It's a good thing they declined to identify him.

Really? Just his picture and address.
The police should be embarrassed by stuff like this.

One 84-year-old neighbor was whisked into her basement as sharpshooters set up rifles in her living room and kitchen, pointed at the home where hostages were believed to be held.

So what do they do come into this old lady's house in the middle of winter in buffalo and set up shop in her living room with the windows all wide open for hours? I wonder if she will wonder why she runs out of oil a month early.

serial_crusher: lajimi: He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.

For sleeping on his own sofa? Forget it, oinkers, this guy just hit the lotto.

Well, evidently before he passed out he was acting mischievous enough for his mom to call the cops in the first place. Maybe that's what the charges are for?

Maybe she b*tched about him getting drunk and he told her to STFU. Why do people call the police during family disputes?

Planning on going out drinking? Don't sleep it off on your own couch, or you might wake up surrounded by a SWAT team who have been waiting patiently for you to release your hostages

Again?

All this over a passed out drunk and the police wonder why they're losing respect.

I guess with all the effort that they had to put out to call out all their toys and have a cop orgy, they have to charge him with something.

Ok I don't get it, Who told the police it was a hostage situation in the first place?

Okie_Gunslinger: Ok I don't get it, Who told the police it was a hostage situation in the first place?

Yeah, that is what I'm wondering. That is kind of an important detail to leave out of tfa.

serial_crusher: lajimi: He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.

For sleeping on his own sofa? Forget it, oinkers, this guy just hit the lotto.

Well, evidently before he passed out he was acting mischievous enough for his mom to call the cops in the first place. Maybe that's what the charges are for?

That's what I was thinking. He probably got roaring drunk, argued with his mother, then passed out after she called the cops.

lajimi: He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.

For sleeping on his own sofa? Forget it, oinkers, this guy just hit the lotto.

Im normally a staunch defender of policy actions but I had the exact same thought when I read that. He slept on his own farking couch.

Hilarious.

Gotta charge him with something when you bring the SWAT morons.

I_Am_Weasel: Tonawanda, eh?

Must have been a 4 alarm hostage taking.

I knew before I even clicked on your profile that you were from Ontario.

Why do Ontarians always seem to think that everything in WNY is on fire? I've never really understood that meme. I do not believe there are any more fires there than in any other place.

Cops:

slayer199: I'm wondering if one of his buddies thought it was a funny prank.

Police responded to 138 Findlay at 5:45 a.m. after the man's mother called to report her intoxicated son causing a disturbance. When police arrived, the woman told police her son was armed, police said.

I'm kind thinking mom isn't a buddy right now

I guess each member of the SWAT teams gets that overtime/combat pay enough for those $2500 80" plasma TVs, just in time. before property taxes go up 10%.

Death_Poot: Cops:

[t2.gstatic.com image 259x195]

Except in this case, the cops didn't shoot anyone or their dog, they didn't break down any doors, and they were quick to back off when they realized it was a false alarm.

Someone reported a hostage situation. How do you wan them to respond to that?

Doc Daneeka: I_Am_Weasel: Tonawanda, eh?

Must have been a 4 alarm hostage taking.

I knew before I even clicked on your profile that you were from Ontario.

Why do Ontarians always seem to think that everything in WNY is on fire? I've never really understood that meme. I do not believe there are any more fires there than in any other place.

He's referring to the fact that everything outside of the city of Buffalo garners a response from no less than 4 different companies of firemen. Yard breathers.

Fookin militarized idiot police.

When did this become all okey dokey?

Police are useless members of society.

lajimi: He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.

For sleeping on his own sofa? Forget it, oinkers, this guy just hit the lotto.

Just out of curiosity, why do you hate cops so much? I don't feel strongly either way, but I've seen you in Caturday threads and seems you're an ex-firefighter or EMT? Why the hate?

HotIgneous Intruder: Fookin militarized idiot police.

When did this become all okey dokey?

Based on the scant facts in the article, what do you think the appropriate response should be when the police get a report of someone acting drunk and out of control, who is armed, with other people in the house, who is not being responsive to attempts to communicate?

MycroftHolmes: HotIgneous Intruder: Fookin militarized idiot police.

When did this become all okey dokey?

Based on the scant facts in the article, what do you think the appropriate response should be when the police get a report of someone acting drunk and out of control, who is armed, with other people in the house, who is not being responsive to attempts to communicate?

Um, how about send a couple of officers to check out the report, for starters.
Looks like that guy walking his dog is armed, says the old lady.
Who ya gonna call?

/Authoritarian herd mentality, how does it work?
//It's Towanda, not Fallujah.
///Morans with guns.

"It was just a guy who had too much to drink," said Capt. Jonathan W. Scott. "We thought there was a hostage situation in there, and it turns out there wasn't."

Police responded to 138 Findlay at 5:45 a.m. after the man's mother called to report her intoxicated son causing a disturbance. When police arrived, the woman told police her son was armed, police said.

If he just had too much to drink, why the "criminal mischief" charge?

Why not charge the mother with filing a false police report and send her a bill for wasting the SWAT team's time?

jayphat: lajimi: He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.

For sleeping on his own sofa? Forget it, oinkers, this guy just hit the lotto.

Im normally a staunch defender of policy actions but I had the exact same thought when I read that. He slept on his own farking couch.

I'm usually the opposite, but according to the article, his mom said he was causing a drunken disturbance, and I assume that's the criminal mischief. The whole damn thing seems like her fault.

HotIgneous Intruder: MycroftHolmes: HotIgneous Intruder: Fookin militarized idiot police.

When did this become all okey dokey?

Based on the scant facts in the article, what do you think the appropriate response should be when the police get a report of someone acting drunk and out of control, who is armed, with other people in the house, who is not being responsive to attempts to communicate?

Um, how about send a couple of officers to check out the report, for starters.
Looks like that guy walking his dog is armed, says the old lady.
Who ya gonna call?

/Authoritarian herd mentality, how does it work?
//It's Towanda, not Fallujah.
///Morans with guns.

Precisely. Not enough information but having a drunk, redneck brother growing up, I'm sure the cops asked the mom, "Does he have any weapons?" and she said, "Yes," and before she could even get out "but he's not using them in any way" they had already called the swat team, taking a risk at scaring the 84 year old to death with a heart attack all well before they validated ANY information.

They have to spend that Federal money somehow, you know. Like they're going to risk their toys with a drug lord or crack den...

WhoGAS: HotIgneous Intruder: MycroftHolmes: HotIgneous Intruder: Fookin militarized idiot police.

When did this become all okey dokey?

Based on the scant facts in the article, what do you think the appropriate response should be when the police get a report of someone acting drunk and out of control, who is armed, with other people in the house, who is not being responsive to attempts to communicate?

Um, how about send a couple of officers to check out the report, for starters.
Looks like that guy walking his dog is armed, says the old lady.
Who ya gonna call?

/Authoritarian herd mentality, how does it work?
//It's Towanda, not Fallujah.
///Morans with guns.

Precisely. Not enough information but having a drunk, redneck brother growing up, I'm sure the cops asked the mom, "Does he have any weapons?" and she said, "Yes," and before she could even get out "but he's not using them in any way" they had already called the swat team, taking a risk at scaring the 84 year old to death with a heart attack all well before they validated ANY information.

They have to spend that Federal money somehow, you know. Like they're going to risk their toys with a drug lord or crack den...

The mother called the police and reported that he was drunk, disorderly, and armed. They tried to contact him, he was non-responsive. While your scenario is possible, it is not really likely. Given the facts that are being reported, without projecting your own family issues on the case and thinking that your family is a universal standard, the police response was reasonable. Yes, when dealing with reports of people armed and irrational, police often respond with overwhelming force in ways that least expose their officers or civilians to harm. Even though it often results in a perceived overreaction, I am ok with that. I would rather 100 of these than one incident where the cops (or hostages) or gunned down out of hand when responding to a report of someone armed and out of control.

What the fark does the TOWN of Tonawanda need a paramilitary SWAT team for?

vestona22: What the fark does the TOWN of Tonawanda need a paramilitary SWAT team for?

This.

vestona22: What the fark does the TOWN of Tonawanda need a paramilitary SWAT team for?

Tonawanda is actually a city.

4,252.9 people per square mile. Don't know if that merits a swat team, but its pretty tightly packed.

vestona22: What the fark does the TOWN of Tonawanda need a paramilitary SWAT team for?

To take down their epidemic of drunks sleeping on couches.

So RE: the old lady next door.

If SWAT wants to setup operations in your house do you have to let them in ?

SilentStrider: "Well Don, I was in Tonowanda, but then Hitler started this whole thing, so now I'm here."

+1

If they are to charge anybody, why not the mom for making a false report to the police?

/lucky there wasn't some trigger happy douche on the SWAT team that thought it would be fun to shoot a guy sleeping on the sofa for kicks