Friday News Roundup

Such an odd mix of  weird news articles this week. My trusty sidekick and I have looked  under every rock and behind every closed door and found some stories that we thought were pretty interesting.

Let's start with some bungled crime for the week.  It wasn't a great caper on the part of the bandits but it sure makes for some great headlines. 


Sofa King stupid crooks forget to close getaway van

A pair of  "less than brilliant" thieves make a strategic error in planning their get away after loading a couple nice leather sofas into their panel van.  The duo of thieves must of needed some seating for their hideout and decided to help themselves to a couple of sofas from the Sofa King Store. 

Their crime spree was cut short as a store employee ran out to rescue the stolen furniture and in their  haste to leave the crime scene, they made the job much easier.

CCTV footage shows the men speeding off empty-handed as the store manager stands with the two sofas he's just rescued. 




What are the odds that the store would be the Sofa King Store?  That is Sofa King funny! 



Not Doing Much for Job Security

There is the great debate whether strange things are more likely to happen under a full moon.  For the 4 years I was a 911 dispatcher (when I was young and fearless) I can tell you that on the nights that had a full moon, the calls were WAY more interesting.

In my experience it was usually the criminals that came out in force on the night of a full moon not a cop calling in with a stupid problem.

Still this past week, a policeman in Worcestershire, England put his fellow policemen on alert after seeing a strange light shining over the area of Clent Hills. He contacted a sergeant that he was going to launch an investigation. Unfortunately, 20 minutes later he had to call back to the station and admit he didn't need backup.  He located the source of the light.


Oopsie...what the officer was seeing was the light from the full moon. To add to his embarrassment, the gaffe was detailed in the latest edition of a Police magazine.

There is always a good side to everything.  Now the other officers have someone to make fun of. 

 Are You Are Trying To Lose Your Job?

  

 A New Orleans man resigned this week after allegedly dropping a joint at work.

Jason Cantrell, a city prosecutor, dropped a joint out of his pocket...in a courtroom...while he was talking to two police officers...one of those officers was a detective.According to sources talking  to the Times Picayune, the scene became comical as the two police officers looked at the joint, then at each other and proceeded to make what may be the easiest arrest that has ever taken place in the history of police work.

Mr. Cantrall was released after he was cited under a city policy for low-level marijuana cases. This was a first offense.  His wife is currently running for New Orleans City Council. 

 That is one REALLY...YES...REALLY bad day at work.

It Didn't  Go Kaboom

Nearly everyday in America, a suspicious item is found in a public building. The building is evacuated and usually it turns out to be harmless. 

It happened Wednesday in Akron, Ohio when the City Hall was evacuated after someone found what looked like a pipe bomb.

The Summit County Bomb Squad, Akron police, Akron fire crews and even the University of Akron's K-9 unit all responded and determined it wasn't a bomb. Police gave the all clear at 10 a.m. ET.

So why are we telling you about it? 

Fox station WJW-TV of Cleveland reported that the item was a 4-foot-long aluminum stick with duct tape at both ends and the word "Kaboom" written across it.

It turns out "Kaboom" is a person, not a threat. According to WAKR radio of Akron:
"It was a homemade cane owned by James 'Natural' Kaboom — that's his legal name, of North Hill. He'd forgotten it at a meeting."

Ohio state records show that Kaboom's full legal name is actually Natural Hunka Kaboom. The Akron Beacon Journal describes him as "a regular attendee at City Council meetings."

Wouldn't it be fun to have the last name KABOOM? I would be careful what I write it on, though.