General Discussion

apples and oranges

(1,451 posts) Tue Dec 23, 2014, 12:50 PM Dec 2014

MA police seek charges against man who made cryptic Facebook post

CHICOPEE — Police will seek a criminal complaint in district court against a 27-year-old resident for threatening to commit a crime after police said he wrote the term "put wings on pigs" on his Facebook page.

The phrase is the same one that Ismaaiyl Brinsley used on Instagram just before ambushing New York police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos on Saturday. The two officers were shot to death in their car, and Brinsley later committed suicide.

"In the eyes of every police officer in America today, 'Putting wings on pigs' is a threat," said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police Department spokesman.

Read more: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/12/chicopee_police_to_seek_criminal_complaint_for_wings_on_pigs_facebook_post.html

15 replies

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MA police seek charges against man who made cryptic Facebook post (Original Post) apples and oranges Dec 2014 OP

Good for the cops! Thought crime should be punished! Doubleplusgood! Rex Dec 2014 #1

Nothing cryptic about the comment at all, given what just happened HERVEPA Dec 2014 #3

Yes thought crime is bad and should be punished I agree with you citizen. Rex Dec 2014 #5

For heaven's sake direct threats have always been punishable TorchTheWitch Dec 2014 #7

Did you even read what I wrote? HERVEPA Dec 2014 #10

Or he's just an idiot who quoted Brinsley apples and oranges Dec 2014 #13

While this guy is undoubtedly a douchebag... NaturalHigh Dec 2014 #2

Don't be so sure this is Massachusetts we are talking about helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #6

Huge overreach. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #4

That's my first impression. He put it in quotes with no follow up apples and oranges Dec 2014 #12

In fact, he probably has grounds to sue for damages. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #14

Good to see that they self identify as pigs. Downwinder Dec 2014 #8

Nice eyebolts and paint colors, dude. TheCowsCameHome Dec 2014 #9

has 'second amendment solution' been flagged as grounds for filing charges as well? frylock Dec 2014 #11

I continue to support the First Amendment. nt DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2014 #15

Rex

(65,616 posts)

1. Good for the cops! Thought crime should be punished! Doubleplusgood!

Reply to apples and oranges (Original post)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 12:53 PM

Dec 2014

About time we moved into the realm of 1984. Hopefully they bring back firing squads.

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)

3. Nothing cryptic about the comment at all, given what just happened

Reply to Rex (Reply #1)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 01:04 PM

Dec 2014

His Facebook page should be shut down. No way any criminal charges will stick.
And this has nothing to do with 1984, if you read the book. This idiot put it out there. Nobody needed to snoop to find it.

Rex

(65,616 posts)

5. Yes thought crime is bad and should be punished I agree with you citizen.

Reply to HERVEPA (Reply #3)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 01:05 PM

Dec 2014

TorchTheWitch

(11,065 posts)

7. For heaven's sake direct threats have always been punishable

Reply to Rex (Reply #5)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 01:20 PM

Dec 2014

Nothing new and nothing bad about that. Threatening death or harm to anyone SHOULD be a crime. Something tells me you wouldn't be ok with anyone threatening the same to the pres or any other at least Dem politician excusing something actually verbalized as a "thought" crime or anyone that threatened the same to their spouse or kids or neighbors.

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)

10. Did you even read what I wrote?

Reply to Rex (Reply #5)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 02:21 PM

Dec 2014

And I repeat. Have you read 1984? Was there a screen/camera in his living room, or did he post this on Facebook?
What don't you get about the difference?

apples and oranges

(1,451 posts)

13. Or he's just an idiot who quoted Brinsley

Reply to HERVEPA (Reply #3)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 02:59 PM

Dec 2014

for an unknown, yet harmless reason (amusement? disgust?) and never anticipated that a busy body on his friends list would turn him over to the police (without bothering to clarify what he meant).

NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)

2. While this guy is undoubtedly a douchebag...

Reply to apples and oranges (Original post)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 01:02 PM

Dec 2014

his statement is far too vague to be considered a direct threat or an incitement to violence. We all know what he meant, but no court would uphold a criminal charge for what he wrote.

helpmetohelpyou

(589 posts)

6. Don't be so sure this is Massachusetts we are talking about

Reply to NaturalHigh (Reply #2)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 01:09 PM

Dec 2014

True Blue Door

(2,969 posts)

4. Huge overreach.

Reply to apples and oranges (Original post)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 01:04 PM

Dec 2014

There are any number of legitimate free speech reasons for someone to post such a quote without intending a threat. Even if he was being a jerkoff and doing exactly what they say, all his lawyer has to do is pick one of those completely reasonable interpretations.

The real test of sanity will come when a MA prosecutor has to decide whether to file on this bullshit. The optics of it while so many prosecutors are refusing to go after cops who murder people would be a Bad Idea for them.

I'm also curious when the hell Ted Nugent is going to be arrested for his explicit threat on the President's life. I get the political difficulty of prosecuting Dick Cheney and even police officers, but Ted Nugent? Come on.

apples and oranges

(1,451 posts)

12. That's my first impression. He put it in quotes with no follow up

Reply to True Blue Door (Reply #4)

Tue Dec 23, 2014, 02:54 PM

Dec 2014

on if he feels the same way or if he disagrees or just finds the phrase humorous (poor taste). Now his name is all over the news, possibly due to a misunderstanding.