove over the teens as she was leaving, apparently not seeing them.

Wisotsky did not know which newspapers the woman was delivering.
 
Hey Joey! I gotta an idea. What if we freak out the newspaper lady by looking like dead bodies rolled in blankets?

Nahhh- let's just go to the zoo and screw with the tigers...


:rolleyes
 
Maybe they are in drama club and the coach said, "You can't just ACT like dead bodies, you have BECOME the dead body." They'll probably get A+s and Mummy and PaPa will buy them cars.
 
Mommy and Daddy will sue the newspaper delivery driver for not having headlights that properly illuminated the roadway which would have shown their stupid fucking children laying in the middle....

If someone could only have launched a water balloon at them, at the same time...
 
antarius said:
stupid fucking children
time...
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And there we have the entire problem!
....not to mention an additional legal issue as fucking children is against the law!
 
Mystery solved: They were out "stargazing" and fell asleep.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/13/BAM8118R08.DTL&tsp=1

Uh huh. More like, out "smoking a fat one" and fell asleep. And kudos to Sgt. Wisotsky for the quote of the day, "It is a public roadway and people aren't supposed to sleep on it."

(06-13) 15:15 PDT DANVILLE -- Two teenage boys who fell asleep while stargazing in the middle of a street in Danville were run over early this morning by a woman delivering newspapers from her car.

The 15-year-olds were trapped for a time under the driver's Nissan Sentra before being extricated by rescuers from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, said Sgt. Phillip Wisotsky of the Danville Police Department.

One teen suffered a punctured lung and a broken bone, while the other youth's injuries consisted mostly of "road rash," Wisotsky said. They were taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where police questioned them today.

"They said they had gone out into the street to look at the stars," Wisotsky said. "They laid blankets down ... fell asleep and got run over."

The incident occurred at 3:24 a.m. on Ashland Court. The driver, who delivers The Chronicle and other newspapers on the cul de sac, drove over the teens as she was leaving, apparently not seeing them.

Wisotsky said an investigation is under way "as to who is at fault. It is illegal to lay in the street. It is a public roadway and people aren't supposed to sleep on it."

According to Chris Blaser, vice president of circulation at The Chronicle, the driver was a subcontractor delivering papers for a Danville distributor.

"She is very shaken up," he said.
 
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A whole nother thread on that article. Back to topic at hand.

Waterballoons thrown by kids. I would have been curious as to their ages. Makes a difference, along with parent attitude, how I'd treat it.

Just as quick example: A few weeks ago my wife, baby, and I are driving past a school. *CRACK*. Kid threw a rock and it hit the truck, chipped a tiny bit of the window. Thankfully, not through the rolled down window and into wife's face or baby.

The school people called the cops as procedure, and the father as well. Dad came downa and was real cool, offered to pay, etc. I let them off the hook 100%. Sheriff gave me a card and said if I want to be paid for damages to call him. Tossed his card, too.

So it depends. In my situation, a rock actually hit. But it was a young kid(12-14 years old), minor damage done, and the dad was cool. I think somewhere between 16-20 you draw the line, though. Also with idiot parents, stick it to them.
 
You're a much nicer person than me.
If I were you, I'd make them pay for the new window. I don't see why you wouldn't.
If it were my kid who throw the rock, I'd make sure I paid for that window. Then I would proceed to remove any entertainment besides books from his grasp. And I would make sure he paid me back double the amount through making him do whatever unsavory chore around my house, my parents or in-laws or so forth. At a pay rate I determined. And, it would have to be done to my standards or it didn't count.
Some might seem light to some or (as my wife thinks) draconian to others. But I think that personal responsiblity isn't, and hasn't been, taught to the youth of America for a while. Along with an undeserved sense of entitlement, is what making this country stink to the rest of the world. And I'm doing what I can with my kid(s) to make sure they do not add to the problem.
 
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