Ving Rhames Says Police Held Him At Gunpoint In His Own Home

[Indus]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ving-rhames-police-gunpoint-home_us_5b5caf50e4b0b15aba99634c

Rhames said it was about 2:15 in the afternoon when he heard a knock on the front door.

“I open the door and there is a red dot pointed at my face from a 9 millimeter,” he said. “They say, ‘Put up your hands,’ literally.”

According to Rhames, he was confronted by three police officers, the captain of police and a police dog. The situation de-escalated after the captain recognized Rhames from their sons’ playing sports together and apologized. He said police told him they were responding to a 911 call from a woman who “said a large black man was breaking into the house.”

When Rhames and police questioned the woman who had allegedly made the report ― she lived across the street ― she denied ever calling, the actor said.

“Here I am in my own home, alone in some basketball shorts just because someone called and said a large black man is breaking in,” Rhames said. “When I opened up the wooden door, a 9 millimeter is pointed at me.



Seriously wtf? Glad the police were not eager to shoot

 

[dank69]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ving-rhames-police-gunpoint-home_us_5b5caf50e4b0b15aba99634c

Rhames said it was about 2:15 in the afternoon when he heard a knock on the front door.

“I open the door and there is a red dot pointed at my face from a 9 millimeter,” he said. “They say, ‘Put up your hands,’ literally.”

According to Rhames, he was confronted by three police officers, the captain of police and a police dog. The situation de-escalated after the captain recognized Rhames from their sons’ playing sports together and apologized. He said police told him they were responding to a 911 call from a woman who “said a large black man was breaking into the house.”

When Rhames and police questioned the woman who had allegedly made the report ― she lived across the street ― she denied ever calling, the actor said.

“Here I am in my own home, alone in some basketball shorts just because someone called and said a large black man is breaking in,” Rhames said. “When I opened up the wooden door, a 9 millimeter is pointed at me.



Seriously wtf? Glad the police were not eager to shoot

They were eager to shoot. Lucky one of them recognized him or he'd be dead now.

 

[UberNeuman]

Where’s Bruce Wills with a samurai sword when you need him?

 

[amenx]

Cops should have the number of the caller. And when investigating, NOT DO IT with their guns drawn at whoever answers the door. WTF, did they think a burglar would answer the door? Somethings wrong with this system. Its open to misuse.

 

[kage69]

Where’s Bruce Wills with a samurai sword when you need him?

He wasn't as far from OK this time, thankfully.

I'm wondering if phone records will be confirmed, is that lady telling the truth?

 

[esquared]

If she didn't do it, could it have been a swatting call?
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/30/us/kansas-police-shooting-swatting/index.html

"Very simple to pull off
Swatting dates to at least the early 2000s, and the FBI first warned the public about it in 2008.
Celebrities are often targets of the prank. In 2013 a 12-year-old Southern California boy admitted to making swatting calls to the homes of actor Ashton Kutcher and singer Justin Bieber. But non-celebrities have been victims, too.
The dangerous scams are usually carried out in one of two ways, and both are incredibly simple.
One is called caller ID spoofing. The quick and free trick, using websites and apps, makes a call appear to the 911 operator as though it is coming from inside someone's house.
A second swatting method sidesteps the traditional phone system altogether. Some swatters use a teletypewriter (TTY) relay -- a phone system created for people who are deaf -- to place 911 calls. The TTY system is appealing to swatters because the Federal Communications Commission requires relay services to keep TTY calls, and callers, confidential.
Even if relay operators believe a 911 call may be a hoax, they're generally prohibited from intervening -- calls must be relayed verbatim."

 

[Jaskalas]

Phone systems don't have one tenth the security and authentication that email systems have.

Cops should have the number of the caller. And when investigating, NOT DO IT with their guns drawn at whoever answers the door. WTF, did they think a burglar would answer the door? Somethings wrong with this system. Its open to misuse.

Damn straight our system is wrong. Calling the police is more likely to get innocent people killed than not. And terrorists know it.

 

[esquared]

And if it was the woman across the street, they should be able to identify here by her voice, correct?

If she did it, charge her.

 

[Thump553]

Cops should have the number of the caller. And when investigating, NOT DO IT with their guns drawn at whoever answers the door. WTF, did they think a burglar would answer the door? Somethings wrong with this system. Its open to misuse.

They almost certainly do and they almost certainly have a recording of the 911 call. Both of those are done routinely in every 911 call. If the false call came from the neighbor she is going to face some serious charges.

 

[dank69]

I'm sure it wasn't a false call, just a racist call. She might get in trouble for denying she made the call though. Dunno if there are any laws against that though.

 

[13Gigatons]

Police have to follow procedure. Everybody complains that "they" were held at gunpoint by the police. Police would hold the Pope at gunpoint til they verify it was him.

 

[UNCjigga]

It's a good thing Rhames didn't have to get medieval on their asses, with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.

 

[HomerJS]

Why isn't that white woman in jail???

Rhames would be dead if someone hadn't recognized him. Another entry for EWB thread.

 

[13Gigatons]

Why isn't that white woman in jail???

Rhames would be dead if someone hadn't recognized him. Another entry for EWB thread.

It's not illegal to report suspicious activity to the police. My Neighbor was held at gunpoint by the police....he was just sitting in his car after coming back from the airport.

 

[Lanyap]

The original article has been updated with info from the Santa Monica police department. According to them more than one neighbor called. This incident happened two years ago even though Rhames said it happened this year. I guess Rhames' neighbors at his Santa Monica home did not recognize him. The police department statement is linked below.

Police in general are becoming more aggressive and militarized. I'm surprised they didn't call out SWAT.

The Santa Monica Police Department released a public statement about the incident on Saturday. The statement said police received “several calls” from neighbors reporting that a “black male was seen entering a residence and did not live there.”

“As officers were assessing the residence, they encountered the resident at the front door,” the statement reads. “Officers recognized the resident and the situation was quickly de-escalated with no use of force occurring.”

While Rhames said the event happened this year, the press release describes it as occurring in July 2016. The statement adds that after the incident, the department launched a “Meet Your Neighbors” community initiative to encourage neighbors to get to know one another and “address situations such as these.”

H/T The Root

This story has been updated with a statement from the Santa Monica Police Department.

https://www.facebook.com/santamonic...150267039398/1909114612442946/?type=3&theater

Santa Monica Police Department
July 28 at 2:16 PM ·
Statement on 2016 incident involving Mr. Ving Rhames:

On July 29, 2016 at about 1:52 p.m., Santa Monica Public Safety Dispatch received several calls from residents of a possible residential burglary in the 800 block of 23rd Street in Santa Monica. The reporting parties indicated a black male was seen entering a residence and did not live there. Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) responded to the area with the information available to them. Within minutes, officers arrived at the residence. As officers were assessing the residence, they encountered the resident at the front door. Officers recognized the resident and the situation was quickly de-escalated with no use of force occurring. The resident was identified as Ving Rhames.

Following this incident, SMPD launched a city-wide community program “Meet Your Neighbors” to address situations such as this. The program was designed to encourage neighbors to step out of their comfort zones and get to know each other over coffee, ice cream or block party. The Santa Monica Police Department encourages neighbors to become familiar with each other to avoid similar situations

 

[13Gigatons]

Most people don't want their house robbed while they are out, so police doing their job is a good thing.

 

[trenchfoot]

So the $64 question is, of course, would the same thing have happened if Rhames was white?

Then there's this question of how long has Rhames been living there such that his neighbors would have known him from the cars he drives, from the style of clothes he wears, his personal habits and scheduling, even from his outline at night and from the way he walks etc. that he would be identifiable to them from seeing him so often?

And how can so many neighbors be wrong about misidentifying him all at the same time?

 

[mikeymikec]

Just aside from the 'at gunpoint' point - if police believe that a burglar is in a house, why did they only go to the front door and ring the bell? Is this some mistaken belief that a burglar feels obliged to play the good host even when they're not in their own house to answer the door politely?

 

[arandomguy]

So the $64 question is, of course, would the same thing have happened if Rhames was white?

Then there's this question of how long has Rhames been living there such that his neighbors would have known him from the cars he drives, from the style of clothes he wears, his personal habits and scheduling, even from his outline at night and from the way he walks etc. that he would be identifiable to them from seeing him so often?

And how can so many neighbors be wrong about misidentifying him all at the same time?

Maybe I'm the only one but I'm that surprised about neighbors not being able to identify neighbors, even less so nowadays with how physical distance and relations is even less of a factor. It also seems despite how people seemingly are more open from a distant perspective (such as online) they are more private in a local setting now.

Growing up I've only ever known one a neighbor across the street and only because the guy was a friend of a friend, but I wouldn't be able to point out the rest of his family. In terms of next door neighbors I've only ever known 3 (oddly all on the lot to the west) and not necessarily all the members in that house either. Currently live in a condo and I wouldn't be able to point out anyone outside of the building of the manager, not even on the same floor.

 

[dainthomas]

If Ving Rhames was your neighbor for years, how the hell would you not know it?

 

[realibrad]

If Ving Rhames was your neighbor for years, how the hell would you not know it?

They are too busy eating at Arby's.

 

[woolfe9998]

Phone systems don't have one tenth the security and authentication that email systems have.



Damn straight our system is wrong. Calling the police is more likely to get innocent people killed than not. And terrorists know it.

LOL, it isn't "more likely to get innocent people killed than not." Go ahead and prove that, or don't bother trying, because we both know you can't.

When are people ever going to understand that the incidents we read about in the news are in the news to begin with because they are the exception, not the rule. No newspaper is going to report on the fact that the cops came to someone's house and nothing at all happened of any interest. This case being the odd exception only because it was a celebrity involved.

 

[Ns1]

sounds like he got swatted

When are people ever going to understand that the incidents we read about in the news are in the news to begin with because they are the exception, not the rule.

while this may be true, there are far too many exceptions...if you have a dog, your dog has even worse odds.

 

[Ottonomous]

Why do people never consider the possibility that these callers may be intoxicated, insane, mentally challenged or presbyopic and battling elderly stereotypes?

 

[HomerJS]

It's not illegal to report suspicious activity to the police. My Neighbor was held at gunpoint by the police....he was just sitting in his car after coming back from the airport.

Was there any evidence a scary large black man was breaking into a house? If the evidence is no why isn't that white woman in jail??