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

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

    uh...the US that guy would have been dead in seconds and then the cops would have been like "oops...sorry. heres a hat for your loss" as soon as I get the money, I'm out.

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

    in america, he would have been shot. Our country is paranoid after 9-11

  • 48 Posted by oryanslilmama on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    I with all of you, if"concerned citizen" was paying that much looking at the guy with MP3,his records should been looked up to see if he had a criminal record.If I was the MP3 guy I sue him.If this was the US, he would have been arrested for walking while listening to the MP3 player, and if he didnt stop when the cops approached him, he would have been tasered and shot as well, and probably end up serving a 3 to 5 year sentence for resisting arrest. Sad how bad the US is now compared to other countries. Maybe they should have arrested the "concerned citizen" for pointing their nose where it didn't belong!How could you possibly mistake an Ipod for a gun?

  • 49 Posted by muddytoyota4x4 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    First off, most people do not understand the situations a Police Officer faces on a day to day basis. It's easy to say; "Well, I'd just walk up to the guy and see if he has a gun". It doesn't work like that-atleast not if you ever want to see your family again. Most of the time there are no second chances. You're not playing a video game and it's not T.V. If a "concerned citizen" has conviction in them and says, that man has a gun, then sure, the officer(s) are going to react. Did they react the right way? Hard to say, I wasn't there. Would I have done it differently? Possibly. Police act on what is called "Totality of Circumstance". That means EVERYTHING around them is taken into the scope of the confrontation. Was it dark, were there alot of people around, was there a position where this "armed subject" could take cover and fire upon the Officers and innocent by-standers? Alot of things need to be taken into consideration before passing "bad cop" judgement. As far as the DNA swab and fingerprinting, what is the policy of that agency and their "intake and holding" process? It may be differnt "there" than in the U.S. Surely they will not "stain" this mans' record if no crime was committed. That part remains to be seen I'm sure, and if that is the case, then that is a whole different ball game that I am not equipped to answer. I can say, that if it was "you" and it was late at night and you were alone, and you came into contact with a subject or subjects, you would feel a little different about Police and guns. I have "carried" for almost 13 years in my career and have had to draw my duty weapon on several occasions but never had to pull the trigger (thank God). As far as "the concerned citizen", there are always different points of view, and people perceive things differently. What you may see as the "Lochness Monster", I may see a log floating in the water being pushed along by wind or water currents. It depends on a persons abilitly to decipher what they see. There may have been some discrepancies in the handling of the situation, but no one was injured or killed and that is the most important thing.

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

    Wow, reading some of your comments I can't believe how naive some of you people are when it comes to law enforcement. It's obviously not only the US and there are far more than a few bad apples. An apology, which by the way I guarantee he won't get, does nothing for ones dignity! This subject needs national attention, something needs to be done about abusive law enforcement! Scary stuff!

  • 51 Posted by oryanslilmama on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with not_the_aj. Remember how that 18 year old black boy was shot for carrying a hairbrush! The cops shot him about 30 times! If i was that guy with the Mp3 player, I'd sue the cops and the "concerned citizen"! Its just a disgrace to see cops who cant even distinguish a MP3 player from a handgun!

  • 52 Posted by csweets_21 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Overzealous sounds about right, however, in most other situations overzealousness keeps the public and the police safe and that is a good thing. It did seem to go too far, when a weapon was not found either on his person or in the area, that should have been the end of it. After reading most of the comments, I've never heard such ridiculous statements in my life. Talk about a sad commentary on our country, just read what everyone has to say. I've seen enough of, "sue everyone, cops want to shoot and kill people, he must have been black" and other garbage. If these are the opinions and belief of our citizens, we are definitely screwed......

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

    It's obvious we have some cops commenting......helloooooo, when they found it to be an mp3, they went ahead and arrested him! Duh, no rocket scientist needed here!

  • 54 Posted by ratb0y460 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    Everybody makes mistakes, the only perfect person was hung on a cross. Imagine what it would be like anywhere in the world that some form of law enforcement was not present.

  • 55 Posted by thecyberfleamarket on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I know its far fetched but there are actually weapons fashioned inside ordinary items like flashlights and beepers. I agree after his Ipod was examined the apology should have been issued and the nosy citizen glazed over for exaggerating the story. But check http://www.mail-archive.com/firearmsregprof@lists.ucla.edu/msg00873.html for details on hidden weapons.

  • 56 Posted by decorativesurfacesbystacy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    There is a company that markets an mp3 player that fires a .22 caliber round as a self defense weapon. Better to be safe than sorry and dead.

  • 57 Posted by lakeside989 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    Locally some overzealous officers responded to a disorderly complaint at a motel and made the assumption that it was being robbed. They yelled at a janitor who was carrying a broom to "Drop the gun" and then took a shot at him completely missing and blowing out a window. Both were reprimanded, one who had a number of civil complaints about feeling up female perps along with video to prove it was dismissed and is now a cop in Florida.

  • 58 Posted by dpaige42 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    i know the guy was probably black,and how can you mistake it for a gun he has headphones on,it had nothing to with the mp3player just about a nervous racist cop !!!

  • 59 Posted by jcarrero324 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    The police should of been disciplined for arresting an innocent and the nosy moron should be cited for making a fasle report.

  • 60 Posted by fiveoh88 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    and people think that cops are bad here in the states...

  • 61 Posted by judymay001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    In having the level of protection we expect from police, there are bound to be mistakes made. The "nosey citizen" was honestly frightened, he made a mistake, that's all! No one was physically harmed, and if it had turned out there was a gun, I would rather have over-reaction then be shot. Lighten up.

  • 62 Posted by jcarrero324 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    As an American I do feel the police in this country are abusing their authority more and more. An average person cannot even peacefully protest without getting arrested. I get afraid when the police approach me, I use to be grateful for their help now I am scared of them. Too many people being arrested for the wrong reasons. What happen to the dream of a democratic free America? Just a dream....

  • 63 Posted by mtthw63 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    I grew up in a city of about 240,000 people. My friends and I would go shooting after school. Our guns..... in our gun rack in the pick up we drove to school. And carried Sony Walkman's. My my, how times have changed!!!

  • 64 Posted by snake94@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    #5 - What kind of criminal history do you have? Quit hating on the police for your personal, obviously selfish reasons. If you don't like the way things are done, then do it yourself and fill out an application. Until then, ----- your pie hole.

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