Snowball Fight Gun Video: D.C. Cop Draws Gun at Snowball Fight

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

VIDEO COURTESY OF CBS AFFILIATE KCAL.

WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) - Drop that snowball!

Washington, D.C. police are investigating reports that a detective brandished his gun during a mass snowball fight on a city street after an Internet video surfaced that appears to show the incident.

Police said Monday they were looking into reports that a plainclothes officer pulled a gun after he and his personal car were hit by snowballs. Police say witness accounts and videos from the scene appeared to support the claims.

Hundreds of people were involved in the snowball fight during Saturday's record snowstorm.

A video posted on YouTube shows a black man wearing tan pants, a cr?me colored top and dark jacket standing next to a maroon Hummer. He appears to be holding a gun in his left hand and a walkie-talkie in his right hand. At one point in the video he identifies himself as Detective Baylor.

On the video, which is edited, someone says, "This dude has a gun in his hand. He's driving a Hummer and people are throwing snowballs at him. It does not seem like a good idea."

Later the same voice says, "Do not shoot anyone over snowballs please," but it is unlikely the man could hear him. By this point, it appears Baylor has put the gun away and is now holding only the walkie-talkie which is now in his left hand.

At another point in the video, the crowd chants, "Don't bring a gun to a snowball fight."

Almost two minutes into the video a squad car arrives. Baylor taunts the crowd to "throw another snowball," and pushes one man backwards. A uniformed police officer joins the argument with his gun drawn at his side.

Someone in the crowd says, "We don't feel safe with him here," seemingly in reference to Baylor.

The uniformed officer says, "I'm sorry sir, he's a police officer."

The incident was filmed by several amateur cameras, still photographers, and what appeared to be at least one professional camera man.

VIDEO COURTESY OF CBS AFFILIATE KCAL.

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by Bret_Thiele December 27, 2009 7:07 PM EST: I hope this cop has been disarmed and fired, or at the very least disarmed and sent to anger management therapy.; Reply to this comment


by Bret_Thiele December 27, 2009 7:05 PM EST: Umm, what's more of a threat to public safety? A friendly snow ball fight or stopping your dumb ass Hummer in the middle of the road during a snow storm?; Reply to this comment


by DCAVOIDER December 23, 2009 1:16 PM EST: I heard D.C. has a high crime rate but this is really scary. Do wanna-be cop zeroes-to- heroes like this get any IQ or psychological testing? Put this moron in jail for a few months, at least until winter is over, then assign him to the mounted police-horsecrap clean-up detail where he can face foes with similar social and intellectual skills.
Do NOT EVER let this incompetent human aberration have a gun again.; Reply to this comment


by elop45 December 22, 2009 11:06 PM EST: They should being backing up the detective!
How the hell do you condone a bunch of idiots throwing snowballs at others that are
not involved in their little game. What stupid town, I sure wouldn't miss them if they
were shot at and kill, hell, if I had the capabilities to get away with it, I would leave, come
back and just blast away at the crowd that is throwing snowballs. Screw who gets hurt.

Come on, I know there's someone out there that will do that! I say find the F&( who threw
the snowball at the detective and murder his a**; Reply to this comment


by unibarbie December 21, 2009 11:47 PM EST: Also, I deduced u should not bring a snowball to a gun fight.; Reply to this comment


by JansoniasJg December 21, 2009 6:14 PM EST: That detective should lose his job on account of his behavior. I don't want some loose canon out there patrolling anything. If I was a person in that crowd, I would file a lawsuit against the detective. I would file a separate lawsuit against the police force if I felt they didn't punish this out of control detective properly.; Reply to this comment


by Frosty_Snowman December 21, 2009 3:55 PM EST: Snowball fight does NOT equal stressful and dangerous situations. The guys car was hit with a snowball....KEEP DRIVING!

Instead the guy leaves his car in the middle of the street (dumb #1), gets out (dumb #2), gets hit with multiple snowballs (that's what happens when you're in a snowball fight), pulls his gun (really dumb #3), then tries to tell a mass group of people to stop throwing snowballs (clearly this guy doesn't have any kids of his own), then tries to confront said snowball thrower (he should have taken his ball and gone home).

Did this guy grow up in Florida? Anyone over the age of 40 (and he looks like he's 50) and grew up where it snows, knows the exhilaration of throwing snowballs at cars. Please! Don't you know that kids (and adults for that matter) enjoy throwing snowballs at cars. It's a right of passage.

"Lighten up Frances!" and you too Detective Baylor!; Reply to this comment


by fss2009 December 21, 2009 1:46 PM EST: Why aren't there any good cops left on the streets? First some idiot cop pulls a gun in a Halloween haunted house, and now this nutjob pulls a gun during a snowball fight. Cops are just scumbags these days.; Reply to this comment


by richhan December 21, 2009 1:25 PM EST: O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?; Reply to this comment


by internet_killed_tv_star December 21, 2009 1:03 PM EST: "YOU DON'T BRING A GUN TO A SNOWFIGHT!"
... That's bad sportsmanship.; Reply to this comment