Whoops...I messed up

[mcsap]

Lesson learned, cop wannabe's please :( don't do stupid stuff that can get you arrested.

[121Traffic]

Hey Ferris, I wish you the best of luck. I cannot offer much in the way of advice, as I have not had an agency BI yet, but I am kind of in the same boat as you. In April of 2001, I was "caught" paintballing in Boulder, CO, Open Space parks. The law states that paintballing in the County of Boulder, as long as you are at least 200 yards away from non-participants, and you are wearing appropriate head/eye/face protection. Well we drove up into the mountains away from town, got our gear, and hiked up into the park. I had arrived in Colorado only less than a year before, so I wasn't too familiar with local ordinances. Well it seems that some granola-eater driving by saw our cammie clothing and mistook our paint markers for shotguns, and called the SD thinking that we were going to shoot animals or something. Anyhow, so about 15 mins into our first game, I am crawling through some thicket and I see a figure move in a treeline. I take a couple pot-shots towards them, thinking they're an opponent. All the sudden, I heard what seemed to be the meanest dog ever start barking and snarling and then "BOULDER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT K-9 UNIT! PLACE YOUR WEAPONS ON THE GROUND AND SHOW YOURSELVES!" There were THREE K-9 units surrounding us. We came out with our hands up and we all walked back to the cops' cars. We sat on the hood while they cleared our IDs. Finding nothing, one of them starts hunting through the Open Space ordinance book. Two of them are being really cool, taking a look at our gear, talking about the few times they've done it. The one finishes looking and says as far as he can tell, we have violated no laws. The oldest and most senior one says "Sorry about this guys...someone called in and said she saw three guys with shotguns humping up into the thicket. Guess that was you guys. When we got here though, we could hear you and knew it was paintball, but we had to check. Have fun, be safe." Two of them are getting back into their cars, and the youngest one says "Sir, shouldn't we call Parks? They might have something to say about it..." The senior guy says "Alright...get em on the horn. They'll probably just want to come and lecture." They arrive, and they lecture alright. And they punctuate the lecture with summonses! The park guy said we were illegally discharging firearms on Government Owned land! The SD guys even tried to convince him otherwise, but the Parks guy just said "Well, sirs, we have had numerous complaints about paintballs marks on the trees by hikers...it disturbs them because they don't want to see unnatural colors on the vegetation on their hikes." So yeah...went to court, and here are some examples of the cases before us: Public Urination in a grocery store lot - $150; Purchase of alcohol with the intent to provide to a minor - $150, MIP - $100 and loss of license. We get up, back our case of paintball guns not being firearms with county documentation, and Statutes. Judge (GRANOLA AHHHHHH!!!!) says "No no no...boys, I hike, and I DETEST seeing those irritating little marks on trees not 600 yards from my home. Yes, it washes off with rain, yes it is biodegradable paint made from vegetation and animal fat, but it is IRRITATING." She found no basis for the firearms charge, but she found it in her blessed little cold black heart to convict us of a blanket charge of "Erosion of Natural Landscape" or something to that effect, with a fine of FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS each. That's right...more than 3 times the fines of the other cases or Public Urination and alcohol related offenses...all because our judge was a tree-hugger. We took the $150 for the DA's deferred judgment, community service, and our records expunged after one year of probation. No matter that it is not on my record now...I still have to disclose it. GrrrrGranola!

You seem like a great person, and as deserving of a fulfilling career as any other LEO hopeful here.

Again, best of luck bud...

[ferriscj24]

Wow, what a story. I think everything will be ok for you. when you said the examples of cases before you, was that things you were charged with? MIP, Purchase with intent to provide and public urination...those are on your record? or examples of fines to make your point of the 500$ one handed down to you?

[Smitty]

I'm sorry, but that story is funny. Typical Boulder for ya.

I seriously don't think it will be a big deal, unless that's you with the other charges you mentioned.

Good luck to both of you, we've all done stupid things, and it is a shame that something so small might hurt.