Chicagoist: Tank Johnson Arrested... Again!

nmpkm

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 23:09:04 -0600

Um, I think the Cowboys dynasty of the 90's would beg to differ, LD. Micheal "crack rocks" Irvin, Nate "600+ lbs. of weed in the back of the truck" Newton, and the notorious "White House" where all the players partied in the offseason. And they won, what, 3 Super Bowls?

LD

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:20:41 -0600

Most of the Football players that play in the NFL probably have a criminal background, so who cares. This kind of thing always ruins a team from winning the superbowl.

jocelyn

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:21:29 -0600

i am not a fan of guns. in fact, i am for pretty strict gun control. however, i think nick's got a pretty good point. unless there's some reason to believe there's a dangerous criminal in a home, sitting and waiting with a weapon inside, i don't really see the need for an actual SWAT team to be deployed to serve warrants. some backup? sure. but full on crazy ass navy seal SWAT team action? that's wack.

NSH

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:58:44 -0600

Jeff, Tank doesn't live at 51st & ashland, I can't think of a scenario that would lead to guns from Tanks Gurnee home ending up in the hands of a gangbanger, on ebay maybe but Blackstone Rangers, doubt it. You're argument holds as much water as a towel that is already wet. (just thought of that, thank you, thank you)

navin

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 13:05:15 -0600

Hey give him a break. The guns are a back up plan for when people finally wise up and get bored of football.

Jeff C.

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 13:00:13 -0600

Hey Nick, You're right, you are allowed to own weapons in this great country. But in this case, Tank "I'm-300-pounds-but-still-feel-the-need-to-protect-myself-with-assault-rifles"Johnson didn't follow the proper procedure and illegally acquired the weapons. While gun violence of any kind is tragic, I ask you this: Which is worse? A criminal subsequently being shot by police after firing at them with an illegally acquired weapon? Or keeping that unregistered assault rifle on the street where it could fall into the hands of a gang-banger who might use it in a drive-by that kills an innocent 8-year-old?

nmpkm

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:34:24 -0600

How could Gurnee go after Tank while that weird, dancing, wrinkly, old guy that does all that crazy dancing over at Six Flags gets to walk around like a free man? His face is the material of nightmares, I tell you!

Nick Charles

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:32:21 -0600

I think there is a much larger point being missed here. Why the heck was a SWAT Team deployed in the first place. A SWAT TEAM???? I assume these are the guys who come, dressed in ninja costumes, bashing down doors destroying Mr. Johnson’s private property - over - over- what? 2 ounces of pot and some guns (this is still America where we can own guns right)? BTW 6 guns isn't "a cache" of weapons - and each one you list is perfectly legal. All this for what amounts to a small fine for Mr. Johnson? What would have happened if a person inside startled by their door being bashed in, and thinking they were being robbed, picked up a weapon and shot in self defense??? I'll tell you what: a devastating onsluaght of gunfire from SWAT weapons like FULLY AUTOMATIC HK UMP 45's and other submachine gun variants capable of firing over 600 rounds per minute. There were children in that house. Last year more than 50,000 such raids were performed by SWAT teams across the country - 99% were for the purpose of SERVING WARRANTS - NOT hostage situations, etc. where their use would be appropriate. I refer you to www.theAgitator.com Radley Balko’s site formerly of the CATO Institute to see the tragic consequences of such unnecessary raids. I refer you to the shooting death of 18 year old Mr. Strickland, a student who was shoot twice (head and chest) THROUGH HIS CLOSED FRONT DOOR by a SWAT team looking for a stolen X-Box. People are being maimed and killed by these little men playing army in our neighborhoods. And here is yet another example of mis-use of SWAT teams. Why not just knock on the door with a warrant using a normal community police man - just like it always used to be done - before we started turning our community police forces into paramilitary units? Respectfully, Nick Charles http://welcome2nicksplace.blogspot.com/

Wilt

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:56:20 -0600

"Why did the cops set up an investigation since November and get a warrant to raid over unregistered weapons resulting in misdemeanor charges? This is the real question. " Because he's a rich black man in Gurnee? Just sayin'. Funny how they use the flash bombs and bust into the place to find his baby momma, two kids, smoked-up friend and some unregistered guns that get you nothing more than a misdemanor charge. Must have been the most exciting op for the Gurnee PD in years. Odds are he'll get a continuance on his hearing and it'll be pushed back into February after the season is finished.

A

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:46:01 -0600

If Chicago wants to prove itself as a real football town, the powers that be need to "reschedule" the hearing to maybe mid-February? They've done it in places way less corrupt than Chicago.

nmpkm

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:06:20 -0600

NSH, Over at Deadspin they mentioned that they've been investigating him for drug charges for a while, the guns were just the icing on the cake. But as that's another blog that full of conjecture, too, take it with a grain of salt.

vinny

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:47:03 -0600

"their two children and a friend were presents[!] as the Gurnee police SWAT team" proof-READ! proof-READ! proof-READ!

NSH

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:31:50 -0600

Why did the cops set up an investigation since November and get a warrant to raid over unregistered weapons resulting in misdemeanor charges? This is the real question.

nmpkm

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:19:22 -0600

I was waiting for a Bengals joke in there... got it just in time. Man, I like Tank, too. When Micheal Haynes was with the team the both of them would go to the Dairy Queen in Bourbonnais during Training Camp and just sit and talk football with anyone that sat with them.

Bainard

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:13:04 -0600

Hey! Leave my Bengals out of this! Marvin Lewis has plenty of stuff to deal with as it is, like 15% of his active roster under arrest, and the entire state of kentucky.