This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Rebel Alliance / Crime Portland Police Respond to Call of Raging Jedi Swinging Lightsaber
Posted by Denis C. Theriault on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 8:26 AM
I'll admit to a little bit of push and pull before posting this one. One on hand, it's about a man swinging a lightsaber at a toy store, and briefly fending off the police with it. But, then, hey—buzzkill!—the case, at heart, is also about someone struggling with mental illness.
Anyway, here's what the Portland police had to say last night. It speaks for itself:
This evening, Wednesday December 14, 2011, at 9:51 p.m., Portland Police officers assigned to North Precinct responded to the Toys R Us at Jantzen Beach on the report that a man was inside the store swinging a toy light saber at customers and had assaulted at least three people with the light saber. As officers were still enroute to the store, the caller reported that the suspect walked outside Toys R Us with the light saber and was in the parking lot.Officers arrived and attempted to take the suspect into custody but he continued to swing the light saber and was yelling incoherent statements. One officer attempted to use a Taser but it was ineffective. A second officer used a Taser which made good contact but the suspect used the light saber to break one of the wires. Officers then were able to grab onto the suspect and take him to the ground and place him into custody as he continued to violently struggle and yell incoherent statements.
The suspect was treated by medical personnel at the scene has been transported to an area hospital for a mental evaluation. None of the victims of the light saber assault required medical attention at the scene.
The only unanswered question: What color was the lightsaber? Police spokesman Sergeant Pete Simpson had the answer this morning: "It was a 'blue' lightsaber, which, as I recall is, favored by those in the Rebel Alliance."
The man was identified as 33-year-old David Allen Canterbury, who was placed on a mental health hold and was cited for three counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of disorderly conduct, one county of theft and one count of interfering with a cop.
Oh, and not to rain on the yuks again—but if this guy had something in his hand even just a little more dangerous than a toy lightsaber, we might not be chuckling over this. Because he just as easily could have gotten himself shot.
4
I was surprised that the headline didn't read. "Portland Police empty service weapons in to dangerous man fielding deadly futuristic weapon"
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