Police: GTA IV Connection to Crime Spree Came From Statements Made by One of the Suspects
Police: GTA IV Connection to Crime Spree Came From Statements Made by One of the Suspects
July 2, 2008
GamePolitics has been tracking the case of six teens arrested in Nassau County, New York last week following a bat and crowbar-wielding crime spree.
While the Nassau County P.D. said early on in their investigation that they had made a connection between the six defendants and Grand Theft Auto IV, the specifics of that linkage was never made clear.
GamePolitics has learned today that the information came from statements made to investigators by one of the suspects who told police that the group had been drinking beer and decided to act out as if they were playing GTA IV.
Although he would not name the particular defendant who made the statement, Detective Lieutenant Raymond Cote told GamePolitics:
It was rather shocking that these kids would mimic what they see in a fictional video game.
We inquired as to whether the GTA IV allegations would appear in any publicly-accessible court documents. Lt. Cote, however, said they would not. The Lieutenant did reveal that two of the defendants had prior arrests. One had been busted for a drug offense while another had a record for burglary and grand larceny (a crime known in some states, ironically enough, as... grand theft).
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Posted 03/19/10 at 01:50am
hayabusa75: Flamespeak: Shhh, the Dems might hear you ;)
hayabusa75: Flamespeak: Shhh, the Dems might hear you ;)
Posted 03/18/10 at 09:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: And not taxing the 30-500K bracket so much, sure you make 500K at the end of the year add in life thats minus 200K add in the company you made there's another 200K.
ZippyDSMlee: And not taxing the 30-500K bracket so much, sure you make 500K at the end of the year add in life thats minus 200K add in the company you made there's another 200K.
Posted 03/18/10 at 09:39pm
ZippyDSMlee: Flamespeak: we should be taxing the ultra rich alot more(those that have more than 10 million in wealth),.
ZippyDSMlee: Flamespeak: we should be taxing the ultra rich alot more(those that have more than 10 million in wealth),.
Posted 03/18/10 at 08:04pm
Flamespeak: I never understood why someone should work hard to get a lot of money, just to be punished with more taxes for doing so.
Flamespeak: I never understood why someone should work hard to get a lot of money, just to be punished with more taxes for doing so.
Posted 03/18/10 at 06:44pm
hayabusa75: Isn't the upper class supposed to be footing most of this bill?
hayabusa75: Isn't the upper class supposed to be footing most of this bill?
Posted 03/18/10 at 06:05pm
Austin_Lewis: Of course, that ignores the fact that for the next 4 years, the people will be taxed without 'benefit' from the bill.
Austin_Lewis: Of course, that ignores the fact that for the next 4 years, the people will be taxed without 'benefit' from the bill.
Posted 03/18/10 at 06:04pm
Austin_Lewis: If we go by the CBO's past estimation failures, they're about 300% short on the actual cost.
Austin_Lewis: If we go by the CBO's past estimation failures, they're about 300% short on the actual cost.
Posted 03/18/10 at 05:21pm
ZippyDSMlee: *punt*Roll call, whos on and how are you doing?
ZippyDSMlee: *punt*Roll call, whos on and how are you doing?
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:07pm
JDKJ: No, I did you the favor and said it for you.
JDKJ: No, I did you the favor and said it for you.
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:06pm
Valdearg: What I said was while I may have implied long term accuraccy, and that might have been incorrect, my greater point that the CBO report calculated reduced deficits, expanded coverage, and lower costs is still 100% accurate. :D
Valdearg: What I said was while I may have implied long term accuraccy, and that might have been incorrect, my greater point that the CBO report calculated reduced deficits, expanded coverage, and lower costs is still 100% accurate. :D
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:06pm
Valdearg: Like any good politician, I don't believe I said "I was incorrect." :P
Valdearg: Like any good politician, I don't believe I said "I was incorrect." :P
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:02pm
JDKJ: If you'd said "I was incorrect" 10 shouts ago, I'd have quit twisting your arm to get you see the obvious 10 shouts ago.
JDKJ: If you'd said "I was incorrect" 10 shouts ago, I'd have quit twisting your arm to get you see the obvious 10 shouts ago.
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:00pm
JDKJ: You were they one assuming 100% accuracy. In all caps, no less.
JDKJ: You were they one assuming 100% accuracy. In all caps, no less.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:59am
Valdearg: Yes, my implication that the long term estimates were facts was incorrect, but the short term calculations are absolutely facts, and even the long term estimates are still useful in attempting to determine exactly what will happen with the bill.
Valdearg: Yes, my implication that the long term estimates were facts was incorrect, but the short term calculations are absolutely facts, and even the long term estimates are still useful in attempting to determine exactly what will happen with the bill.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:58am
Valdearg: I do. The Short term costs are actually calculated facts. The long term estimates aren't necessarily 100% accurate, but to assume that they can't possibly be accurate because someone said they might not be 100% accurate is also wrong.
Valdearg: I do. The Short term costs are actually calculated facts. The long term estimates aren't necessarily 100% accurate, but to assume that they can't possibly be accurate because someone said they might not be 100% accurate is also wrong.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:57am
JDKJ: When someone says, "I could be wrong but, as best as I can tell, X," X ain't a fact.
JDKJ: When someone says, "I could be wrong but, as best as I can tell, X," X ain't a fact.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:53am
JDKJ: It's too early in the morning for you to be deaf, blind, and dumb drunk. A "my best guestimate" can't be a fact. Don't you understand the difference between the two?
JDKJ: It's too early in the morning for you to be deaf, blind, and dumb drunk. A "my best guestimate" can't be a fact. Don't you understand the difference between the two?
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:41am
Valdearg: By how much depends on variables that can't necessarily be predicted at this point in time. And yes, those Facts are accurate only so far into the future, but those estimates can certainly be used to support this measure.
Valdearg: By how much depends on variables that can't necessarily be predicted at this point in time. And yes, those Facts are accurate only so far into the future, but those estimates can certainly be used to support this measure.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:40am
Valdearg: And I'm saying, as far as the CBO report goes, the facts that it does put forward are deficit reduction, reducing costs, and expanding costs. Those ARE facts.
Valdearg: And I'm saying, as far as the CBO report goes, the facts that it does put forward are deficit reduction, reducing costs, and expanding costs. Those ARE facts.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:30am
JDKJ: You were the one championing a qualified estimate as an indisputable fact. I'm merely pointing out that it's far from indisputable. So says the estimator.
JDKJ: You were the one championing a qualified estimate as an indisputable fact. I'm merely pointing out that it's far from indisputable. So says the estimator.
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Comments
OMG! I played cops and robbers as a kid 40 years ago with toy guns. I guess I'm a time-bomb just waiting to happen.
Exactly! When you end up on the news, could I have your autograph?
So... we only have the word of a police officer to go in relation to a possible GTA IV connection?
That's it? Well, it'll prolly be aenough for the mainstream "news" media...
-- teh moominz --
Sounds to me like the beer was more of factor than playing GTA was. And that the suspects had prior arrest records and thus shows they had more a predisposittion to crime before they even played GTA should be significant as well.
But apparently they're just smart enough to try and play the "video games made me do it" card. Hopefully the judge will see this ruse for what it is though and throw the book at them.
Alcohol, drugs, and stupidity just don't mix. :)
GTA wasn't the CAUSE of their actions. But it should appear in the legal statements. Why? Because the alcohol, lowering their defenses, along with their predisposition to committing criminal acts, caused them to make bad decisions. If those lowered defenses led them to mimic something they were immediately exposed to, then it's the fault of that which caused their defenses to be lowered. They could have been exposed to any number of things and STILL committed a crime based on that exposure. For all we know, they could have been exposed to Fred Phelps or John Bruce and ran out and started a fight at a gay bar.
It's sort of a "secondary to" thing that would, or rather should, receive less notice than those things which actually did lead to criminal behavior, ie the alcohol, drugs, and predisposition to risky, even criminal, behavior. Sadly, that's now how certain abusers of tragic events will promote it. They'll focus and promote the violent video game and downplay the alcohol/drug use and prior criminal behavior as if such things were of less importance. It's been done before, and this time won't be any different.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Nightwng2000 has also updated his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
agreed, the booze is at more reason.
its no differant than those 2 teens who beat up and killed a sibling to one of'em claiming they were doing it to re-enact "Mortal Kombat" but both also were bone drunk.
or the idiot (if anyone recalls this one :) ) who burned down his home because he was drunk, watching the day after tommorow, and thought it was a news cast!!
the booze is moreso the culprit than the game, it makes dumb people even dumber (and happy people even happier :p i love to game when i'm drunk, but i won't leave my room when i'm doing it (cept to take a pee or get some food from the fridge) it makes the games a little more entertainin despite how bad i suck at them :p but i can't once think of any moment where i was dumb enough to drink myself to the point of "kewl i wanna do that!" and took my AK out on a shooting spree... and i doubt it'll ever happen to boot (i don't make it a habit to keep ammo in the mags, let alone in the same building as the gun)
If they want to mimic GTA that's fine.
Just as long as they understand that the police will mimic GTA's police as well and their punishment will be a GTA punishment.
eg run a red light = shots fired, wasted
:)
Funny you mention running a red light as GTA4's cops don't care about traffic violations. You can get into a 6 car pileup in the middle of times square right in front of the LCPD recruiting station and drive off scott free without a passing glance from the cop on the sidewalk!
However, if you bump into a police cruiser, prepare to run!
One had been busted for a drug offense while another had a record for burglary and grand larceny
wow.. so they are no strangers to trouble then. what a suprise. So no matter what they say, it cant be that they were angelic choir boys, who played GTA and it turned them bad. Clearly, these past actions show that they already had dubious morals. The fact that this latest installment in their criminal behaviour is followed by the line 'uh... yeah.. it was from a video game..?..uh yeah a video game thats it...' means jack sh**.
It also means sh**, jack (we all know who i mean).
So *cough* you know who *cough*, dont pipe up with your usual crap, unless you want to explain how the only people EVER using this video game defense always ([sarcasm] amazingly...[/sarcasm]) have past criminal records. I.E. they have experience of how the law works, and how to play the system. No thanks to JACK asses like *cough* you know who *cough* shouting on tv over n over 'if you blame video games for your own behaviour (despite being an adult with a brain), you'll get off scott free' . wow.. i wonder why on earth they may have possibly blamed video games... *Sigh*
"It was rather shocking that these kids would mimic what they see in a fictional video game."
Yes because mimicing all those non-fictional video games is so common...
http://www.popularculturegaming.com
Imagine if this became common...
"In other news, police are baffled by the sudden rise of a strange new suicide ritual that has that has been sweeping the nation since the end of April. Teenagers are taking their family vehicles and driving them into trees sometimes at speeds up to 90 mph and flying through the windshield."
We inquired as to whether the GTA IV allegations would appear in any publicly-accessible court documents. Lt. Cote, however, said they would not.
Huh. Interesting, that. I wonder why not? Could it be that he's completely full of shit?
In other words: they're looking for a scapegoat because they were drinking underaged. Who DIDN'T see this coming?
And I promise you that through this whole ordeal, not one person will question or even care that 6 teenagers were drunk (and had access to beer) while doing this... You know, THAT beer, the beer that's already illegal to own for a minor...
Instead we'll focus on the video game angle, because, you know, GTA is responsible for far more crime than alcohol... and booze is already regualted so its not a problem, right? Right?
Hmm, i'm fairly certain that if the suspect made an official statement regarding GTA then it would be in some form of paperwork.
Otherwise I don't see where this has any "teeth" so to speak, it's this one cop's word. Not saying he's lieing, just saying it wouldn't really matter in court or anywhere else without some sort of evidence ot corroborate (sp?) it.
Just like if I had told my dad when I was a child that my brother had said something naughty, he probably wouldn't haul off and spank my brother just on my word alone.
But that's common sense for you.
It was rather shocking that these kids would mimic what they see in a fictional video game.
I think we can explain that easily enough. The minor detail of "had been drinking beer" which they'd apparently rather ignore. People have done all kinds of stupid things while their judgment was impaired by alcohol. Imitating something they'd never try to imitate while sober is one of those things.
I'm gonna chalk this one up to a bunch of juvenile deliquents that don't know how to drink responsibly.
-Gray17
I'm glad he aknowledged that this is unusual and stupid.
-If shit and bricks were candy and tits, we'd all be livin' large. For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007)Grand Theft Childhood, by Harvard Medical School researchers Larry Kutner and Cheryl Olson
Man, kids these days. What's wrong with drinking too many beers and wearing lampshades and other stupid (yet harmless) things? Man, I'm sooo old now (27).
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
So, underage drinking and a prior arrests for drugs and grand theft has nothing to d with this. It was the video games fault.
They probably got the idea to drink from that damn GTAIV too and they were probably about to jack a car before they got caught!!!1!!!! OMG OMG OMG!
*Dives headfirst into a pile of sand.*
I knew some kids in college who had the idea that they *had* to be a-holes when they were drunk or something. Whenever they would drink they would destroy shit, once they took a couch out of the dorm, lit it on fire and threw it into the lake. Kind of reminds me of these kids, some people are just major idiots when drunk.
So the cop claims one of them said it, but won't name which one, and it won't appear on official records. I wonder if the cop himself is making it up to get his 15 minutes since as soon as a video game and youth violence are mentioned together the press leaps all over it. I suppose we'll see if one of the kids repeats it in court.
it's like I said before: Paid testimony. that cop even sounds like JT, "one of them said it, but I won't tell you which one"
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
I suspect it was the 'Drunk' part that caused the problem, you know, what with it being famous for making people struggle to tell the difference between fantasy and reality...
I think by now the police understand that the GTA excuse is just that, an excuse. Like almost every story I hear on my morning radio program's stupid news, the details are always followed by "and alcohol was involved."
I'm all for freedom of ttnet vitamin speech and allowing rent a car game makers to put whatever they want in games, but there's one thing about this app that has me scratching my head. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from araç kiralama the previous article araba kiralama on this I gathered that players can use Google maps in-game to find the other (real-life?) dealers in their area. If this is the case, has travesti anyone considered what's stopping someone from using this app to actually move drugs between hands for reals?
But majority araba kiralama of their outrage araç kiralama stems from what it could DO TO children, not the content itself. Talk to one of these people and you'll find they don't think any books kiralık araba should be banned from children. Mention American Psycho and they talk about kiralık araç the redeeming value of using imagination to construct a story. Reading, no matter what the content, is largely viewed as a consequenceless activity for people of any age. The reason why I mention American Psycho is because of the content itself. Gaming never has and likely never will have any scenes where someone has sex with a severed head. Not gonna happen. Yet despite this, they'll fight tooth and nail to protect their children from two boys kissing in Bully but whatever they read is harmless... yeah.
The entire arguement is kiralık oto based upon a social normality inflicted by luddites who can't figure out the controls for Halo so it's frightening and terrifying and obviously the cause of youth violence on the rise even though, in reality, it's in decline (which is actually a HUGE suprise given minibüs kiralama the economies status). In a perfect world, we would have parents that actually parent. The idea of sales restrictions on media on oto kiralama any form to accomidate parental unwillingness to get involved with their child's life is the real problem to me. Here I am, 32 years old, and being held up at a self-scan rent a car needing to show ID before I can buy a $10 M rated game all because Soccer Momthra can't be bothered to look at the crap Billy Genericallystupidson does in his free time. It's too hard for her, so I have to suffer?
Thanks good job;
Btw, I think Atari and Midway will drop out too, but mostly travesti because these guys have done nothing travesti or little and need to start saving costs. and dizi izle
YES.
Now I don't have to get off my ass for the important shit anymore!
Whats next, ordering pizza from Xbox live?
Wait... I think that sounds like a good idea.
But I think voting should MAKE you get off your ass, and see outside or a second while you go vote. I mean, your picking the president of the United States of America for God's Sake... least you can do is drive down there and punch out a card.