December 28, 2007 -
Three weeks ago, a disturbed young man named Robert Hawkins killed eight people along with himself during a rampage at Omaha's Westroads Mall.While most of those searching for a cause have focused on Hawkins' mental health history and troubled past, Miami attorney Jack Thompson sees a video game connection.
Of course.
Thompson contacted GamePolitics today to say that he was filing a lawsuit against Omaha Police Chief Thomas Warren (left) in regard to the case. Apparently the cops in Omaha haven't been impressed by Thompson's video game theories and the controversial attorney wants to force the issue. In his court filing, Thompson writes:
These [rampages] have occurred, in part... because of the advent of extremely violent interactive media (video games) consumed by adolescents and teens who use these murder simulation devices to rehearse and prepare for these murderous assaults.
Any particular game in mind, Jack?
Some of the Grand Theft Auto games, which are wildly popular among individuals such as Robert Hawkins, feature what are known as “mall rampages” by which the player can rehearse, for hours on end, entering shopping malls and shooting at random individuals therein.
But, Jack, does this lawsuit mean that the Omaha police are not buying into your theory?
Anyone in law enforcement who does not understand or care to understand the direct causal link between violent video game play and these types of random killing events is living in a dream world...
[The] Police Chief of Omaha... refuses to provide to Thompson... the inventory list of items taken, by search warrant, from Robert Hawkins’ residence.
Thompson has served a written request, pursuant to Nebraska Statute 84-712, upon Police Chief Thomas Warren, and he refuses to comply with his legal duty, under Nebraska law, to provide the inventory.
Although it's not clear how, Thompson maintains that Chief Warren's refusal somehow puts others at risk:
In refusing to comply with the law, defendant Warren demonstrably puts at public safety risk residents of Nebraska and elsewhere...
Thompson has also been interviewed concerning this suit by Omaha's KETV-7 for its 10PM news broadcast. GP has also heard from Ryan Miller, a vice-president with Gamers, a Midwest game retailer. Miller said that he, too, was interviewed by way of counterpoint.
Meanwhile, Thompson attempted to post a message regarding the lawsuit on the comments section of GamePolitics:
I am... well on my way to destroying [GTA publisher] Take-Two. Tonight’s broadcast is just part of the plan.
GP: We're a bit puzzled by Thompson's action since Nebraska's public records disclosure law appears to specifically exempt police investigation files. The following are not subject to public release according to the statute:
Records developed or received by law enforcement agencies and other public bodies with duties of investigation or examination when the records are part of the examination, investigation, intelligence information, citizen complaints, informant identification, or information used in law enforcement training.
UPDATE: Thompson has advised GP that in place of the lawsuit he originally forwarded to us, he has filed a writ (MS Word format) with the Fourth District Court of Nebraska. His intent remains the same: to compel Chief Warren to reveal the results of the Hawkins search.
Comments
Even if they find out that he played some violent games SO WHAT.
Evidently he did not play them that much since no one that knew Hawkins came forward about him constantly playing violent games after these few weeks. So far it seems like millions of people have spent alot more time playing violent video games than Hawkins and has not gone on a rampage and yet you would use this as an excuse to get your way.
Even if he had any of the Grand Theft Auto games it would be pointless for an attack on video games because you do not need to be the smartest person to know that a mall would be a big target for a rampage.
You have nothing to go by on this situation so you would just make more lies and talk about the 2005 study by which there is alot of studies that prove that violent video games do not cause people to be more violent.
I agree, lets sue Jack Tompson. I am pretty sure there is something we can sue him about, he does it all the time with out any proof. We can too.
Oh, and I was the one on the news last night about this in Omaha, not any of you. Is this a great country, or what?
http://www.ketv.com/news/14942590/detail.html
As to the retailer\'s expertise, not so much:
http://www.apa.org/releases/videoviolence05.html
Hooah!
GP: I'm allowing this post to escape the spam filter... However, his general posting priveleges have not been restored.
You know I hope the word gets out in Omaha on this and folks stand up for the police chief (which I am sure they will). Folks there need to know what kind of "man" JT really is. Open his history of frivoulous lawsuits and his current disbarrment hearing to the public in Omaha and let them see that this kind of massacre chasing is what JT is known for. I feel very sorry that the victims families are going to have to put up with his crazy antics in their times of sorrow.
My question is what does the AG of Nebraska think of this? Has GP or any others called him to get his statement?
The poilce chief will win in the end (of course) and we all just have to hope tha this little stunt of JT's doesn't waste valuable time/resources fromt eh police department that could be spent in fighting ACTUAL crime....not imaginary ones.
lowest homicide rate in 40 years in two of the biggest cities in the United States.
Yup, video games are destroying america...one non-existent crime at a time.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318866,00.html
"Does anyone else find it odd that Jack Thompson intends on exposing the truth by impeding an official police investigation?!?
Another note I forgot to add. A large portion of our proceeds of all Wii Bundles sold this holiday season in Omaha are being donated by us (Gamers, Inc.) to the Von Maur Victim’s Fund.
Yet another way that video games are helping others! "
Surprising that JT tries to impede an ongoing investigation? Nope, not in the least surprising, take a look at his past antics. This is basically Step #1 in his "To Do" book whenever a tragedy like this appears. he will make a few more outrageous claims/accusations/filings. When they are all summarily dismissed he will sit back and wait for the next high profile tragedy to occur. Its like clockwork for him.
I'm glad to see gamers stepping in to help the family recover from their loss. Stike another victory for the gaming community!!!
You couldn't make this stuff up.
You know, you would reckon that this mall had what two, three game stores? Following JTs logic to its un-natural conclusion, you would expect at least one of them to start shooting back.
Honestly, The Industry should give him a job just for the comedic value of his rants. You know you'd take it Jack;.
He makes it sound as if some game console is going to jump off the shelf and go on a serial-murder spree if he doesn't get what he wants... LOL!
I'm sorry, Jack, but even if he did have a video game console, at this point that's like saying he had a pillow, or a kitchen, or a toothbrush. Games are everywhere - on the PC, on consoles, cellphones, hand-helds... if he had games, or played them, would prove nothing.
If Mr. Thompson really wants to keep his license to practice law, he should lie low and do actual homework. He's worse than an ambulance chaser when it comes to things like this. Not only that, lets add in the fact that in direct opposition of thousands of gamers, he could not produce one true iota of evidence. Give the VT shootings, Cho did not play violent video games. Using counter strike to train your heart rate to go down? Has there actually been any study done to see if that actually is real? Lets see what else, the quaint litttle fiasco with Take Two where he tried to sue them left and right. Last time I heard, he was on the ropes with them and they settled and Mr. Thompson if I remember correctly was to not directly come into contact lawsuit wise with Take Two, that he could only advise on lawsuits.
Next step on the amazing crusade of Mr. Thompson, saying that the game industry made of many honest hard working artists, programmers, designers, developers, retailers and whatnot are working together to try and bring down Mr. Thompson by paying off key judges and people in power? If that's real then why the heck did he try to order that the Florida Bar remove themselves from possbily disbarring Mr Thompson. Oh, wait now I remember. It's because they hold the keys to whether he can "legally" practice law. From what I heard, the gaming industry is not corrupt and that we have some controversial, renegade companies that create some very violent video games, but paying off judges to try and get it to pass snuff and otherwise strike down the lawsuits of Mr. Thompson? I think not.
All in all, this man is grasping at straws and to say that he is on a moral crusade is ill gotten at best. Rather than opt for more educational means and let the parents, I mean truly let the parents decide, he wants to opt for eduation. Everyone is out to get this man and I am amazingly surprised he would even try to sue an officer of the law. Let alone the Chief of Police of Omaha. Who boy, after all this red tape, this is going to be an ulcer waiting to happen.
Like I said before in my previous posts, Bring it on Thompson, we have the ECA, the VGVN, and the ESRB backing us gamers up. We are ready to fight and step up and defend our rights.
Of course, some other guy did that on another thread...
Anyway, in all fairness, there was a mall shooting mission where you were to kill 100 Scientists. Who would ultimately shoot back at you.
In GTA2.
That game was *before* GTA got its sheer popularity, I believe. And that was a top-down game too.
lets not forget zombies ate my neighbors there was a lot of mall shooting in that.....and 30 foot tall babies....and zombies..... and things......
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/2503/geek792748ra8.jpg
now are you sure you dont want to preserve your ego and be paranoid about something a little more threatning? do you really think people like john carmack who helped develop the most popular "murder simulator" in history are trying to corrupt your children? its one thing to be afraid of something you dont have any clue about but come on man, gamers? you fear for your life because of GAMERS? grow a pair.
I pray to god that my mind never degrades to the point it's like jack thompsons.
I never want to think in that level of logic. ever.
So basically you're stating that if they don't believe you then they are wrong. Am I reading this correctly?
He was mentally unstable, not because of video games, you waste of carbon material.
You have yet to link anything to video games in any case, but continue to waste the time of our legal system with your nonsense claims of video games being the prime evil of today's society. Seriously just stop, you're going into the realm of being pathetic in your attempts to prove this stupid point of yours. YOU are wrong, Jack.
If my mental facilities ever degrade to the point where I am comperable to Jack Thompson, pull the plug.
Now that I'm thinking about it, Crackpot is an excellent term for him.
But now that he is lashing out against the Federal Government itself lets just hope he gets his just desserts.
Lets not forget JT once falsely claimed to be in touch with law enforcement in another youth violence incident. At least he's not doing that again.
Not being any video games present has not stopped Jack in the case of Virginia Tech. And even if the Mall shooter's room has more games than Gamestop it still doesn't prove anything outside of the world constructed in Jack's sick fantasy land.
Anyone ever heard of this feature? In any game, let alone GTA?
Anyone?
No?
Is there even a mall in GTA? I recall being able to go inside some buildings but most of the game takes place outside. I don't recall a mall mission or a mall for that matter.
Dead Rising is the closest "mall rampage" game I can think of.
I think one of the stages in Zombies Ate My Neighbors had a mall too.
Did either Postal game have a mall?
Andrew Eisen
P.S. - True Lies for the SNES had a mall stage. Every time you fired a shot, innocent bystanders would fling themselves to the ground in fear. I liked putting land mines (or some bomb thing) in front of them and then firing a shot in the air. Fun for all ages.
it seems Mr. Thompson likes to bandy about his attorney status while failing to mention he's currently under disbarment proceedings as the person i talked to was well aware of Thompson but not so much what's going on in Florida with him.
First he threatens to go after DoD and now he's suing a police chief over documents he's not obligated to provide to the public.
Who the hell threatens the DoD? A mentally unstable person does.
Sooner or later, SOMEBODY is going to take that literally...
I never played GTA III, but I do know there's a mall in Vice City and quite possibly San Andreas. And yes, if you want to you can go in and shoot up the place. I do know there's a mission in Vice City that requires you to go into a mall, but shooting civilians isn't the goal. You're supposed to rendezvous with a guy when you're attacked by a SWAT team. Then the guy runs off and you have to chase him. If any civvies do get killed, it's collateral damage and only serves to raise your wanted level. If there are any other mall missions, they're optional and you only have to kill gang members.
So once more, Jack picks and chooses his facts, just like he gets it wrong when he says your goal in GTA is to kill cops. I even yelled at him at the debate that you can't win the game if you kill cops, but no doubt it fell on deaf ears. The level of willful ignorance on this man's part is infuriating.
I have to restate again that this is a battle for public opinion. I don't think Jack really cares whether he wins or loses court battles, how much his lawsuits gum up the wheels of justice or how much money it costs the taxpayers any more than he cares about the children he claims to want to "protect." All he cares about at this point is how much he can besmirch, blacken and demonize the reputation of video games in the eyes of the general public and get his name out there in the process.
In this respect, I think he has more in common with Joseph McCarthy than Frederic Wertham (who actually believed he was doing some good and didn't have as much malicious intent as Jack does). Although I still stand by my own analogies to Jim Jones and Mrs. Carmody.
Also, dugg.
"Oh, and I was the one on the news last night about this in Omaha, not any of you. Is this a great country, or what?"
Maybe it's because nobody in Omaha cared. It's not like getting 5 seconds of airtime means anything. They weren't ASKING for you. YOU went to THEM. Last i checked, tooting one's own horn isn't seen as very noble.
You're like a little child on a sugar high when you see half of your face in a picture in the newpaper, like you're suddenly a famous person. THAT is living in a dream world, Mr. Thompson. You once called Dennis only chronologically over 18 years old. Take a look in the mirror for once in your life.
I'm a Lawyer and Your not!
I was on TV and You weren't!
I got tarred-and-feathered in public and you didn't!
Hooah!
[jack mode off]
Why doesn't Jack pick on the real video games that are threats? like Barbie's Pony Adventures or something?
I never said suing as a counter to his bullshit, because that would only lower us to HIS level.
@JBT:
Thank you for posting, i needed something to lighten up my day. Every time i read your misspelled comments (seriously, what the fuck is up with your constant use of back slashes?) i feel all warm and fuzzy inside, mainly due to me laughing my arse off. and seriously, who gives a rats ass if you were on the news?
I don't see this going too well for ole John Bruce.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Sounds to me that if someone needs to learn the difference between reality and video games - it's Jack Thompson.
I play GTA - and have yet to go shooting up people in a mall. I'm positive I won't either.
Yes, this is a great country, where police know not to give into self important hearse chasing psychopaths like you.
By the way, being self important isn't the same as actually being important.