Armed man arrested at NC airport as Obama departs

Paslode · 04-25-2010, 22:50

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_nc_airport_arrest

Quote:

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An armed man spotted at a North Carolina airport parking lot just after Air Force One departed Sunday told an officer he wanted to see the president and had a car equipped with police gear, including a siren and flashing lights, authorities said.

Joseph Sean McVey, 23, of Coshocton, Ohio, is charged with going armed in terror of the public, a misdemeanor, said Asheville Regional Airport Police Capt. Kevan Smith.

Security was heightened at the airport because President Barack Obama was leaving after spending the weekend vacationing in Asheville. He was headed to a memorial service for 29 West Virginia coal miners killed in an explosion.

At about 2 p.m., airport police saw McVey get out of a maroon car with Ohio plates and that he had a sidearm, Smith said. Both airport police and the Secret Service questioned him and he was taken into custody. The suspect was nowhere near the president's plane, which had just departed, and was in a rental car return lot that is open to the public, Smith said.

His car was equipped with clear LED law enforcement-style strobe lights in the front and rear dash, Smith said. The car also had a mounted digital camera in the front window, four large antennas on the trunk lid, and under the steering wheel was a working siren box. Smith said McVey was not in law enforcement.

When McVey got out of the car, he was listening to a handheld scanner and radio that had a remote earpiece, Smith said. Police said he was monitoring local agencies and had formulas for rifle scopes on a note in his cup holder. Police did not immediately elaborate on what the formulas might mean and Smith was not available to comment late Sunday.

McVey gave authorities an Ohio driver's license, but a computer check failed to show the number was valid, police said. His hometown of Coshocton is about halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

When Officer Kaleb Rice asked him what he was doing, McVey told him he heard the president was in town and wanted to see him.

Rice removed the firearm and took McVey into custody. He was being held at the Buncombe County jail on $100,000 bond.

The investigation into what McVey was doing with a gun, with formulas for rifle scopes and why his car was equipped with police gear was continuing, Smith said. The Secret Service had no comment on the arrest, deferring to airport police.

A jail officer said it didn't appear McVey had an attorney. A person who answered a phone listing for Joseph McVey in Coshocton said he had no idea about an arrest.

A mall cop that stopped by on the way to or from the local range........

AngelsSix · 04-26-2010, 19:15

He is pretty close to impersonation of a police officer. This kid has serious issues and I am betting he will end up in jail or dead before long. The Ohio tags make me wonder......

There are a couple of guys riding around the area here in a similar manner, they also have a car that looks very much like a LE vehicle, with a camera, antenna on the trunk, yada, yada. They have been hanging around the areas where kids congregate and we are watching them closely.
There is something just weird about that whole thing...it is against the law to operate a vehicle resembling law enforcement, but most of the time the excuse in court is that they "bought the car like that" at an auction. So now it becomes a game of catching them actually doing something else.

Utah Bob · 04-26-2010, 20:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

He is pretty close to impersonation of a police officer. This kid has serious issues and I am betting he will end up in jail or dead before long. The Ohio tags make me wonder......

There are a couple of guys riding around the area here in a similar manner, they also have a car that looks very much like a LE vehicle, with a camera, antenna on the trunk, yada, yada. They have been hanging around the areas where kids congregate and we are watching them closely.
There is something just weird about that whole thing...it is against the law to operate a vehicle resembling law enforcement, but most of the time the excuse in court is that they "bought the car like that" at an auction. So now it becomes a game of catching them actually doing something else.

I knew a 19 yo kid who was a volunteer firefighter in Florida. Turns out he was starting a lot of the fires. he also got popped for pulling people over late at night for speeding. had dash lights, radios etc in his car. When they searched his house he had several stolen hand-helds and police uniforms. A bad incident waiting to happen.
And don't get me started on rent-a-cops!

Paslode · 04-26-2010, 20:15

One of my friends sells equipment and sets up the local PD and FD vehicles....he gets calls every week for Police Lights and stuff from turds like this.

Its Weird!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

He is pretty close to impersonation of a police officer. This kid has serious issues and I am betting he will end up in jail or dead before long. The Ohio tags make me wonder......

There are a couple of guys riding around the area here in a similar manner, they also have a car that looks very much like a LE vehicle, with a camera, antenna on the trunk, yada, yada. They have been hanging around the areas where kids congregate and we are watching them closely.
There is something just weird about that whole thing...it is against the law to operate a vehicle resembling law enforcement, but most of the time the excuse in court is that they "bought the car like that" at an auction. So now it becomes a game of catching them actually doing something else.

fng13 · 04-26-2010, 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

...it is against the law to operate a vehicle resembling law enforcement, but most of the time the excuse in court is that they "bought the car like that" at an auction.

Good then get all of those old people driving crown vic's off the street. I'm all the time thinking I'm on the verge of getting a speeding ticket.

rdret1 · 04-27-2010, 03:43

"McVey"?! Not another one! We have plenty of little knuckleheads around here that try to act like officers, pulling people over, etc. Fortunately, we haven't had any serious incidents with any of them yet.