$800 Bail For Pointing A Gun At Philly Police
By Wyatt Earp | November 27, 2008
God, I do love this town!
Where else can you bury five police officers in twelve months – all killed in the line of duty – and have a bail commissioner give $800 bail to a man who points a gun at police officers? Cripes, this toad could have bought his freedom with loose change found in his sofa!
There is more outrage over the release of a man who is accused of pointing a loaded gun at police officers. The suspect was cut loose on $800 bail on the same day police buried Sergeant Timothy Simpson who was killed in the line of duty. Officers and community leaders are angry and calling for action.
Police said 20-year-old Amado Lopez had 10 live rounds in a .40 caliber handgun when he pointed it at police last weekend and ended up getting shot by officers. Despite being called a danger to the community, police say bail commissioner Abraham Polokoff let Lopez out on low bail. Lopez remains on the street.
“He pointed a gun at a police officer. We’re lucky we don’t have another police officer shot or killed,” said Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.
The department has buried six officers in 15 months. So when word spread that Lopez was just released on $800 bail after pointing a loaded .40 caliber gun at three officers, everyone asked ‘why?’
Lopez got low bail even though he was charged with aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license and making terroristic threats. He has six prior arrests, including one for attempted murder – a case that was dropped.
“This guy’s got an extensive criminal history. And to do something like that and say $800 is all he needs to walk is just ridiculous. It makes a joke out of the entire system,” said Commissioner Ramsey. (H/T – FOX 29)
So tell me, what is stopping thugs from pointing guns at police officers now? It isn’t the thought of prison, because pointing a gun at a police officer here will get you time served. It certainly isn’t the death penalty, because the state never employs it. And now, it isn’t even a high bail request, because judges simply ignore it.
Of course, if the officers shot the toad – and they would have been well within their rights – the community and the media would crucify them. What a country!
UPDATE: This from commenter Caz G.
Homicide detectives this morning are investigating the shooting death of Feltonville man last night in a North Philadelphia tavern.
Police officers responded shortly after 9 p.m. to the 300 West Bar on the 300 block of W. Lehigh Avenue and found a Amado Lopez, 21, riddled with bullets on the barroom floor.
Live by the sword . . .
Topics: The Job | 18 Comments »
November 27th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
This is a outrage. This scum bag needs to be in jail.
November 27th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
It’s like I’m taking crazy pills!
November 27th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Rick – Can’t do that. It’s the holiday season! /snark.
Mare – No, but the judges seem to have an endless supply.
November 28th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Wyatt,
Nothing surprises me anymore in Philadelphia. The criminals have been getting free passes for years now, and we all know the judges will continue to impose very light sentences.
Place the blame on the liberal idiots who keep these judges behind the benches.
You all at the PPD are damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I keep you all in my thoughts and prayers every day.
Be safe out there, and watch out for the scume like Lopez. He’s pulled the BS, you can bet he’ll do it again (after all, if he knows he can get away with it, what’s to stop him from doing it again?).
Here’s hoping he takes a forever dirtnap, because that’s the only place he belongs.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Unbelievable. What message is the judge sending here?
November 28th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Eh? I am a “latino” born and raised down there and have 30 years of working in every country from Mexico on South and those features are NOT local. this POS looks to be of Arab descent!!
November 28th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Well, he only paid an $800 FINE, but you don’t tell us how much he had to pay in bribes.
November 28th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
A story from a different era. I had gotten out of the service in ’71 and was homeless for a few weeks. My parents moved to Florida but invited me to go but being independent I told them I would stay in Ohio and look for work here. I was sleeping at a rest stop outside of Chardon by Route 44 for the third night in my Pinto hatchback. I would lock the doors and just pull the hatchback down but not shut it. I would keep my .44 remington cap and ball in my sleeping back next to my right hip as I slept. Who could afford good guns at 20 years old? LOL Anyways I felt someone try the locked door on the driver side, it jiggled the car a little which woke me up, so I moved my left hand up to my neck and grabbed the sleeping bag and cocked the hammer with my right while pretending to be asleep. I told myself if they open the hatchback I will confront them, scare them away etc. Sure enough I heard the air cylinders make that whooshing noise as he lifted the hatchback and with my left hand I threw back the sleeping bag and pointed the revolver at whomever and yelled ..FREEZE!! Well the Ohio State Highway patrolman froze in kind of an action figure stance with his right hand on his service revolver
and I remember thinking..Oh Oh. LOL As we had this Mexican standoff for a few more seconds I yelled out..
“Gee officer, watch me put the hammer down”. so I turned the gun 90 degress put my left index finger on the muzzle and slowly dropped the hammer. He stood there for a little while longer not moving and i yelled..”I’m putting it down now!!” He finally said “Get out of the car!!” Certain I was going to jail I got out I got out expecting to be slammed down and cuffed etc. After yelling at me for a few moments, words to choice for this site, he told me “Leave and I don’t want to find you here when I come back”.
I am still glad I am not taking a dirtnap right now. LOL
November 28th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
[...] is what the City of Philadelphia does to criminals who shoot at police officers. No amount of new laws are going to help if the City keeps insisting on catch and release as a [...]
November 28th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
“So tell me, what is stopping thugs from pointing guns at police officers now?”
Short answer:
The officers facing the business end of this character’s gun f*cked up. This dude should have been DOA. Bail should not have been even considered. Perhaps funeral expenses would have been more relevant.
Hopefully, all officers will learn from this mistake.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Here’s a different take on this incident:
This scumbag was obviously sane enough to be out and about. As such, he has the constitutional right (see Amendment 2) to keep and bear arms, especially for protection against government thugs.
While I admit I haven’t read or heard much about this case, the stuff I HAVE heard has only had to do with his “criminal record” and the fact that he pointed a loaded gun at a police officer (which happens to be legal – see Amendment 2). I have not seen anything indicating WHY the officers were approaching him in the first place, which should be considered HIGHLY relevant in this case (or any case involving the abridgement of someone’s 2nd Amendment rights).
Now, if it turns out that this guy was doing something that the police officers had the right to approach him over, my defense of his actions stops immediately. However, if this guy’s “criminal record” is so extensive that he can’t be trusted with a gun, then he should not be at large to begin with. He should ALREADY be in jail. Other than that, the purpose of the Second Amendment happens to be defending oneself and one’s rights, particularly against the government and those who wish to interfere with them. Again, if the police were right in approaching him, all bets are off as far as any defense I will be providing him. Strangely, there has been very little, if anything, reported as to what the police officers’ motivation was. Until I know that, they are wrong and Lopez is right.
Philly officials don’t seem to understand that their problems are the result of not enough guns in the hands of its citizens, not the result of too many.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
federalistpartyblog.blogspot.com
November 29th, 2008 at 12:53 am
The outrage may very well be that he wasn’t in jail to begin with.
As far as what’s been reported in this case, he really didn’t do anything wrong.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
November 29th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Look at the dirty scum thats running phildelphia i mean the home of the american revolution the place where INDEPENDENCE HALL is is run by a bunch of dirty corupt liberal demacrats who all deserve to be voted out of office then TARRED AND FEATHERED
November 29th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Lillian – As we say in the division, “It’s a huge sh*t sandwich and we’re all gonna have to take a bite.” It won’t be long until another one of my friends or co-workers is shot by a thug like Lopez.
Admiral – The message is that it is acceptable to point a gun at a police officer.
Terrapod – I was thinking the exact same thing.
MartyA – I can’t hear you. The judge is filling his brand new pool.
Jon – And the only problem was a pair of dirty shorts. Heh.
Joated – If it were me, we’d be talking about Lopez’s funeral arrangements.
RWR – Maybe you missed the part about his six prior arrests, including the one for attempted murder? Or maybe you think me and my co-workers should wait until this guy joins the big leagues and kills a cop before we move in to arrest him?
And he did nothing wrong? In Pennsylvania, he would be charged with simple assault, reckless endangering another person, and possession of an instrument of crime. But what do I know?
Birdzilla – 60+ years of continuous Democrat rule. Look where that got the city.
November 30th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Hmmm. The armed cops in India this week, most carrying machine guns refused to fire back a terrorists in the India assaults and in fact ran and hid, even in open areas like train stations. The end result of being Hyper PC?
I have always said the cure for PC is for all cops to get four weeks off a year….at the same time.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:09 am
Sulaco….Your idea about giving all the cops a month off at the same time is the best, funnies, most insane I have ever heard. I hope it happens…..P.S. Please make it in the summer, I’d like to spend some extra time with my kids.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
[...] Wrist slaps for threatening cops [...]
August 21st, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Homicide detectives this morning are investigating the shooting death of Feltonville man last night in a North Philadelphia tavern.
Police officers responded shortly after 9 p.m. to the 300 West Bar on the 300 block of W. Lehigh Avenue and found a Amado Lopez, 21, riddled with bullets on the barroom floor.
Witnesses told policce said two gunmen wearing masks had approached Lopez and opened fire.
Lopez, of the 300 block of E. Roosevelt Blvd., was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:45 p.m.
Police have no motive in the slaying.
R.I.P Little cousin