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

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I agree. I think they were right to be suspicious and temporarily detain him to get to the bottom of it, but further charging him once it was sorted out was too much. I have no doubt that his race was why he didn't get the benefit of the doubt.

They didn't charge him. But taking him down to a juvenile facility before deciding it wasn't a bomb is the odd part. I don't see why that wouldn't take more than a minute

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I can understand an idiot teacher not knowing what a bomb looks like and calling the police, but surely the police would come, ask the kid about it, look at it for about 5 seconds, and realize nothing is wrong. The arrest doesn't make sense

Most of your average police officers likely wouldn't be able to tell if it was a bomb or not, much less in 5 seconds. You'd need to have whatever that town's version of SWAT brought out to check it out, because until it's 100% established that it's NOT a bomb, it has to be treated as thought it is, and generally only the SWAT team has the gear/knowledge to make the bomb/not bomb call.

[blueski]

C'mon it's not like he brought peanut butter to school.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Most of your average police officers likely wouldn't be able to tell if it was a bomb or not, much less in 5 seconds. You'd need to have whatever that town's version of SWAT brought out to check it out, because until it's 100% established that it's NOT a bomb, it has to be treated as thought it is, and generally only the SWAT team has the gear/knowledge to make the bomb/not bomb call.

Oh come on. What in that little box is the "explosive" part? You need something that's going to blow up if it's going to be a bomb. Any cop (or really any reasonable person) would know at least that much. But I guess if you can point out what looks like it could blow up in that box, you could convince me.

[Schraderbrau]

Bomb or no bomb that is a crappy looking clock. The kid shouldn't have been arrested, he should have been scolded for poor workmanship.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Oh come on. What in that little box is the "explosive" part? You need something that's going to blow up if it's going to be a bomb. Any cop (or really any reasonable person) would know at least that much. But I guess if you can point out what looks like it could blow up in that box, you could convince me.

I don't know. I'm not even remotely trained in recognizing explosives. Could put something under the digital display plate. Could put something in the lining. I have no idea. I would likely recognize plastique, but if it's any sort of bio-weapon or any other sort of chemical explosive, I wouldn't dare hazard a guess.

But hey, if you are cool looking at it, making a snap judgement, and then being wrong, blowing at least a portion of a school to pieces when instead of calling in the professionals and being sure, that's on you, I guess.

I am of the mind that Ahmed's ingenuity should be encouraged. I think that the teacher over-reacted. Does the reaction surprise me? No, not really.

[Looch City]

How about some comic relief?

http://imgur.com/gallery/hntyGYz

http://imgur.com/gallery/bPv8pnV

http://imgur.com/gallery/fS2xsux

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I don't know. I'm not even remotely trained in recognizing explosives. Could put something under the digital display plate. Could put something in the lining. I have no idea. I would likely recognize plastique, but if it's any sort of bio-weapon or any other sort of chemical explosive, I wouldn't dare hazard a guess.

But hey, if you are cool looking at it, making a snap judgement, and then being wrong, blowing at least a portion of a school to pieces when instead of calling in the professionals and being sure, that's on you, I guess.

I am of the mind that Ahmed's ingenuity should be encouraged. I think that the teacher over-reacted. Does the reaction surprise me? No, not really.

Yeah, I guess a kid could possibly build a sophisticated bomb into a pencil case. That seems perfectly reasonable. I wouldn't feel comfortable making a snap judgement that a couple wires and an LED couldn't blow a building to pieces, and I'd call the cops immediately.

And then the next day, if I found a kid eating grapes, I'd call the cops back again on the suspicion that he was running an unlicensed winery out of his backpack.

[calf]

Instead of sneaking around with a weird looking clock, couldn't the engineering teacher just email the rest of the teachers with "this kid built a clock...it looks weird, but I've checked it out and it is nothing to be concerned of. The fact that he told the kid to hide it meant he knew it looked suspicious. I know 14 year old me would have looked way more suspicious to the teacher or police if someone told me to hide something.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Why would the teacher keep the clock if she thought it was a bomb? Wouldn't they evacuate the school immediately?

This is a prime example of 'Murica.

This is the part that is straight up racist.

In her head, the teacher must have been thinking "ok...this clearly isn't a bomb, but maybe this brown kid is a terrorist and is planning to turn this into a bomb one day. And even if he's not a terrorist today, he might become one at the mosque on Friday. Let me comfascate this and take it the staff room so we can figure out what to do "

Teacher goes to staff room and shows the other teachers the case. Of course, they all know its just a clock, but she explains it was made by Ahmed bin laden.

So they decide call the police. Police arrive...see its just a clock, but then decide to arrest the child, and take him in for questioning, just to make sure he's also not a terrorist. Because you know...his name is ahmed.

[OMG!WTF!]

Possession of a hoax bomb is a crime in most places, assuming Texas as well (probably a capital offense there). The arrest and investigation was probably to figure out if the kid was trying to get a day off of school, freak people out or whatever. If he had accidentally caused an evacuation or panic, he might have been guilty of that crime whether he intended to or not. It might not look like a bomb to some of the "experts" here, but it doesn't look like a clock either. I feel bad for the kid, but I don't think anyone did anything wrong here. I think you probably want to discourage ticking suitcases.

[chemgear]

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

How about some comic relief?

http://imgur.com/gallery/hntyGYz

http://imgur.com/gallery/bPv8pnV

http://imgur.com/gallery/fS2xsux

I'll raise you a

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Possession of a hoax bomb is a crime in most places, assuming Texas as well (probably a capital offense there). The arrest and investigation was probably to figure out if the kid was trying to get a day off of school, freak people out or whatever. If he had accidentally caused an evacuation or panic, he might have been guilty of that crime whether he intended to or not. It might not look like a bomb to some of the "experts" here, but it doesn't look like a clock either. I feel bad for the kid, but I don't think anyone did anything wrong here. I think you probably want to discourage ticking suitcases.

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.

[EldrickOnIce]

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.

I enjoyed this part specifically

[Erick Estrada]

My wife is a teacher and they have to deal with a lot of crap with troubled students and bad parents. Believe it or not it or not it's not uncommon for the police or social services to be active at schools much more than the average parent would know so while I highly doubt the kid would have got arrested but I wouldn't be surprised if the police were called to investigate the box in the same situation here.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

My wife is a teacher and they have to deal with a lot of crap with troubled students and bad parents. Believe it or not it or not it's not uncommon for the police or social services to be active at schools much more than the average parent would know so while I highly doubt the kid would have got arrested but I wouldn't be surprised if the police were called to investigate the box in the same situation here.

For me anyway there is nothing out of the ordinary in this case except for the arrest. Kids do dumb #### and like you said social services or cops are called regularly, for the safety of the student body.

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.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

For me anyway there is nothing out of the ordinary in this case except for the arrest. Kids do dumb #### and like you said social services or cops are called regularly, for the safety of the student body.

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.

From what I understand from my readings of the articles, he was first placed in investigative detention while they figured out it wasn't a bomb (again, that is not a 5 second process, unless you are an internet expert at it) and then kept in investigative detention while charges of having a hoax bomb (which is a crime) were mulled. Once it was determined it wasn't a bomb, and he hadn't intended to pretend like he had a bomb, he was released.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

From what I understand from my readings of the articles, he was first placed in investigative detention while they figured out it wasn't a bomb (again, that is not a 5 second process, unless you are an internet expert at it) and then kept in investigative detention while charges of having a hoax bomb (which is a crime) were mulled. Once it was determined it wasn't a bomb, and he hadn't intended to pretend like he had a bomb, he was released.

Doesn't sound like the detention that I'm familiar with, then again maybe I'm old. Is this what they call it now?

You're getting arrested, handcuffed, taken to a juvenile detention center, booked, mugshot taken, fingerprinted and then interrogated.

[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