In an event which you would normally see if you left a safe place in between waves of a psilocybin mushroom trip, a man in Texas was found wearing a banana costume, and holding an AK-47 with a 50-round clip attached. Via 12 News Now:
Beaumont police were called to Eastex Freeway near Highway 105 Saturday morning by people complaining about a man dressed as a banana holding an AK-47.
Derek Poe, owner of Golden Triangle Tactical, told 12News Saturday that it was part of the store’s grand opening after moving locations from Parkdale Mall.
Poe said the man in the banana suit was holding an AK-47 across his back with the barrel pointing down and holding a sign with an arrow pointing toward the store. He said this idea was to attract customers to the store.
Yeah, most advertising meetings start with a pitch like, “What if, now stay with me here, instead of just a mascot, we give him an AK-47 near a mall! It’s perfect!”
A Beaumont police spokesperson said officers temporarily detained the 18-year-old and found he had the rifle with a drum magazine attached with at least a 50-round capacity. The spokesperson said the teen was cited for violating a city ordinance that prohibits soliciting in and alongside roadways.
This is another example of not going through the common sense checklist. Somewhere on that list is to not dress like a fruit and carry a machine gun in a public area. Not sure if anyone knows this, but there have been some terrible shootings in the past few years.
What surprised me the most is that the teen didn’t get arrested for owning an illegal weapon. Then I realized it’s Texas, and it’s legal to own an AK-47. So, standing in public with an AK-47 only gets you a few years in jail at least?
His gun was seized and he was later charged with disorderly conduct after police say witnesses claimed they were scared for their lives.
Disorderly conduct? According to the Texas Penal Code, swearing in public is in the same category as, “displaying a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm.” Yeah, that sounds about right.
Via Gawker, 12 News Now