Wackerdom Has a New Poster Boy . . .

[NickD]

>>ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- An armed man who was spotted at a North Carolina airport parking lot just after Air Force One departed and said he wanted to see the president was to appear before a judge Monday.

Authorities arrested Joseph Sean McVey, 23, of Coshocton, Ohio, on Sunday afternoon at the Asheville Regional Airport and charged him with going armed in terror of the public, a misdemeanor.

A first appearance in court was scheduled for Monday, said Sgt. John Lutz of the Buncombe County jail, where McVey was being held on $100,000 bond.

McVey told an officer in the airport parking lot he wanted to see the president and he had a car equipped with police gear, including a siren and flashing lights, though he did not work in law enforcement, authorities said.

Security was heightened at the airport Sunday because President Barack Obama was leaving after spending the weekend vacationing in Asheville.

At about 2 p.m., airport police saw McVey get out of a maroon car with Ohio plates and that he had a sidearm, airport police Capt. Kevan Smith said. Both airport police and the Secret Service questioned him and he was taken into custody. The suspect was nowhere near the president's plane, which had just departed, and was in a rental car return lot that is open to the public, Smith said.

His car was equipped with clear LED law enforcement-style strobe lights in the front and rear dash, Smith said. The car also had a mounted digital camera in the front window, four large antennas on the trunk lid, and under the steering wheel was a working siren box.

When McVey got out of the car, he was listening to a handheld scanner and radio that had a remote earpiece, Smith said. Police said he was monitoring local agencies and had formulas for rifle scopes on a note in his cup holder.

Authorities did not say if McVey had a rifle or scope with him.

A rifle scope formula is a set of calculations that helps a shooter adjust for distance from a target. The formulas, which estimate how much a bullet drops after it is fired, are generally in the information packet that comes with a scope purchased for hunting or recreation, said Greg A. Danas, a firearms expert based in Massachusetts.

McVey gave authorities an Ohio driver's license, but a computer check failed to show the number was valid, police said. His hometown of Coshocton is about halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

When Officer Kaleb Rice asked him what he was doing, McVey told him he heard the president was in town and wanted to see him.

Rice removed the firearm and took McVey into custody.

The investigation into what McVey was doing with a gun, with formulas for rifle scopes and why his car was equipped with police gear was continuing, Smith said. The Secret Service had no comment on the arrest Sunday, deferring to airport police.

In Ohio, Randy Fisher, president of the Coshocton County Amateur Radio Association, said McVey was a ham radio enthusiast who had come several times to the group's monthly meetings over the last year or two. Fisher said he was shocked to hear of the arrest and said he last talked with McVey about a week ago via radio and always found him friendly and interesting to talk to.

"I was impressed that he was a public-service-minded type of individual. He really enjoyed using his ham radio for emergency services and that sort of thing," Fisher said.

McVey was involved in a local organization that assists the sheriff's department when it needs help controlling traffic, which may explain why he had the police gear<<

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CNN seriously needs to have Dusty on a retainer for cases like this. The news heads were going on and on trying to explain this guy's motivation and really befuddling the whole thing. "He's a freaking whacker!" would have summed it all up nice and tidy . . .

[JTpaintball70]

HE probably would have been fine if he hadn't had the firearm on airport property. I carry almost everywhere I go, but I know airports are offlimits

[Richard B the EMT]

McVey was involved in a local organization that assists the sheriff's department when it needs help controlling traffic, which may explain why he had the police gear

It might explain the strobies, at least.

In 1971, a manager of mine at the McDonalds was also an auxiliary cop. HE got arrested for chasing and pulling over a car that was displaying a blue "Kojack" dash light, and proceeding at a somewhat high rate of speed, and going through Red Traffic Signals, while this manager was in his personal car. The car he was chasing turned out to be the FEDS, specifically, an FBI team. However, he had neither lights or siren in his POV.

[Chief1C]

In 1971, a manager of mine at the McDonalds was also an auxiliary cop. HE got arrested for chasing and pulling over a car that was displaying a blue "Kojack" dash light, and proceeding at a somewhat high rate of speed, and going through Red Traffic Signals, while this manager was in his personal car. The car he was chasing turned out to be the FEDS, specifically, an FBI team. However, he had neither lights or siren in his POV.

Sounds like something our Sheriff would do. They have very few duties related to what you'd expect from a Sheriff.

[Richard B the EMT]

I don't know North Carolina law on Police Monitor Radios (scanners) in POVs. Here in NY State, only LEOs in the line of duty, the Press Corps, and HAM radio operators, are authorized to have radios capable of receiving Police radio traffic actually in their POVs.

There is an exception: a permit from the local LEO authority. When I worked in Nassau County, I would have needed a permit from the NYPD, the Nassau County PD, the Freeport (NY) PD, Rockville Centre (NY) PD, and the Lynbrook (NY) PD, at a cost of $25.00 for each agency. Yet none of them knew of the existance of such permits, when I asked to get applications for them. My friends who are HAMs, for this and other reasons, have been on my case for years to get an Amateur Radio Service license (some of them are even EMT City members).

Sounds like something our Sheriff would do. They have very few duties related to what you'd expect from a Sheriff.

A mention that here in NYC, the Sheriff's and the Marshal's offices don't do law enforcement. They are for repo-ing cars and other property from deadbeats to return said properties to their original sellers, or auctioning off said items, usually from the steps of one of the 5 Borough Halls in NYC.

Anybody notice that this guy's name was McVey? This in the same week they observed the anivirsary of the Kansas City Bombing of the Murrah Building. Coincidence?

Edited April 26, 2010 by Richard B the EMT

[BushyFromOz]

Anybody notice that this guy's name was McVey? This in the same week they observed the anivirsary of the Kansas City Bombing of the Murrah Building. Coincidence?

First thing i noticed

Wierd........

[uglyEMT]

Anybody notice that this guy's name was McVey? This in the same week they observed the anivirsary of the Kansas City Bombing of the Murrah Building. Coincidence?

Oklahoma City Bombing

Anyways... guy definatly sounds like he needs to seek professional help. Sight formulas, carring a side arm at an airport. Wanting to see the president with said items Yea, someone is off his meds.

As far as the wacker car... thats an instant Come on man, lights and sirens on a POV with no reason for them? Just asking for a LEO to stop you. The antennas ok I'll give you that one being in a HAM club and all. But the dash mounted camera??? Now your pushing impersonating an officer laws.

Definatly can't wait to see what comes out of this one. Was it an attempt on the President's life? Was it a stunt? Was he actually thinking everything was OK?

Can't wait to hear the details..

"Dispatch, 54.. I have a Wacker.. Send Backup!!"

Edited April 27, 2010 by UGLyEMT

[capfiremedic]

Other than being a twerp, the guy wasn't much to be worried about. The name, by the way is different from the mutt responsible for OKC.

This one was employed part time by the local Sheriff's Office's Traffic Enforcement Division (a glorified meter maid apparently)and was also a licensed HAM... Hence the antennas. The siren and the piece, well.... I have both, but the siren is used for calls, and the piece is somewhat of a need in this neck of the woods. We have problems that show up unexpectedly and can only be dealt with by a 230 grain suppository. Believe me, when you respond to a person down call and you walk up on Wally Gator with an attitude, Colonel Colt is an effective mediator.

IMHO this thing has been blown way out of proportion.

[itku2er]

We have problems that show up unexpectedly and can only be dealt with by a 230 grain suppository. Believe me, when you respond to a person down call and you walk up on Wally Gator with an attitude, Colonel Colt is an effective mediator.

Where do I get those cool suspository and colonel colt? As long as they dont have a sharp point on them I can have them..

Wonder what would have happened had he not been stopped?

[Eydawn]

This guy is a dead ringer for a whacker we had for a while in my Venturing Crew.

I had to do a double take. "______ is that you??!" (Name not used because I don't wanna TOTALLY embarrass the guy...)

The sight forumlae are fishy. I would not have hesitated to arrest him for having those and a weapon around the president. Now, whether or not he really was aiming to off O'Bunny, we'll never know... the only thing that is clear is this guy's lifetime membership in the Loser Club.

Wendy

CO EMT-B