Good thing they took it away from him, eh?

So, what's the solution Ace, bigger Government?

Ah, but did they take away his BOOM stick?

I actually agree with Michelle Malkin's take on this. Plus she has the picture of that guy. He looks like a class act. But he was a naturlized citizen, and they did hold him for awhile. I don't know, in that situation it seems like a hard call to make...even if it was blood he could have said he had a nosebleed or something.

Hell I don't know...weird story though

So, what's the solution Ace, bigger Government?

I don't know about Ace, but I personally would settle for making a requirement of "IQ>boiled asparagus" for government employees.

They couldn't detain him? Didn't the story say he was carrying brass knuckles? Are those legal anywhere in the US? In California (and I thought in most other states), possession of "metal knuckles" is a felony -- that's possession, even in your house. They couldn't get him for those?

Actually Mischa, they did their job. The Constitution prevented them from going any further with their search. You can't just detain people b/c they look at you funny. The only way to have "busted" this guy at the boarder would be to give some Federal employee making $25,000/year rights the President doesn't (really) have.

Rights vs. Freedoms. I choose my rights. We don't need a new rule for every exception that comes up people - remember that.

Alex, fortunately the rest of the country isn't like California. Have you ever *been* to the northern Maine border? I have. I helped a buddy build a cabin up there on logging lands. 1) it's f*cking cold 2) people out there are a different breed (in a good way) from the rest of the nation.

All I'm sayin is up there you don't throw someone in the freaking penitentiary for having brass knuckles.

I think many of us sometimes forget how the world really works.

I need to stop commenting before i really get in a bad mood. So I'm leaving now. Have fun with infringing on individual rights, changing the constitution and expanding the government even further guys. I'm out.

The interesting thing is that the Canadians let him go in the first place. The question should be why did the Canadians let a known suspect flee their country?

Definitely a freaky story. They held the guy and checked for warrants, as they were supposed to. They should have also mentioned to the Canadian authorities that they think they've got a bloody chainsaw and could they please ask around the dude's neighborhood to see if anyone's missing any limbs before letting the guy through.

Hey, I watch CSI... They could have sprayed that chainsaw with some Luminol, whipped out the UV light and Voila!

MoS

At least this psycho didn't, that we know of, kill anyone else.

Common sense should dictate on this one. Some guy shows up at a border crossing with a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood and they only detain him for a couple of hours? Straight to hell with his rights. You show up packing that kind of crap and you deserve to be held for as long as it takes to completely clear you. Then the authorities should stick a V chip straight up your ass so they can track where you go, what kind of TV you watch, and which blogs you visit.

Have you guys ever been to Calais? Fat kid may be excitable, but he's right. It's a different world.

However, I think reasonable steps should have been taken to keep that lunatic out of the US. Good thing those frickin' Canadians are so much less violent than us, though, huh?

I get what you're saying Slu. Fat kid too. You give power and it can be abused. But god damn, some things dictate the use of gray matter.

All too true.

Here's what I don't get. I was always under the impression that the 4th Amendment (limiting search and arrest powers) is extremely limited at national borders (traditionally, you had virtually no rights when seeking to enter a country from abroad, even your own).

Now, I believe a chainsaw covered in a "blood-like substance" gives you sufficient probable cause to detain a man just about anywhere, much less at the border. If I could be bothered to research it, I'll bet I could find a number of cases that back such a notion. In which case, why couldn't the Border Patrol detain this man long enough to fly the FBI out from DC?

In other words: I don't think the issue is with overly-generous Constitutional rights, or with the law tying the hands of law enforcement. I think the Border Patrol needs some training to realize just how much power they actually have.

In other, other words: they're like big bears, man, and they've got these giant claws, and they're thinking, "How do I kill this little bunny?" They're like big bears, and they don't even know it.

Ok, so how many days do they wait before calling her? Two? Three? A week?

There's an FBI office here in Bangor. A few hours drive from here. The pinheads only needed to keep him a few hours.

For some reason this makes me think of the maniac-dressed-as-santa-claus Tales from the Crypt. Is that just me?

To be fair, Ace, it's the Transportation Security Administration that makes you take your shoes off (it's not really required, but they give you shit if you don't because they don't want to slow down the line).

Completely different outfit from Customs. I'm sure the crime-fighters at TSA would have reacted appropriately to a bloody chain saw. You just can't carry those things on board anymore. Not like the good old days -- when you could smoke in the back of the plane.

Bangor? I hardly know'er!

I'll bet you've never heard that one before.

Anyway, I appreciate that Calais, Maine, is a lot different from California. I also am frustrated at some of the things that our nanny state government deems unlawful here -- I'm pissed that I can't buy an AR-15 or a high-capacity magazine, and I may have to move out of San Francisco if the stupid handgun ballot initiative passes here this coming fall. But that does not diminish my surprise that brass knuckles are legal, and I don't really think it's such a bad thing that brass knuckles are illegal here. Making it a felony to have them in your home is a little severe, admittedly. But still, I'm surprised that this guy couldn't have been popped for bringing in the knucks.