Ahmed Mohamed, 14yr old arrested over clock mistaken for bomb

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by GGG

Didn't a white kid just get arrested for bringing a bomb clock to the airport

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blo...earson-airport

Doesn't give race in the above story. I do think the way it was handled after police were called was driven by race but the initial suspicion of it could be a bomb was reasonable

That this is so obviously made to look like a bomb that if I were border security I would automatically assume it was a joke. If it were an actual bomb wouldn't you try to conceal it a LITTLE??

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by GGG

I do think the way it was handled after police were called was driven by race but the initial suspicion of it could be a bomb was reasonable

LOL. Ummm yeah.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Once the police arrived though, surely they could tell it wasn't a bomb. If so, then why arrest him? Racism perhaps. Perhaps the kid was being belligerent towards the cops? Hell, maybe he was fishing for a lawsuit by trying to make it seem like he brought a bomb, but it was obviously just a clock. Do not underestimate the pettiness of people looking to sue someone.

Here's what he was being investigated for. In Texas...

Sec. 46.08. HOAX BOMBS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly manufactures, sells, purchases, transports, or possesses a hoax bomb with intent to use the hoax bomb to1) make another believe that the hoax bomb is an

explosive or incendiary device; or
(2) cause alarm or reaction of any type by an

official of a public safety agency or volunteer

agency organized to deal with emergencies.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class

A misdemeanor

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.u.../htm/PE.46.htm

[EldrickOnIce]

Texas law: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.u.../htm/PE.46.htm

(13) "Hoax bomb" means a device that:
(A) reasonably appears to be an explosive or incendiary device; or
(B) by its design causes alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or a volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies.

In my opinion, law enforcement handled this correctly.
The school/teachers handling of this was horribad.

[polak]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Digital clocks don't tick.

You don't need to be an expert to know that thing isn't a bomb. Did you look at the pictures? It's like six inches wide. Did they think this kid was Jason Bourne or Casey Ryback? It's just common sense.

According to my probation officer, shrink, spiritual guide, life coach, and ex-wives, I have very little common sense, but even I can tell that isn't a bomb (it isn't a bomb). Again, what is going to blow up? The aluminum? Wires and an LED display don't explode.

Are you serious?
Part of a teachers job is to keep their kids safe while they're at school and this teacher should've just guessed that it wasn't a bomb and went on their marry little way?

That would be pretty irresponsible.

This teacher has absolutely no training in bomb detection. There could have been explosive under the lining or maybe there's a small vile behind the chip with some toxic gas or something? Imagine if you were wrong and there was and you have a bunch of dead kids on your hands because of your "common sense". Why the #### would you even risk it?

And don't give me the "He's just a kid" angle.

A) Kids have shown they're more than capable of killing and causing harm at schools.

B) Someone could've easily given him the bomb. The kid didn't even have to know it was a bomb. Someone builds a clock with him and then swaps it out with a similar looking device that's actually designed to cause harm. Just like that, the kids waltz's into the school with an actual "bomb" while thinking it's just an innocent clock.

Yes those are a bit paranoid scenarios but I cannot, in any way, shape or form blame a teacher for being paranoid. She or he did exactly what they should have.

The arrest is the part I don't get. Detain the kid until you make sure that the device isn't going to cause any harm and then let him go. Why arrest him?

[VladtheImpaler]

Yeah, guys, given the s***storm that descends if your child, Jebus forbid, gets into a snowball fight or engages in an aggressive game of tag, this is entirely "normal". Everybody is just covering their behind, especially given that Texas is litigious.

[EldrickOnIce]

Taking him into custody is the only part in this story that made sense. Remove the individual, protect him and others. As a law enforcement officer, you take the call and the situation seriously. If you err, you do so on the side of public safety.

All that had to happen was have the first teacher handle this correctly, and there never would have been any issue. Take the device for safe keeping until the end of school day. Contact school administrators and let them know. Leave it in theirs hands to determine the proper way to get the device back home.
Do this, which would be absolutely the proper way of handling it, and there is no story.

[FlamesAddiction]

I probably missed it, but what was the reason for the kid even making this thing? Was their a legit reason, or was he just being cheeky or trying to be funny?

[polak]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

All that had to happen was have the first teacher handle this correctly, and there never would have been any issue. Take the device for safe keeping until the end of school day. Contact school administrators and let them know. Leave it in theirs hands to determine the proper way to get the device back home.
Do this, which would be absolutely the proper way of handling it, and there is no story.

If you have suspicions of it being a bomb, you're just going to "take it away" and put in your desk?

Glad to know that you'd treat a potential bomb the same way my teachers treated tamagochis.

[Looch City]

There's articles suggesting the police also violated Ahmed's rights by keeping his parents away until he was out of detention.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...s-parents.html

“A child may not be left unattended in a juvenile processing office and is entitled to be accompanied by the child’s parent, guardian, or other custodian or by the child’s attorney,” Section 52.025 (PDF) states.

Mohamed did not see his parents until he was released from a juvenile detention center, according to police and his family.

Furthermore, a “person taking a child into custody shall promptly give notice of the person’s action and a statement of the reason for taking the child into custody, to the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian.”

Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said he did “not have answers to [that] specific question” when reporters asked him Wednesday why Mohamed was not allowed to speak to his parents.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by polak

If you have suspicions of it being a bomb, you're just going to "take it away" and put in your desk?

Glad to know that you'd treat a potential bomb the same way my teachers treated tamagochis.

That first teacher looked at the device, determined it was harmless, but told the student to put it away because someone might think it was something else. I guess one can debate whether that teacher was qualified to make such an assessment, but you certainly don't just hand it back over to the kid.

[polak]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

That first teacher looked at the device, determined it was harmless, but told the student to put it away because someone might think it was something else. I guess one can debate whether that teacher was qualified to make such an assessment, but you certainly don't just hand it back over to the kid.

That I can agree with. The first teacher knew that it looked fishy considering he gave him a warning. He should have done something besides just telling the kid to hide it.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by chemgear

You're getting arrested, handcuffed, taken to a juvenile detention center...

In front of your peers as well.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by polak

If you have suspicions of it being a bomb, you're just going to "take it away" and put in your desk?

If they were really that suspicious of it being a bomb, they would have evacuated the school.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Nyah

If they were really that suspicious of it being a bomb, they would have evacuated the school.

That's a good point. Im surprised they didn't. If you're suspicious enough to call the cops, why didn't they take steps to ensure the safety of the kids?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

That's a good point. Im surprised they didn't. If you're suspicious enough to call the cops, why didn't they take steps to ensure the safety of the kids?

Cuz it's hard to think clearly during an orgy of bigotry?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by polak

That's a good point. Im surprised they didn't. If you're suspicious enough to call the cops, why didn't they take steps to ensure the safety of the kids?

Nothing in the process made any sense despite some poster's attempts to brush this off as proper procedure. No one acted properly, and I don't know how you could possibly dismiss race like some have done.

[polak]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Cuz it's hard to think clearly during an orgy of bigotry?

Still doesn't make sense. Even if it was racism.

Shouldn't you evacuate the school if you thought "Ahmed the terrorist" brought a bomb to school?

Originally Posted by jayswin

Nothing in the process made any sense despite some poster's attempts to brush this off as proper procedure. No one acted properly, and I don't know how you could possibly dismiss race like some have done.

I dismiss race cause there's no reason to think it was racist besides the fact that the kid wasn't white. Nothing else about this points to racism. They just happened to mess up this entire situation AND the kid happened to be brown.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by polak

That's a good point. Im surprised they didn't. If you're suspicious enough to call the cops, why didn't they take steps to ensure the safety of the kids?

I think that's where a lot of the controversy is coming from. The teachers obviously knew Ahmed's clock was no bomb, and no threat, and called the police anyway even after he explained to them that it was just a clock. He was treated like a criminal.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by polak

Still doesn't make sense. Even if it was racism.

Shouldn't you evacuate the school if you thought "Ahmed the terrorist" brought a bomb to school?



I dismiss race cause there's no reason to think it was racist besides the fact that the kid wasn't white. Nothing else about this points to racism. They just happened to mess up this entire situation AND the kid happened to be brown.

Polak, he was furthering your point. Obviously they knew what they were doing and weren't actually worried about a bomb going off, or of course they would have evacuated the school.