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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  • 66 Posted by isewman1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    concered elder..Why in the heck did the company get away with making a ipod to look like a gun..Sue the company..They probably made million's with such a rediculous item.. A U.S. citizen

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

    The incident needed investigation. Why? Because it's possible her may have had a gun, and an MP3 player. The gun could have been ditched prior to the cops latching onto him.

  • 68 Posted by ongruthese on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    WOW, things are getting from bad to worse here, RACISM is coming into the picture, SIMPLY AMAZING. I'm from Asia, perhaps you would think that this incident doesn't concern me, but I really wanna say something. Let's be frank. What will you do, if you saw someone in possess of a handgun(not knowing you had mistaken it as)? What will you do if you are a police officer arresting a "armed suspect"(not knowing he/she doesn't carry one)? What will you do if you are a police officer who had arrested a "armed suspect" who had more then enough time to dispose his/her weapon along the way(not knowing at all he/she had no possession of a handgun)? What will you do if you are a police officer who found no weapon at all and your suspect might be link to one of your armed cases(not knowing he/she is totally innocent)? Is there anyone out there willing to take this chance by putting an "armed suspect" back on the street? I do feel sorry for Mr. Nixon, and i believe that the "nosy citizen" feel the same way too. Please, spare a thought and think again. What most of you wrote will encourage people to keep their mouth shut and mind their own business. You'll never know, when someone you know got shot on the street one of these days, you will be asking why had no one see him/her with a handgun.

  • 69 Posted by draegerman40 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    a Gun, the person who saw the supposed gun, may be concened for your safety. Years ago we did not think airplanes would be used a missles. Being cautious is the only thing we have to protect ourselves. The cops especially in Europe have to be cautious, its the penalty for being too leanaint on those who create issues. Let the cops do there job and the public be prepared to deal with being protected. again years ago a gun was a gun now a belt to hold your pants up can be a bomb. You just don't know. When you can say its safe out there we won't need the police.

  • 70 Posted by nannymandy3 on Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:22AM EST Report Abuse

    if i was that person that got shot i would suit the living heck out the cops there. Im sick of europe and the uk you guys arent that great and besides we are the #1 superpower you better recognize who the top dog is.

  • 71 Posted by generalnuscinez on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't know what is worse. this guy getting arrested or yahoo censorship.

  • 72 Posted by ironwolf56 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    No guns for anyone? Mandatory fingerprint and DNA (?!?!) gathering on even the suspicion of a charge? Yeah those tea-sippers are way too quick to let their civil rights slide. I see this kind of crap in Europe all the time and yet they have the audacity to say our country (US) is the one that's fascist; all part of the propaganda machine of their aristocratic masters I guess.

  • 74 Posted by junichihayashi72 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    Maybe arrest the nosy citizen for inducing panic. Maybe Nixon can file a small claims suit against the nosy citizen. In the US...the guy would have been tasered and shot...and probably arrested for inducing panic and received a full body cavity search before being thrown in jail.... And forget about an apology from the cops. They don't know what an apology is. Is the US this bad now? You bet it is.

  • 75 Posted by super_altima on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    These incidents are all too common. Take this incident from Toronto, Canada: A few years ago someone called the police because they thought a guy had a gun in his back pocket. It was really his hat he put in his pocket because he was playing basketball. The guy was searched and released. I find that the cops take things a bit too far sometimes, as in the case of this mp3 story.

  • 76 Posted by r_w367 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    my goodness is GUNS always the answer to everthing? back here in chicago im going to say 8 years or so this young lady by the name of latona hagerry was riding passager in a car and the car got pull over,the police asked her and the driver to exit the car she got out and drop her cell phone in the car,is what she reached in to pick up and WHY did the police open fire on her killing her? MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we have a car shop out here by that name and when im driving and see that last name on a car i always think of her and how much of a CRIME!!!!!!! she didnt do and now her life is over she lay dead in a casket cause of a police officers STUPID mistake and that angers me yes it do! i dont know her and dont know her family but i still greive with them and for them. i think they chould change the colors of any thing black or gray thats hand held, i belive guns only come in the two colors i could be wrong .but all i can say to the family if they read this is im so sorry, i am so sorry, an officer give a GUN and some times they they go haywire, the moral of the story is the family sue they city and WON!!!!!!!!!!!! im at r_w367@yahoo.com if any like to talk GOD BLESS U ALL,bye

  • 77 Posted by dadadrake2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ok so a severe lack of understanding on the way someone gets arrested. Officers cannot tase anyone without being given probable cause, so don't act erratic and don't do stupid things like run on the officer and you won't get tased. I work in law enforcement, they don't shot first and ask questions later and in this country you can't run a criminal history at the drop of a hat. You have to arrest someone and even then there has to be a reason to run the criminal history ie violent crime was commited, dui, or drug offense just to mention a few. Officers have a thankless and often deadly job. They are just trying to do it and not get killed especially in a day and age when the criminals are ofter better equiped than the officers are. Don't hate on the police try a day in their shoes and then tell me they are out of control or using their authority beyond what the government and the people have given them. I for one am proud of what I do no matter how small the pay is. WE SAVE LIVES!!!!

  • 78 Posted by mandi.mayfield on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    everyone saying rogueist is wrong but think about what recently happened in ny a man carrying a HAIR BRUSH got shot and killed by police because they thought he had a gun

  • 79 Posted by philippekassouf on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:09PM EDT Report Abuse

    If these police officers can't tell the difference between a mp3 player and a handgun, then why aren't they on unpaid leave. Time and Time again all over this world, you hear about police officers making stupid decisions. Sue the concerned citizen, the city/town. I hope this mp3 guy already has talked and filed a lawsuit against the city. And these officers are on suspension without pay.

  • 80 Posted by john_mgd on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    the cops apologized? that would never happen in america. here, they would have beaten the guy to a bloody pulp, tazered and arrested him, then if anyone would have complained, the officer(s) would have received a reward of a paid vacation, err i mean a paid administrative leave...

  • 81 Posted by dulcamarax on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    That the UK has over ONE MILLION video cameras throughout London to observe "crimes" taking place on their soil as well as some of the most restrictive gun laws on the planet makes me feel good that I have a Constitution to protect my rights. Yes, we have our own complement of bonehead cops yet in the aftermath of the London train bombing you can understand their overzealousness. But then again, British are "subjects" [not citizens] and Americans are "citizens" [not subjects]. And we have "concerned citizens" here too. In the case of a real crime being committed, a well armed concerned citizen" has the ability to take matters into their own responsibility/accountability until the police arrive. Remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.The Brits prefer to defer their responsibility to the Crown and her minions. It's a great feature of a socialist country. If "society" and the State screw up, it's a case of "OOPS, my bad! Sorry about that. No harm, no foul", EXCEPT for the inconvenience to the law abiding "subject" listening to Donna Summers Greatest Hits. It's why we got away from these suet eaters in 1776.

  • 82 Posted by owlkatus on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    i find alot of you people on here are halfwitz. really think about. first of all, a person reported to the police that someone was observed with a gun. the UK doesnt have that many guns in play with the common citizen. the officers checking out the supposed threat, check a man with a mp3 player. at the time, they did not know if the the threat is real or not. then they checked the area where the man was in pryor to be arrested. they were dealing with an unknown threat and were investigating it properly. what if the man really had a gun and stashed it. they investigated a 3rd party aligation. everyone is so quick to give the police a hard time but if the guy really had a gun and the police did not investigate it properly, alot of you numbnuts would be up in arms because the police did not do enough. so before you get your panties up in a knot, think about what is really happening before you make your comments.

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

    Unless your a cop shut your trap! They deal with the worst of the worst every single day of their lives.... I dont believe they are bad. You watch too much tv....

  • 84 Posted by chilly6650 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    The man who reported the gun should be arrested for being a nuisance. I mean when they didn't find a weapon come on people use some common sense.. If one of us had reported the same situation we would have been cited or fined for falsifying a report.. The police should have apologized sooner as they realized they had made a mistake, after all I'm sure it didn't take that long to figure it out... If it did then the police department was more at fault than the guy who reported it..

  • 85 Posted by cshelomis on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Cops are trigger happy because of all the dumb a**es out there, that dont have any regard for the law. MOST of the people who get shot by police DESERVE it because they where in fact doing something wrong. Mistakes are made by people in ALL professions.

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