Film Shoot Mistaken for Hostage Situation

Film Shoot Mistaken for Hostage Situation

By Associated Press
Posted March 25 2006, 5:12 AM EST

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. -- A movie set at the downtown post office turned all too real for a group of high school filmmakers. Members of the high school Spanish club were shooting a movie Thursday night when the police showed up believing a hostage crisis was going on inside the post office.

But apparently, someone saw the teens carrying toy guns into the building on Centre Street, which is the heart of the town's historical district. When they couldn't get an answer to calls placed inside the building, they assumed the worst.

Police cordoned off the block, cleared nearby buildings and surrounded the post office ready for a hostage crisis. When a group of students left the post office, they were ordered to get on the ground, face down.

Postmaster Ron Steedley had given permission for the school group to use the post office after hours to make a movie, "Rolling Thunder." Steedley said he didn't think the student's movie would frighten anyone.

Devon Menendez, the film's director, said his film career is over.

"I'm not accepting any more offers to direct a movie," he said.
http://www.southflorida.com/news/sns-ap-movie-set-raid,0,7880528.story?coll=sfe-guide-headlines2

Can you imagine how expensive it would be to pay for that, and these guys got it for free!

I went to high school in that town (was valedictorian), and my family used to have a post office box in that building. I'm surprised someone in my family didn't tell me about this.

In 2002 we shot a film that included a set with bombs and maps at the director's home. He appears to be a mix of Black and Arab and he didn't think to inform his neighbors of what was going on in his garage. He got a rude awakening one night when the bomb squad and a bunch of cops showed up to find out what was going on. He was lucky not to be hauled off to guantanamo. :)