14 year old arrested for bringing in homemade clock

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 16:44

A 14-year-old boy was arrested by police in Texas after a homemade clock he wanted to show his school teachers was mistaken for a bomb.

The homemade clock consisted of a circuit board with wires leading to a digital display.
Later in the day the boy was pulled out of class and interviewed by the school's headteachers and four police officers.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34266389

What the hell? He built a digital clock and a teacher thought it was a timer for a bomb? America seems to be moving backwards.

Considering he built the clock himself at 14, this should be encouraged! Nicking him and charging him with "making a hoax bomb" is a complete and utter joke.

Opinions?

UPDATED:

Picture of Ahmed in cuffs whilst wearing a Nasa shirt:

Video of Ahmed after the initial accusations:

Thanks Winky_The_Winking_Turtle for finding the pic and youtube video.

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 16:46

GeX said:
Sounds like what movies have told me a bomb looks like.

It was just a circuit board and a digital display... not exactly a bomb.

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 16:48

Greebo said:
depends on the cicumstances.

Home made clock is fine.

Home made digital clock connected to a lump of plastacine isnt.

Its all context

My problem is that the teacher immediately assumed it was a bomb, would she have said that if the kids name was David instead of Ahmed? Or if he was white instead of black?

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 16:55

The dozy mare of a teacher could have asked him to open it and let her check it. But to immediately assume it's a bomb because it beeped... makes my blood boil. Should be encouraging creativity not discouraging it!!

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 17:01

Greebo said:
To be fair though, since its mounted in a case, if it was a bomb, the person would lie and say its just a clock wouldnt they?

They are hardly going to say "yep, its a bomb"

ANd with the Americans been so cautious they are always going to assume it might be a bomb and call the police.

Though i do think once it was shown to be a clock, then they should have left it at that. To suspend from school and investigate charges of imitation bomb hoax is taking things a bit far.

Still, a bit weird he went to the trouble of fitting it inside a suitcase though?

They have every right to be cautious but to immediately assume that a digital clock that a 14 year old made is a bomb? Bloody ridiculous!

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 17:05

Greebo said:
I think the big issue is the mounting of it in a briefcase. Yes make a clock, thats great.

But make a digital clock and install it in a briefcase and have it beep does seem to be almost making it like a hoax bomb like kids see in films/tv.

Isn't the justice system supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? Not guilty until proven innocent...

The teacher could have asked to examine it... she didn't... she just assumed it was a bomb. Inflicting that unnecessary suffering on a 14 year old is just idiotic.

Cosimo said:
Why no link to the story?

Ooops, forgot to add it. Have now added it.

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 17:19

Greebo said:
Problem with that theory is where do you draw the line. 14 year kid has imitation gun. Do you ask the kid if its real or quietly call the police?

And then when the police arrive they have to assume its real until proven to be fake surely?

As to whether your are innocent or not comes later with the CPS and a trial.

I do agree that the reaction afterwards seems a bit extreme though.

But again, i do question the fact he made it and fitted it to a briefcase.

I understand why they were cautious, but to go through all the notions of arresting him for something that they had no idea about. He was being processed as if he was a criminal, which he most certainly wasn't.

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 17:27

Malevolence said:
And if it was a bomb the very same people crying about this kid being arrested would no doubt be crying about how useless the police are.

Well that's a pointless statement as that is not what has happened in this case...

Remember when that kid brought a bomb into school and blew himself up? Oh right, i can't...

Well the only one i can find is this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis

Happened in 1986, doesn't exactly happen very often...

Even then, it wasn't caused by a digital clock in a suitcase...

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 17:47

Malevolence said:
The only one you can find? Have you forgot about Columbine?

That wasn't down to a bomb though. Shooting up a school is a bit different to blowing it up.

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 17:52

Malevolence said:
Are you being deliberately obtuse? The two who carried out the Columbine attack also laid bombs around the school too.

Not going to bother arguing with you. It wasn't done by a 14 year old with his homemade digital clock. :rolleyes:

Not only that, the cops had intelligence on one of the perpetrators of that shooting. Guess hey must've had intelligence on this 14 year old too then?

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 18:55

I can already see a load of people resigning over this.

thebennyboy · 16 Sep 2015 at 21:09

The whole thing was handled very poorly. Shouldn't have been accused in the first place.

thebennyboy · 24 Nov 2015 at 00:02

Surfer said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34904226

Well he's now so traumatized by events that he needs $15 million compensation from the school and the city...ohh and hes moved to Qatar now.

Just saw that. Being wrongly accused of something is well... wrong, but $15 million?!? He's having a laugh, he'll be lucky to get anything. Did have sympathy for him, but now i really don't have any as this is just pure greed.