Man says veteran status should let him steal candy

[lavender r dragon]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_fe_st/odd_candy_veteran

FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Authorities arrested a man who claimed he was justified in stealing candy at a truck stop because he had served in the military. Police said an officer confronted a 31-year-old man at the truck stop early Monday morning. The officer reported finding several packages of candy and nuts, two black T-shirts and a 20 oz. bottle of beer in his pockets.

He said he had paid for all the items, but a clerk denied ringing up any purchases for him.

A report stated that while in the patrol vehicle, the man screamed out the window that he had served in the military over in Iraq and could steal all the M&M'S he wanted.

His veteran status could not be immediately verified.

The man was charged with retail theft and was being held on $5,000 bail.

[RaevynCait]

WTF? Your alleged service in the military that exists to protect my right to live as a free, law -abiding, citizen, puts you ABOVE those laws? :augh:

[UnicornBee]

New level of entitlement-minded. *Sigh....*
Yes, serving in the military earns you a lot of respect. Not exemption from the law...

[Black Delia]

Not everyone who is 'mentally or emotionally challenged' in some form or another gets weeded out of the selection process for enlistment, though the military does do the best it can as an entity.

And not everyone that is deployed into a stressful and life-threatening environment returns with the same amount of stability and reason that they were shipped with. The military also attempts to render aid and comfort (therapy) to those who succumb to the stresses they are subjected to.

While it is sad that this will probably have some nasty and far reaching implications IF it is discovered that the man DID serve his country and IS a veteran.. He may or may not have been stable if he was a soldier of some kind, either before or after he shipped and/or returned from Iraq, if he was indeed stationed there. 'My' jury is still out on the situation, as printed .. Its far too sketchy for me, or anyone, to know enough to make any judgements until (as Paul Harvey would have said) "...you know.. The rest of the story."

[Gemdrite]

Not everyone who is 'mentally or emotionally challenged' in some form or another gets weeded out of the selection process for enlistment, though the military does do the best it can as an entity.

And not everyone that is deployed into a stressful and life-threatening environment returns with the same amount of stability and reason that they were shipped with. The military also attempts to render aid and comfort (therapy) to those who succumb to the stresses they are subjected to.

While it is sad that this will probably have some nasty and far reaching implications IF it is discovered that the man DID serve his country and IS a veteran.. He may or may not have been stable if he was a soldier of some kind, either before or after he shipped and/or returned from Iraq, if he was indeed stationed there. 'My' jury is still out on the situation, as printed .. Its far too sketchy for me, or anyone, to know enough to make any judgements until (as Paul Harvey would have said) "...you know.. The rest of the story."
Unfortunately, I have seen this attitude far too often from some people I know who are in the military, deployed or not. "I shouldn't have to cause I'm in the military." "Maybe I should wear my uniform to class cause my professor thinks he's better than me." Yes, these are actual quotes I have heard. My one friend got a serious attitude problem after he got back from boot camp. He seems to think that we should all bow down and worship him because he is in the military, when we all know for a fact he joined the National Guard so that he could get money for college.

[Runa]

Hmm, does this mean because I'm classified as a Disabled Veteran and Medically Retired from my LE job that I can run around and grab weiners and get away with it? Same principle...

[Black Delia]

First - The man's status as a Veteran had not been established or verified. Just because he 'says' he's a veteran doesn't mean he 'is' one.
He could be alternately lying, or he could be mentally or emotionally "challenged" (i.e. delusional, MPD, etc.). There are dozens of ways that he could have come to the premise that he is a veteran and unduly entitled to commit illegalities on that basis.

Second - Yes, there are a great many 'veterans' that present themselves as 'entitled'. He 'could' be one of them. There are a great many more that are so self-effacing about it that no one around them even knows they 'are' veterans.

Third - Because no one knows the whole story, its impossible to tell from the written report which, if any of these possibilities are the facts. Bottom line is, if he isn't out and out, knowingly lying, he's in need of serious psychological help.

Sorry I sound.. no, I'm not sorry I sound defensive. Military personnel and veterans as a group take a grave hit socially, emotionally, and psychologically for the few that are headlined when instances like this occur.

If he's mentally deranged, whether he was a veteran or not, whether his issues were pre-existing or whether they developed during his tenure (IF he was indeed a veteran), he needs help and compassion, not character assassination and judgementalism from folks that don't even know the whole story.

If he's 'sane' and using this as an excuse, I hope they hang him from the nearest and highest tree... but there 'could' be, and from the sound of it, probably 'is' a very serious mental or emotional condition at work.. thats ALL I was saying.

I'm sorry for any and all of you that may have had bad experiences with a FEW arrogant asses who just 'happened' to be military personnel at one time or another (the biggest offenders of this type seem to be ROTC students that haven't even STARTED their tenure as an officer yet, in truth)

I will say this.. it wasn't their military training that caused them to be the way they are, they were asses before they ever put the uniform on and they'll be asses after they take it off. I have been surrounded by military and veterans (and have BEEN one) at least half my life. The few that I've known that were jerks fit into the above statement.. they were already jerks. I take exception and umbrage.

(rant over) *picks up soapbox and steps out of the thread*

[Black Delia]

I have followed the link back to the original source, it still doesn't verify his veteran status. It does point markedly to severe mental and emotional issues, either previous to or caused by drug and/or alchohol use/abuse:


FORT PIERCE — Eric T. Ambrose claimed he served in the military in Iraq, so he could swipe all the M&Ms he wanted.
Police apparently disagreed and arrested him about 3:50 a.m. Monday after pulling packages of the candy known for melting in your mouth, not in your hands, from his pockets at the Pilot truck stop in the 7100 block of Okeechobee Road, according to a recently released arrest affidavit.
It wasn’t the first time Ambrose, 31, had been arrested this month — on Saturday he created a “spectacle” at a Super 8 Motel and was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication and causing a public disturbance, police said.
In the most recent case, in addition to the three packs of peanut M&Ms, Ambrose reportedly absconded with two black T-shirts, a 20-ounce Bud Light and single packages each of Circus Peanuts candy, chewing tobacco, Wonka Nerds candy, Planters cashews, Reese’s Pieces and Sour Patch candy. Also allegedly taken were two each of large Snickers candy bars and beef jerky packages.
An officer approached Ambrose at the cashier counter, and initially he denied taking anything.
“This officer could clearly see the pocket on the right side of the defendant’s pants were bulging and M&Ms packages could be seen,” the affidavit states. “This officer started removing the candy from his pocket and (another officer) started removing more candy and a T-shirt from his left pockets.”
Ambrose said he bought everything but had no receipt. A clerk and a supervisor said they’d rung up no purchases for Ambrose, who appeared to have been drinking. Ambrose, listed as homeless in Fort Pierce, faces a retail theft charge.
“While in the patrol vehicle the defendant was screaming out the window that he had served in the military over in Iraq so he could steal all the M&M’s he wanted,” the affidavit states.
Ambrose’s claim of military service could not be immediately verified. He was held Wednesday in the St. Lucie County jail on $5,000 bail, a jail official said.
In the earlier case, Ambrose had “thrown himself onto the ground and was curled up to a black handbag,” at the motel when officers arrived, according to a police report.
Officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from Ambrose. He said “he had nowhere to go and he can’t go back to his home state because they have methamphetamine.” Ambrose then stated that Fort Pierce “only had crack,” which keeps him high for a little while and was “safer for him.”
Officers placed him under arrest for disorderly intoxication after a fifth warning. He was released Sunday on $250 bail. Ambrose also was arrested in April on charges including disorderly intoxication, simple assault and panhandling, a jail official said.

[Phoenix McHeit]

Nice job 'stepping out of the thread'.

[Black Delia]

Get over it. My husband, a 12 year navy veteran took great exception and umbrage too.

[Phoenix McHeit]

Get over it.

Sound advice - might wanna follow it.

I wasn't the one who posted a rather condescending rant, then pointedly said I was removing myself from the thread... only to come back to it a scant 20 minutes later.

[LdyJhawk]

Get over it. My husband, a 12 year navy veteran took great exception and umbrage too.

and my father, a 27 year Army veteral with 12 subsequent years of civil service and the first civilian AG of Ft Leavenworth...didn't take offense or umbrage. Just said it was a sad statement of the times.

Funny.. I'm sure we can find other anecdata to throw into it though!

[Mistress Morigianna]

"Officers placed him under arrest for disorderly intoxication after a fifth warning. "


and why wasn't he arrested for shoplifting?

[Selena]

My husband, a 12 year navy veteran took great exception and umbrage too.

Wait a sec. What, exactly, are you and your hubby offended about? Somewhere along the lines, I missed why.

[Ravin' Raven]

Wait a sec. What, exactly, are you and your hubby offended about? Somewhere along the lines, I missed why.

Thank you for asking sweetie. I too was confused...I thought maybe I missed something.

[LdyJhawk]

Wait a sec. What, exactly, are you and your hubby offended about? Somewhere along the lines, I missed why.

I think it was that anyone DARED declare that a man may not have been insane and might have just been a former soldier who happened to be an asshole

[Psyche]

Get over it. My husband, a 12 year navy veteran took great exception and umbrage too.
I am a disabled Navy vet and I did not take "great exception and umbrage". Vet or not, the same laws apply to him. Nuts or not, he's an ass.

[LdyJhawk]

I am a disabled Navy vet and I did not take "great exception and umbrage". Vet or not, the same laws apply to him. Nuts or not, he's an ass.

Well you're clearly doing it wrong! UMBRAGE woman! Get to getting some umbrage!

[Selena]

Thank you for asking sweetie. I too was confused...I thought maybe I missed something.

Well, I guess we'll never know the answer. I thought it was a simple question. Shrug.

My, how I love it when I'm blown off.

[Black Delia]

Well, I guess we'll never know the answer. I thought it was a simple question. Shrug.

My, how I love it when I'm blown off.

yes, you missed something. Several posters have misunderstood the reason behind the things I said

No, you were not blown off

However, if someone felt that my commentary was aimed 'at them', instead of 'at a broader issue 'I' saw in the situation'... *shrugs* ...I don't know what to tell you, but I also dont feel the need to defend myself or start a flame war over it.

[Selena]

I don't know what to tell you, but I also dont feel the need to defend myself or start a flame war over it.

Look, I'm not asking you to defend yourself. I asked a simple question because I failed to understand your point... because I was confused, and apparently, others are too.

Nevermind, then.

[Ravin' Raven]

yes, you missed something. Several posters have misunderstood the reason behind the things I said...**snip**



No one is trying to start a flame war and you, yourself, have noted that several of us were confused as to what, exactly, it was that raised your ire. So, rather than assume we're trying to be assinine bitches perhaps you could see that your post was confusing in what you had become upset about and choose to provide clarification rather than fling yourself "out of the thread" (which you obviously have not done).

Postings in threads and on boards such as this do not always relate what is intended. It's only natural that people may be confused by such an emotive posting and just want to know what's going on. I think you have already experienced this previously in a thread in which your posting regarding medical experiences was rather emotive as well and some folks were a bit taken aback.

So, what, exactly was it that drew your response? The story itself, people's reactions, what?