Oops: Cops Mistake MP3 Player for Handgun

Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:48AM EST

See Comments (105)

Police in Stratfordshire, UK, arrested mechanic Darren Nixon this week... for the crime of listening to his MP3 player in public. No, it's not a crime to listen to music in Britain. The fuzz mistook his music player for a gun.

I guess I can sort-of vaguely see how a black, palm-sized MP3 player with wires snaking out of it could be construed as a handgun, but I fail to understand how the police could let the situation escalate to the point where Nixon was thrown in jail, interviewed, fingerprinted, mugshotted, and forced to give a DNA sample

According to the Daily Mail, the trouble began when a nosy citizen said they saw a man remove a handgun from his jacket, "grip it with both hands and aim it towards something."A curiosity from the tale: Because he was listening to music, Dixon couldn't hear the cops approaching behind him. When a search found no weapon on his person, the cops later went to search the area where he'd been apprehended. When they found nothing, Dixon was released. It's all something to keep in mind when you're out in public and wearing headphones.

Nixon has since received an apology from the cops, but is still concerned that the arrest (especially considering his totally clean record) will leave a "stain on his character."

What's the takeaway here? Aside from the obvious lessons about police overzealousness, now we know why it makes sense not to get the black MP3 player.

LINK: Man arrested at gunpoint after police mistake his MP3 player for a gun 

Comments on Oops: Cops Mistake MP3 Player for Handgun

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 26 Posted by jenosidanianhorn on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    no, you don't get a DNA sample unless someone has been convicted or at least charged with something. and for all those who complain about people who complain about the U.S., the founding fathers wanted the people to speak up about injustices in the country, so that they might not happen anymore. and as for the minority issue, myself being one, you can never really know how that goes unless you are one, so for all those who aren't... don't try and pretend that you do

  • 27 Posted by klubber1uk on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    Once again shows the ineptitude of Britains "finest"...I'm with everyone else, why wasn't the "concerned citizen" visited by the cops after they found nothing?!

  • 28 Posted by michele08540 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    obviously he wasn't black otherwise, they would have shot first and asked questions later or covered it up and no one would ever know.

  • 29 Posted by jaydizzle882003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    id sue both parties if i was the guy with the mp3 player its obvious that he was set up how in the heck could an ipod be mistaken for a gun what a dumbass

  • 30 Posted by nekrotical on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can't believe this didn't happen to a Black man! No, wait... i can believe it because Mr.Nixon is STILL alive. I suspect racism either way - the iPOD [in question] is black, so all ov a sudden someone's walking around with a GUN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!.

  • 32 Posted by glpevarnik on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    The thing that I would be most concerned with is having my fingerprints, mugshot, and DNA destroyed. The state should not have this personal data if no crime was committed. Oh, and why have some of you put concerned citizen in quotes? That term was never used in the article only "nosy citizen" was. If you're trying to be scholarly then please do it right.

  • 33 Posted by okiefive on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    im with #5 it is bad how much worse the us is then other countrys

  • 34 Posted by leonitus@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    LOL, its funny to see how many peeps say sue, sue, sue. Its a reflection of the trend in the US for peeps to tie up our legal system with low merit cases. It's the new way to become rich in America. Makes me completely sick. Peeps sueing because they have no self control and fat, peeps sueing because they are too stupid to know coffee is hot and they shouldn't be drinking it while driving and who is getting rich from this stupidity you ask, the personal injury attorneys who don't have the ethical standards to just say, "No, your case is completely stupid, get out of my office."

  • 35 Posted by sadane34 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can't help but wonder if the "Ipod bandit" was of color or foreign desent Did he look poor and uneducated? There had to be a reason for being singled out by "concerned citizen".

  • 36 Posted by roogmc on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    Considering the amount of alcohols most of the British people consume.. Clearly the cops were probably still feeling high after a night out with their mates the night before they were out for patrol.. lol!

  • 37 Posted by joannacamille2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    The police must investigate any reported incidents.However, once no weapon was found on the person and the mistake was identified, why would he be taken to the station and fingerprinted? Also, taking DNA from someone is rather intrusive. In some countries DNA can only be legally taken if it is court ordered. He should sue for wrongful arrest.

  • 38 Posted by expertmover on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    in reply to rougeist, pack your bags, move to where this did happen, here they do'nt take dna, and i hope you wear you ear plugs, as you are so down on the USA, what a fool you are

  • 39 Posted by not_the_aj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    If he was in NYC and a person of color he might have been shot. NYC police have shot and killed people over such things as .. a set off keys, a candy bar, a cell phone, a pair of glasses, and a wallet. Consider himself lucky.

  • 40 Posted by nightbreed_999 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree it was a bad situation all around. On the lighter side of it though, maybe he should paint the threatening end of the mp3 player bright fluorescent orange. That way nosey neighbors will know its a toy...lol

  • 41 Posted by aunttek on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    It shouldn't be left as "oops"! I don't care if the guy has a criminal record or not. When they found what he had was an MP3 player that should have been the end of it. I have to whole heartedly agree with rogueist. In addition it's really sad what law enforcement gets away with. Here in Florida your pretty much stripped of your rights, cops do whatever they want and get away with it. Your guilty before proven innocent. I would just love to know who changed our Ammendment? Pretty scary stuff.

  • 42 Posted by greeneyes1473 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    you know something that must a been a huge mp3 for someone dum as a cop to think it was a hand gun. and not to be racest cause im not, can't even spell it.what nieghbor hood was this kid in and what kinda cops would do a whole search and but the poor boy through so much im sure he explained himself to the cops why didn't they look and search while the kid was in the arear with them and did they let the person who saw all this really say they seen a gun cause appear and seem are two differant things.

  • 43 Posted by rey_deluna on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    In Amerika they shoot to kill first under the assumtion that the police officer feared for their life. So if he was arrested, released, and received an apology he is very fortunate.

  • 44 Posted by vrobertc on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    More keystone cop scenarios,if an apology solved this fiasco perhaps if I belted the cops with a baseball bat,thinking they were a crook in disguise then an apology would solve everything,if we error its a crime if they error all is well,nonsense,the police need to accept resposibility for thier actions.Its a well known fact the crooks are smarter than the cops.

  • 45 Posted by prevent1208 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    It is funny that people are ready to say cops are in the wrong but you all sing a different tune when you need cops. Remember there is always two sides to every story. No one of 100% correct all the time.

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.