Cops In 80 Minute Stand-off With Cardboard Cut-Out

[lame54]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11292008/news/regionalnews/paper_tiger_bandit_keeps_30_cops_at_bay__141406.htm

A group of cops in New Jersey looked like turkeys Thanksgiving night after an hourlong standoff at a bank with an armed "bandit" that turned out to be a life-size cardboard cutout of a man.

Some 30 officers surrounded a PNC Bank branch in Montgomery Township after alarms at the branch went off at 8:40 p.m.

Officers looked through a window and reported seeing a person crouching inside.

The cops proceeded to evacuate a nearby housing complex, stop traffic on an adjourning highway and try to negotiate with the cardboard crook through a bullhorn.

At about 10 p.m. a SWAT team stormed inside - only to emerge red-faced after they realized the "crook" they were trying to nab was made of cardboard.

"I think obviously there was some relief and then some humor was involved," said Sgt. Robert Mitchell.

"We didn't know we were going up against a cardboard cutout until we made entry."

Mitchell said the cutout was first spotted when an officer responding to the alarm looked through a window and saw it on the screen of the bank's surveillance monitor.

The cutout - for an advertising promotion - was gone yesterday afternoon. The bank refused to comment on the incident.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Those Republican Cops need more training

[book_worm]

7. republican?

[wellst0nev0ter]

11. Yes, Republican

Try to find a liberal police union, and I'll can give you a good price on a bridge to nowhere.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

2. At least they didn't grope it.

;)

[FarCenter]

3. Tasers don't work on cardboard, since it's an insulator

[Solly Mack]

4. Hope they brought scissors...

rocks wouldn't have done them any good...

[Truthiness Inspector]

5. Nothing to be red-faced about

At least for anyone who's had to deal with these situations.

I remember once on a burglary alarm call there appeared to be motion inside the store. From outside, I saw random movements in front of a corner-mounted mirror. It turned out to be a small hanging sign that blew back and forth covering part of the mirror occasionally by power of a nearby fan. This was also at night.

Nothing bad happened, but I certainly didn't feel like a red-faced turkey, and neither should these officers LOL!

[sakabatou]

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[Webster Green]

8. Cops are fucking idiots!

If they were not idiots, they would not be cops. :shrug:

[Joe the Liberal]

9. Lol..........

how embarrassing. :rofl:

[Warren DeMontague]

10. They should have brought in some cardboard cops to stand watch over it

then, go get some coffee n' donuts.

[lame54]

12. .

[NoPasaran]

13. If SOS Clinton is involved in long and fruitless negotiations

We can send in her cutout to spell her. Assuming we can pry it away from Jon Favreau, of course.

[rug]

14. To be fair, it was holding a toilet paper tube.