We’ve all been there. Your Fallout costume just isn’t sitting right. It needs alterations. So you head to the nearest tailor looking like a poor-man’s storm trooper only to get hounded by the police who think you’re carrying a bomb on your back.
That’s what happened to one cosplayer in Grande Prairie, Canada last Tuesday. While on his way to Lynn’s Alterations at Bell Tower Plaza carrying a New California Republic flag, calls from concerned residents altered police who then showed up to the tailor’s shop and used their vehicles for cover, treating the entire ordeal like a live bomb situation that might end in a shootout. “At least eight officers responded with their long guns drawn,” CBC News reported.
Image credit: Kyle Martel/Facebook
“He was observed going into a business, so the RCMP members were able to safely remove the staff members from the business,” said RCMP Corporal Shawn Graham.
While in the middle of doing measurements for the costume, the owner of Lynn’s Alterations, Hoa Huynh, was called by police and asked if he saw any wires on the man. When Huynh confirmed that he did, they told him to exit the shop out the back entrance.
What the police and other residents had mistaken for a bomb, however, turned out to be several cans of Pringles potato chips. They were painted silver. When the company talks about their chips “bursting with flavour,” I don’t think they meant that literally.
Fortunately, the police tried to open a dialogue with the cosplayer before opening fire, and in so doing realised what exactly was going on. They still took him into custody but eventually released him without any charges.
“We have to believe everything is real until proven otherwise,” Graham told CBC News. “In the end you’ve got a good feeling after going, ‘OK, there wasn’t a bomb, there was no intent to do anything criminal, it’s just someone with their costume.’”
This isn’t the first time costume accessories have been mistaken for deadly weapons, and with regular reports of shooting sprees and bombings, it’s understandable why so many people are on edge about anything that looks out of the ordinary.
So if you do need to make some changes to your post-apocalyptic getup, maybe keep it tucked away until you get to where you’re going. Even if the local authorities don’t shoot you, they will still probably confiscate your gear.
[Source: CBC]
Comments
8 responses to “Police Mistake Fallout Cosplay For Bomb”
To be fair, in today’s climate there are nut jobs who carry out terror attacks so it’s not completely unreasonable for the police to be suspicious of someone dressed somewhat like a militant wandering around town with a giant shovel and gas mask.
True, but arresting the guy after realising it’s all a mistake is a dick move.
True, arresting the guy to complete a thorough investigation before releasing him without charges is a dick move. Not like Police will be blamed for releasing him if the guy then one day actually does go postal.
It’s standard procedure, just incase they make a mistake. If they ‘realise it’s not for real’, but then realise they’ve been tricked? Who’s at fault? They have to take him into custody, take him to the station, check ID, get it all squared away, then release him. Quite frankly the cops responded appropriately, treated him fairly and it sounds like it all went down in a textbook fashion, noone was beaten, shot or anything. It’s not a dick move at all, it’s being safe, as you said before, in todays climate, you cannot be too safe. I’d rather them be a little more cautious honestly than to risk just saying ‘Eh it’s fine’ and messing up just that one time.
Exactly. Glad someone who frequents this site has common sense.
I more concerned about the opening fire part. Did he get shot? Dosen’t really say
They tried talking to him before trying to shoot and while talking, they found out the truth and thus didn’t have to shoot.
Agreed. Police have procedure to follow in these situations. It’s unfortunate they had to take him in but honestly the guy in cosplay looking like an armed militant probably shouldn’t be casually wandering around in public dressed that way. It’s not terribly smart. Go to the event with a group so it’s obvious it’s cosplay or even go by car so you’re at least somewhat obscured.
Ethan, second paragraph “concerned residents altered police”. I’m a little worried for the cops now.
It was a replica gun, there’s a picture of it in the original news.com.au but I can’t find it anymore. They’re very convincing.