Why were these guys detained at all?

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MaterDei

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http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016...-off-shots-in-apple-valley-detained-released/

APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — The FBI on Tuesday continued to investigate an incident in which 17 men were detained for reportedly firing off hundreds of rounds in a remote part of Apple Valley.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies and an FBI agent responded to the scene Sunday morning and detained the men – reportedly all of Middle Eastern descent – who were camping out in the Deep Creek Hot Springs area Sunday morning, authorities said.


A 911 caller reported hearing over 100 shots fired and seeing five to seven men wearing turbans and shooting “assault rifles, handguns, and shotguns,” according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.

A county sheriff’s helicopter located the men walking near a creek with backpacks “and other items”, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Officials say the men were cooperative as they were detained and searched.

Several handguns, a rifle, and a shotgun were found at the scene, but a records check found all the weapons were registered with the exception of the rifle, which reportedly didn’t have a serial number because it was purchased in parts, an FBI spokesperson told The Times.

Police scanner traffic posted online by the Victor Valley News Group described “a large group of subjects wearing turbans and chanting” at the scene.

“They were up all night chanting ‘Allah akbar’-type stuff,” an unidentified officer is heard saying on the audio recording.

None of the hikers interviewed by Sheriff’s investigators say they witnessed any shots being fired, according to Sheriff’s officials.

A photo of the arrests showing several men handcuffed at the scene was posted by the Victor Valley News Group but was not immediately confirmed by authorities.

All 17 men were eventually released because Sheriff’s investigators say they had no outstanding warrants or criminal histories.

“There was no evidence found that a crime had been committed by any of the subjects who were detained and they were released,” a Sheriff’s spokesperson said.

The FBI will conduct further interviews with the men to determine if any crimes were committed.

Nearby residents said they were concerned by the activity.

“If there’s something going on wouldn’t you want your local police or law enforcement to take care of it so that citizens like you or myself don’t have to ate it into their own hands?” said a resident, Eliseo Rodriguez.
 
...a records check found all the weapons were registered with the exception of the rifle, which reportedly didn’t have a serial number because it was purchased in parts, an FBI spokesperson told The Times.
Ummmm...what? :rolleyes:
 
Are you really unsure why a bunch of middle easterners chanting allahu akhbar and popping off rounds were detained? Not sure if it's right or wrong, but no question of why really...
 
sequins,

There's a lot contradictory about that report. Turbans aren't worn by Wahabists, Shia or Sunnis. They're worn by Sikhs, who are not Arab or Muslim. This basic and sad ignorance leads to Sikhs being mistaken for and harassed as potential "terrorists" when in reality they're opponents of the sects engaged in jihadi terrorism. So "turban" should be an immediate sign they're not jihadis and that there wouldn't be any praise of Allah by Sikhs.

Also, the phrasing is indicative of "redneck" stereotyping making it difficult to sort out whether there was any actual chanting or turban wearing.
 
A citizen report was called in. An investigation happened. No crime was discovered. Answer another call.
That's what we pay law enforcement to do.

Imagine what would have happened if the report wasn't investigated and it turned out that the subjects were bad guys and they did do something bad! Folks would be screaming bloody murder and asking all sorts of questions!

Are false/errorneous reports ever called in? Sure, happens all the time. But you don't know that until the investigation is completed. Often it requires detaining folks until you find out what's going on. Life goes on.
 
If you see something, say something. Isn't that our new normal? It was checked out and it's done. Hopefully there will be no after reports of real rights violations or other issues.
 
That's not too far from the San Bernardino terrorist attack.

They are even running a campaign of "See something, Say something"
 
IDK... maybe because there was a big story a few months ago about a shooting in SoCal that involved Muslims and a government office or something?
 
If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

...And other Orwellian bedtime stories.

To keep on topic - 100 shots? That's all? That is basically my first 5 minutes at the range.
 
80% receiver.

In CA, AKA "ghost guns"

Could be.

But that is different from saying it was purchased in parts.

Of course, we are putting a lot of faith in those details being correct and fully accurate when asking what is up with the no serial number.
 
A report I heard on one radio station indicated they they were yelling "Allahu-Akbar."
This is not Sikh, that is true.
But a bunch of guys shooting in the woods.... reported to the authorities; tell me it would be reasonable NOT to check it out -- and that would be why they were detained.
I don't know what the laws regarding the firing of guns would be where these people were but I do not see anything wrong with disarming them and detaining them while the police find out.
 
Turbans aren't worn by Wahabists, Shia or Sunnis. They're worn by Sikhs, who are not Arab or Muslim.
Correct. However, how many folks in America would either know or bother to distinguish between a keffiyeh/kufiya/ghutra vs. a turban?
 
“They were up all night chanting ‘Allah akbar’-type stuff,” an unidentified officer is heard saying on the audio recording.

In turbans? And how likely do you think Officer Unidentified is to know the difference between Arabic langauges and Bengali or Urdu?
 
I think since 9/11, any officer worth his salt knows what language "Allahu Akbar" is or what it means.
I'd bet against that seven days a week, and I'd do it with a smile on my face. I think Post #6 pretty much wraps this one up - at least the why regarding the reason they were detained.
 
Also, the phrasing is indicative of "redneck" stereotyping making it difficult to sort out whether there was any actual chanting or turban wearing.

And speaking of stereotyping....
 
I think since 9/11, any officer worth his salt knows what language "Allahu Akbar" is or what it means.

Oh, yes, but strictly translated it's just religious praise. And 'Allahu Akbar type stuff' doesn't necessarily include that phrase, or even that language if one is ignorant of such.

Really, I'm willing to bet that a group chanting 'Allahu Akbar' and intending ill will, while armed, wouldn't exactly have been all that cooperative during the investigation.
 
sequins,

There's a lot contradictory about that report. Turbans aren't worn by Wahabists, Shia or Sunnis. They're worn by Sikhs, who are not Arab or Muslim. This basic and sad ignorance leads to Sikhs being mistaken for and harassed as potential "terrorists" when in reality they're opponents of the sects engaged in jihadi terrorism. So "turban" should be an immediate sign they're not jihadis and that there wouldn't be any praise of Allah by Sikhs.

Also, the phrasing is indicative of "redneck" stereotyping making it difficult to sort out whether there was any actual chanting or turban wearing.

I am certainly sympathetic to the Sikh point, there are some who own a nearby gas station who were petrified after 9/11, they had numerous American flags flying to show which side they were on.

However...

Maybe "turban" wasn't the exact correct word. Photos of the Ayatollah in Iran always show him wearing something I (perhaps in my ignorance) would call a turban, ditto photos of Osama bin Laden, so, one Shiite and one I guess Wahabi.
 
I would say that at least 99% of people around where I live wouldn't know the difference between a turban and the other headgear of the middle east.
 
Could they be US Army or Marine employees? The military has fake cities and they have civilians who dress in Arab cloths and shout in Arabic slogans to add realism when units train there before deployment.

That or Hollywood actor wannabes.

Deaf
 
They were detained because that is likely SOP in California. Large group, armed, outnumbering the police respondents, it does not surprise me and would likely happen regardless of skin color. With guns involved, of course they are going to run serial numbers and names against the database, just in case. Handcuffs were probably unnecessary, but again, such a large group, its was a consideration for officer safety.

I'm in full agreement that the caller had no idea of their nationality, headgear, or what language was being spoken, and reported them out of fear based ignorance. Cops were probably equally ignorant, but since no crime had been committed, the guns were legal, they were let go.

No harm, no foul.

I'm curious about the "assembled from part" rifle, though. Probably an 80% receiver AR, but I thought CA put the kibosh on those recently.
 
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