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Student brings BB gun on Madison Metro

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Also by Aubre Andrus:

UW prepares for Halloween (October 20, 2005)
City prepares for Halloween (October 20, 2005)
In-Depth: State Street's balancing act (September 1, 2005)
In-Depth: Destination: class (November 3, 2005)

by Aubre Andrus

Monday, February 21, 2005

A 15-year-old Madison West High School student was caught with a BB gun while riding a Madison Metro bus late Friday afternoon.

Madison Police Department officers arrested the student for illegally possessing a BB gun as a minor, disorderly conduct while armed and possession of a weapon on school grounds, according to police reports.

While the student was boarding a bus in the College Court and Park Street area, a citizen saw him attempting to conceal the gun. Officers located the bus and stopped it at Rusk Street and Rimrock Road, where they were able to find the suspect. Lt. Carl Strasburg said no one was injured in the incident.

According to the student, he brought the BB gun to Madison West High School that day because he was concerned there were gang members at school.

The officers took the suspect to the Juvenile Reception Center at the Dane County Courthouse.

Sergeant Rachel Peterson of the MPD said the department does not often deal with armed passengers on the Madison Metro buses.

“As far as the officers’ point of view, it was a very tactical call for us because it was a moving target: trying to stop a bus in rush hour,” Peterson said.

Strasburg said police often respond to different problems that can occur with the public transportation system. Because the Madison Metro bus system is a form of public transportation, it is not unusual for the police department to receive calls for help, Strasburg added.

According to Peterson, the police department is always willing to help the Madison Metro bus system with any unruly passengers that need to be removed from the bus. Although it is not common for passengers to be armed, it is common for juveniles to act up on the buses, Peterson added. The bus driver must then make a decision to pull over and then ask the police department for assistance.

According to the Dane County Juvenile Annual Report, 11 percent of the crimes committed by minors in 2003 involved weapons while 31 percent affected public health and safety. Almost 70 percent of the suspects involved in crimes against public health and safety were charged with disorderly conduct.

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Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 7:30am):

You'll shoot your eye out kid.

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 8:18am):

Oooh, little bad-ass is gonna off somebody! But with a BB-gun? Hell, I've been shot with one of those before. Big friggin' deal!

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 9:19am):

We wasted police resources on this? My gosh - my keys are more dangerous than a BB gun.

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 9:19am):

"Madison Police Department officers arrested the student for illegally possessing a BB gun as a minor"

Ehh, aren't BB guns designed for minors ?

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 10:11am):

That is a rediculous law, but the law as I remember it was if you are under 16 you can't purchase a bb gun, but you could still have one. But that was 10 years ago and the anti-gunners might have already changed the age on it. Also, it can make some difference with how powerful of a bb gun it is. A red rider type bb gun feels like getting snapped with a rubber band, but some of the multi pump air rifles can sting pretty bad, although it is not a huge deal.

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 12:56pm):

I think the main idea is that it looks like a glock. Every few years some kid gets blown away by the cops who think its a real gun or something. And I could be wrong, but the schools count BB guns as real guns in statistics (# of students expelled for carrying firearms, etc)

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 1:28pm):

It looks like a glock? See, this is why we need firearms education in schools. If they're going to have them anyways, we might as well teach how to use them safely.

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 1:56pm):

"See, this is why we need firearms education in schools. If they're going to have them anyways, we might as well teach how to use them safely."

Yeah, because giving emotionally unstable teenagers loaded firearms in schools where they're surrounded by people they don't like is a great way to promote safety.

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 3:01pm):

It's the same logic as sex education, for the last poster who didn't get the irony.

Anonymous (February 21, 2005 @ 4:45pm):

It's like George Carlin once said: "Okay Sheriff, we're gonna f*** ya now! But we're gonna f*** ya slow!"

Starfire (February 21, 2005 @ 9:46pm):

Obviously, the kid was homophobic, why else would he fear being sodomized by sweet, loving gang of thugs?

Obviously, public schools are no place for self defense. Just lie back (or lean forward) and take it, whether it's a gang or the NEA.

Well, I guess the NEA is a gang, of sorts.