The driver told police that a man with a gun came up to the truck, tried to rob him and then the man walked away.

then...

A police dog was used to look for a gun, but no weapon was found.

then

Eggleton said [the kid] was cooperative with their investigation and had job applications, including one to Brinks, in his pockets at the time of his arrest.


That's some shiatty recall on the driver

Won't this help the kid? He could list this experience as "law enforcement/legal" experience and testing protection on armored car on his resume.

It's easy to mistake a phone or something similar for a gun - especially if you only get a fleeting glimpse - and normally people hide a gun until they actually stick it in your face.

Having said that, I bet the driver was asleep and was startled by being suddenly woken up. LOL

Won't somebody think of all the unemployed Brinks trucks?

Driving though the gates of Richard Bastard's house right now.

That's some mighty fine police work there, Lou.

"He banged on the window and that scared the driver," Eggleton said. "You don't approach those guys very often. They are on high alert because they carry a large amount of cash."

Oh yeah, he was on such high alert that he didn't notice someone approaching the truck until the kid tapped on the window.

Eggleton said police offered Sharp an application to work for the city's street department.

Seriously, the kid's a go-getter.

So why wasn't the driver arrested for filing a false police report?

People can't really think it's illegal to make a report to the police based on their own, honest, recollection of a situation, even if that recollection is subsequently proven to be false?

/puzzled

myinternetname: So why wasn't the driver arrested for filing a false police report?

Because there was no malicious intent. Going after jumpy dumbasses who turn out to be wrong would cause an unintended chilling effect. Preventing the citizenry from reporting dangerous/suspicious things (even if they may or may not be there) is bad public policy.

I have a neighbor who was a Brinks driver for about a year. He actually quit because of the military style rules they have about engaging the public in unusual situations. They always have to assume that someone approaching them is armed and trying to rob the truck. It sounded like they are even more on alert about always assuming bad intent than the average cop would ever dream to be.

pkellmey: I have a neighbor who was a Brinks driver for about a year. He actually quit because of the military style rules they have about engaging the public in unusual situations. They always have to assume that someone approaching them is armed and trying to rob the truck. It sounded like they are even more on alert about always assuming bad intent than the average cop would ever dream to be.

This is why I give them a wide berth. Anyone who carries a gun for a living, isn't a friend to me. They are a potential shooting, waiting to happen.

Not like the trucks are armored with bulletproof windows for no reason...he could have talked to the kid with no worries as long as he kept the damn door shut.

bukijin: It's easy to mistake a phone or something similar for a gun - especially if you only get a fleeting glimpse - and normally people hide a gun until they actually stick it in your face.

Having said that, I bet the driver was asleep and was startled by being suddenly woken up. LOL

This. I dated a guy who worked for a similar company, forget which one. He actually lost his job because he was caught sleeping while his partner was droppinng off cash.

/Protip: don't go up to a truck and ask if they deliver. They HATE that.

missiv: pkellmey: I have a neighbor who was a Brinks driver for about a year. He actually quit because of the military style rules they have about engaging the public in unusual situations. They always have to assume that someone approaching them is armed and trying to rob the truck. It sounded like they are even more on alert about always assuming bad intent than the average cop would ever dream to be.

This is why I give them a wide berth. Anyone who carries a gun for a living, isn't a friend to me. They are a potential shooting, waiting to happen.

As someone who used to have a side job working for an FFL at a gun store/range, I carried on and off work. Go fark yourself sir or ma'am.
/6'2" 160lbs 25yo but looks 20. You wouldn't assume I would be a "potential shooting waiting to happen." I stand next to you in the grocery store. *GASP*
//ex-dispatcher, knows a little paranoia is more than justified.

LazerSharkie: Not like the trucks are armored with bulletproof windows for no reason...he could have talked to the kid with no worries as long as he kept the damn door shut.

He probably could have. But he probably shouldn't. The kid you are chatting with could be part of a larger group, with his job being to distract you.

Well it didn't end bad as I thought it would.

JuggleGeek: LazerSharkie: Not like the trucks are armored with bulletproof windows for no reason...he could have talked to the kid with no worries as long as he kept the damn door shut.

He probably could have. But he probably shouldn't. The kid you are chatting with could be part of a larger group, with his job being to distract you.

Finally someone with common sense. I'm with the other guy that said most of the folks in this thread can go fark themselves. Anyone who carries a gun for a living IS a friend of mine. I'm a white guy who doesn't live in a good part of town and you know how many times I've been robbed at gunpoint? Six. You can hardly trust anybody these days just walking down the street, much less when you are sitting in a FARKING ARMORED CAR WITH TONS OF CASH IN IT. Use your head folks. The guy was doing what he thought was best.

pkellmey: I have a neighbor who was a Brinks driver for about a year. He actually quit because of the military style rules they have about engaging the public in unusual situations. They always have to assume that someone approaching them is armed and trying to rob the truck. It sounded like they are even more on alert about always assuming bad intent than the average cop would ever dream to be.

They sort of have to be right? They are quite a desirable target.

I Hope Your Plane Crashes Twice: I'm a white guy who doesn't live in a good part of town and you know how many times I've been robbed at gunpoint? Six.

you should move

Dr.Zom: Eggleton said police offered Sharp an application to work for the city's street department.

Seriously, the kid's a go-getter.

I'm surprised more people didn't point this out. I mean seriously, how awesome were the cops to go above and beyond and offer the kid an application for the city? So rare to hear any good deed from a cop these days. These little things make me feel there are some good ones still out there.

JackalRabbit: I Hope Your Plane Crashes Twice: I'm a white guy who doesn't live in a good part of town and you know how many times I've been robbed at gunpoint? Six.

you should move

Agreed.

Let's review the facts: West Virginia, most likely a white driver, either had a pre-conceived notion or simply lied that a black kid who approached him had a gun and intent to rob him.

Now what does this sound like?

missiv: pkellmey: I

This is why I give them a wide berth. Anyone who carries a gun for a living, isn't a friend to me. They are a potential shooting, waiting to happen.



/you sound like a dirty socalist hippy.
//You guys have internet down at the 'Occupy Private Property' protest?
///Missiv is down with 'OPP'

This one time
I was working at a shipping company
Took a break, and this man wandered up to me and says
HEY GIVE ME A JOB!
it was scary, and if I had a gun I would have shot him


CSB?

ACEllis: missiv:

This is why I give them a wide berth. Anyone who carries a gun for a living, isn't a friend to me. They are a potential shooting, waiting to happen.


As someone who used to have a side job working for an FFL at a gun store/range, I carried on and off work. Go fark yourself sir or ma'am.
/6'2" 160lbs 25yo but looks 20. You wouldn't assume I would be a "potential shooting waiting to happen." I stand next to you in the grocery store. *GASP*
//ex-dispatcher, knows a little paranoia is more than justified.



Way to be douchey about a proper way to think about the situation. She/He wasn't saying you are a menace to society, and you are probably reading to literally into the word "friend".

If you are packing heat, it may get hot. Giving you some room to breath is not only respectable, but probably the right course of action.

Also - NOT funny:

I was kinda mad they held him for a couple hours, but then I saw they sorta offered him a job when he left.

That's cool.

cbackous: Anytime I see an armored car pull up I take a picture of it and note the time in a very obvious, over the top fashion.

They always look at me strange...

i prefer to just count coup on them and then run away

I Hope Your Plane Crashes Twice: I'm a white guy who doesn't live in a good part of town

Which town?

italie: ACEllis: missiv:

This is why I give them a wide berth. Anyone who carries a gun for a living, isn't a friend to me. They are a potential shooting, waiting to happen.


As someone who used to have a side job working for an FFL at a gun store/range, I carried on and off work. Go fark yourself sir or ma'am.
/6'2" 160lbs 25yo but looks 20. You wouldn't assume I would be a "potential shooting waiting to happen." I stand next to you in the grocery store. *GASP*
//ex-dispatcher, knows a little paranoia is more than justified.



Way to be douchey about a proper way to think about the situation. She/He wasn't saying you are a menace to society, and you are probably reading to literally into the word "friend".

If you are packing heat, it may get hot. Giving you some room to breath is not only respectable, but probably the right course of action.

Exactly. The dudes are carrying guns for a reason, I don't want to hang around them all that long.

Same thing with cops, I hate being around them. Nothing good can come of their presence. Just gives me the heebie jeebies when they are around, they just always seem like they are skulking around.

Everyone knows only convicted killers can drive an amoured truck. You'll need that edge when you abandon your buddy in a pool of blood and drive off.

AC drivers are trained to approach things in very extreme ways. For instance, they are told that if they are involved in an auto accident while on route - never stop. Report it and go on. EVEN IF A COP tries to stop them, they are supposed to ignore it and stay on route until the money is back at base.

And back at the station where they keep the money, things get even more cute, with all sorts of security procedure and pretty much everyone packing personal and work weaponry. ...last place you would ever want to try to rob.

/friend used to work for an AC company

I know several armored truck drivers. They are not the most intelligent bunch of fellas, and most of them are a little too happy to unholster a weapon. This kid is lucky he didn't end up with a hole in him.

FarkinNortherner: People can't really think it's illegal to make a report to the police based on their own, honest, recollection of a situation, even if that recollection is subsequently proven to be false?

If people are having "honest recollections" of things that never happened, it's called Delusions, and they need mental help.

Sorry -- the kid fails on multiple levels.

A black male - approaching an armored car that's probably filled with a few hundred K? Yeah of course the guy was just going to roll down his bullet proof window an start chatting. *rolls eyes*

If you are hired as armed security and personally responsible for millions upon millions of dollars, you do your job and are on alert every second of the job. Brinks didn't hire him to be a sensitivity trainer, or a community outreach member.

Should I reasonably expect a construction flag waver guy to stop doing his job and talk to me if I ever (I woudln't) want a job waving a flag at cars telling them to stop and go? No, I'd expect to be told to get lost as this is a major safety issue. My question at this point is, do you think Brinks would hire someone such as this? If you are carrying a paper application in your back pocket, I'm going to guess that he didn't get the job. Everything is online these days.

If my ass is on the line and responsible for that much money, I'd be eying anyone that comes within 20feet of my armored car, if someone is stupid enough to knock on the window than I think thats certainly worth a call to the cops. Let's put it another way more people might understand -- ever notice how every door and sides of an armored car has a gun port? What do you suppose that's for?

Sure will be awkward when this comes up in the interview...........