Facebook posts during hostage stand-off may lead to charges - via MSNBC

A hostage suspect updated his Facebook account while involved in a 17-hour standoff with police. The man gained 12 new friends during that time, some of whom allegedly tipped him off on police movements.

We told you about the man who was holed up in a Utah motel room with a hostage during a 16-hour standoff with police and a SWAT team, and how he posted comments to Facebook during that time.

Some of the suspect's friends were also posting comments to him, and now those people could be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for hampering a police investigation.

"We're not sure yet how to deal with it," Ogden police Lt. Danielle Croyle told the Associated Press Tuesday.

While Jason Valdez, 36, was in the second-floor room at the motel, he used his cellphone to access Facebook. He was wanted on a felony drug warrant, but refused to come out of the room and for many hours, also refused to let an acquaintance, a woman, go free.

As Valdez posted updates on Facebook while the drama went on, some family members and Facebook friends pleaded with him to do the right thing; others used the social networking site to let Valdez know officers' movements, according to the AP, which reviewed Valdez' Facebook profile page.

For example, at 3:48 a.m. in the morning, almost 11 hours into the standoff, "one of Valdez' friends posted that police had a 'gun ner in the bushes stay low." Valdez thanked him in a reply," the AP said.

Once police finally got into the motel room some hours later, according to the Standard-Examiner and KRIS-TV, Valdez fired at police, then shot himself in the chest. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was in critical condition.

Those in Utah aren't amused by Valdez' use of Facebook. In a column for the Standard-Examiner, "The social network goes anti-social in hostage drama," Charles F. Trentelman wrote about Valdez: "Last I heard, he's still alive. No doubt, he'll be back on Facebook as soon as he can."

Click Here For The Original Post By Suzanne Choney

1$ Bank Robbery in exchange for Medical Coverage

  GASTONIA N.C.— A Gaston County man robbed a bank and then sat down on the floor to wait for police to arrest him.

"This is the first time I've ever been in trouble with the law,” James Verone said from the Gaston County Jail on Friday. “I'm sort of a logical person and that was my logic. (That was) what I came up with.”

That is how Verone said he came to the decision to rob the RBC bank on New Hope Road on Thursday, June 9.

He didn’t have a gun and he handed the teller a rather unusual note.

"The note said ‘This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar,’" Verone said.

Then he did the strangest thing of all.

"I started to walk away from the teller, then I went back and said, 'I'll be sitting right over there in the chair waiting for the police," Verone said.

And that is what he did. 

The teller called 911 and police released the recording

911 Operator: Is he being threatening to ya’ll?

Bank teller: Yes

911 Operator: What is, he has threatened you?

Bank teller: Yes

911 Operator: To shoot you?

Bank teller: Uh, yes. He’s sitting on the sofa. He can hear everything I’m saying, so I’m in a back room. But there’s four of us here in the bank. Please hurry.

911 Operator: Ok ma’am. They’re just right out there.

So why did Verone do everything he could to get arrested?

"Because I wanted to make it known that this wasn't for monetary reasons, but for medical reasons," he said

Hoping for three-year sentence Verone said he doesn’t have medical insurance. He has a growth of some sort on his chest, two ruptured disks and a problem with his left foot. He is 59-years-old and with no job and a depleted bank account, he thought jail was the best place he could go for medical care and a roof over his head.

Verone said he wanted police to arrest him.

"Oh yeah. I went in knowing I was going to jail," Verone said.

He is hoping for a three-year sentence. He would then be able to collect Social Security when he got out and said he would head for the beach.

"I've already looked at a condominium. I've spoken to a realtor on Myrtle Beach," Verone said.

He admits his story is unusual and said he wouldn't recommend anyone else do what he did, but Verone said he has no regrets. He said he is getting good medical care now, but the jail doctor accused him of manipulating the system.

"If it is called manipulation, then out of necessity because I need medical care then I guess I am manipulating the courts to get medical care," Verone said.

Verone may have a problem with his plan because he only demanded one dollar in the bank robbery. Police charged him, not with bank robbery, but larceny from a person. He might not get as much time in the slammer as he was hoping for.

Jackass star Ryan Dunn dies in Jackacc-ident

 

Ryan Dunn, who will beremembered for sticking a Hot Wheels car up his own ass in the movie "Jackass,"  died in a crash outside of Philadelphia early this morning. The car is too mangled to tell, but it may in fact be the remains of Dunn's Porsche 911 GT3. Police also don't know whether alcohol was to blame.

 

Dunn and an unidentified person both died in the crash which happened around 3 a.m. at Route 322 and New Street in West Goshen Township. It's unclear who was driving the car. We're told the car caught fire in the crash -- and hours later, a tow truck was called to the scene to remove the charred wreckage.

This is a photo of what Ryan Dunn's Porsche 997 GT3 looked like before the deadly accident — we're obviously still assuming that this was the vehicle being driven.

Just hours before his death, Dunn posted a photo on Twitter showing himself drinking with friends.

After its premiere 10 years ago, the MTV trailer trash hit “Jackass” is still around to the surprise of everyone. The reason behind its success is its core cast which includes a group of skaters, snow boarders, and stunt men who love to make people laugh — by any means necessary. Last weekend we got the opportunity to sit down and talk with the guys from the crew while they were promoting their latest venture "Jackass the Movie". The group consisted of Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, Chris Ponitus, Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, and director Jeff Tremaine.

MTV just tweeted: "We're deeply saddened by the passing of a member of the MTV family, Ryan Dunn. Our hearts and thoughts are with his friends and family."