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View Full Version : Thornton pays $25,000 to man arrested for openly carrying firearm into Cinnebarre Theater



GilpinGuy
05-27-2014, 02:48
Since this post (https://www.ar-15.co/threads/58664-Man-arrested-for-bringing-gun-into-Thornton-movie-theater?highlight=thornton+open+carry) was locked I couldn't just add to it.

Thornton pays $25,000 to man arrested for openly carrying firearm into Cinnebarre Theater
LINK (http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/thornton-pays-25000-to-man-arrested-for-openly-carrying-firearm-into-cinnebarre-theater)
THORNTON, Colo. - The City of Thornton is shelling out $25,000 to a man who was arrested by police while openly carrying a holstered weapon into a movie theater one week after the shootings in Aurora.


Jim Mapes was arrested July 29, 2012 during a movie at the Cinnebare Theater after someone called police to report that a man had gone into the theater with a gun. Mapes told 7NEWS at the time that he’d worn his sidearm into the same theater several times and never had a problem.


“The movie stopped and the lights came on,” he said. “Someone said, ‘I just got a call from my friend who said there’s someone in the theater with a gun.’”
Mape said he stood up and told fellow patrons that he had a concealed carry permit.


Thornton police said Mapes was originally arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon in a liquor or beer establishment.


“The summons issued to Mr. Mapes alleged that he was brandishing or flourishing his firearm,” said Robert Wareham, Mapes' attorney.
“It never left my holster,” Mapes added.


Wareham said there should never have been an arrest.


“Coloradans, with the exception of Denver, have had the right to openly carry firearms since 1865,” Wareham said.


Although police later dropped the charges, Mapes didn’t give up the fight. He sued the city and received a settlement.


Wareham said the city paid off Mr. Mapes but didn’t admit any wrong doing.


“They got to apologize to him in the form of a nice, healthy check,” Wareham said


When asked what the settlement means, Wareham replied, “It is vindication for Mr. Mapes. We don’t take and use the mood of the moment to take way people’s rights.”



I like the statement "It is vindication for Mr. Mapes. We don’t take and use the mood of the moment to take way people’s rights." This is the leftist tactic these days. While I don't open carry myself, it is his right to do so and he was wrongfully arrested for it. But was it a douche-nozzle move to open carry one week after the Aurora massacre? Hell yeah.

spleify
05-27-2014, 05:49
But was it a douche-nozzle move to open carry one week after the Aurora massacre? Hell yeah.

Why? What happened in Aurora was horrific and was committed by a crazed unstable kid who had an agenda, so because of that is he was not supposed to be able to continue to protect himself, and exercise his rights the way he had for many years prior??????

Gman
05-27-2014, 07:10
A whacko broke the law, therefore we must all be punished.

Jeffrey Lebowski
05-27-2014, 08:08
While I don't open carry myself, it is his right to do so and he was wrongfully arrested for it. But was it a douche-nozzle move to open carry one week after the Aurora massacre? Hell yeah.

Yep to all.

rbeau30
05-27-2014, 08:30
If you need a Defense Lawyer, he is the man. I hired this guy's lawyer for something a while back.

Brian
05-27-2014, 10:04
If you need a Defense Lawyer, he is the man. I hired this guy's lawyer for something a while back.

"something" = at least now we know what else is buried in your garden other than cucumbers. ;)

rondog
05-27-2014, 10:09
That $25,000 check will come in handy to pay part of his lawyer bill.

BushMasterBoy
05-27-2014, 10:13
As I have said before "law enforcement " is out of control...

Veritas
05-27-2014, 10:43
As I have said before "law enforcement " is out of control...

I disagree, having spent 5 years in LE myself, its my observation that 10% should have been janitors or bus drivers, 20% are power drunk jerks and the rest are decent normal everyday people. You rarely hear about the good things cops do (like bringing a young mother milk for her kids during the Boston lock down) and most of what makes the news or youtube are the 20% who are jerks.

This incident is also a testiment to our legal system. The cops made a bad arrest, and that was acknowledged through win in the lawsuit. The only down side is that if you live in Thornton (like me) then its our tax dollars that are funding the $25K.

HoneyBadger
05-27-2014, 11:17
That $25,000 check will come in handy to pay part of his lawyer bill.
I wonder how much the lawyer gets.

rbeau30
05-27-2014, 11:19
"something" = at least now we know what else is buried in your garden other than cucumbers. ;)

Muwahahah, they stay really green though. Had lots of phosphorous in his diet.

KestrelBike
05-27-2014, 11:42
Yep to all.

I understand Gilpin's sentiments and was tempted to agree, but if I saw a normal guy open carrying, I generally think "oh cool someone on the good side". It's the panicky sheeple who see gun & think "omg evil" that suffered from the guy open carrying 5 days after the massacre, and it was illogical. Can't really sympathize with that kind of thinking.

Oh yeah, how is that Cinebarre, anyways? I drove past it a million times on the way to walmart or *shudder* gander, but saw some negative reviews online and didn't want to take the chance.

Veritas
05-27-2014, 14:01
Oh yeah, how is that Cinebarre, anyways? I drove past it a million times on the way to walmart or *shudder* gander, but saw some negative reviews online and didn't want to take the chance.

Its sucks, I went there once won't go back. Ordered my food and everyone got there's except me. Asked a couple times, "Oh I'll check the kichen." Two thirds through the movie I ask again, "Oh sorry, they forgot your order and the kitchen is now closed."

hatidua
05-27-2014, 15:01
Thornton pays $25,000 to man arrested for openly carrying firearm into Cinnebarre Theater

Good, wish that number had a few more zero's on it.

Ranger353
05-27-2014, 15:24
Good, wish that number had a few more zero's on it.

My guess is that his attorney advised him to take the money and not go to trial. No telling what a jury would decide given the mix that might have been seated. And I think civil cases only seat 5 jurors (3 primary and 2 alternates), too much variable there to risk when they are waving $25K in your face.

KevDen2005
05-27-2014, 16:20
Good, wish that number had a few more zero's on it.


I was thinking the amount was a typo. So this dude gets $25 after he pays his lawyer. He had lunch on Thornton's dime!

rbeau30
05-27-2014, 16:38
I was thinking the amount was a typo. So this dude gets $25 after he pays his lawyer. He had lunch on Thornton's dime!

Yes he was expensive for me, but good. :-D

MrPrena
05-27-2014, 23:37
I remember this news when it first came out.
i knew City of Thornton would settle, but I thought the settlement would've been about 45-55k ish. Maybe he didn't have a common sense or dumb enough to carry on a day after sensitive news. Well, bottom line= Law is a Law!
He did not break the law.
However, it is suck to be Thornton resident who pays city tax.

Rabid
05-28-2014, 02:41
was it a douche-nozzle move to open carry one week after the Aurora massacre? Hell yeah.


A whacko broke the law, therefore we must all be punished.


Yep to all.
You all are so right! I really need to think about giving up my Constitutional rights when it comes to being politically correct this day in age. You know, a fraction of a million moms might come to my door along with mayor against legal guns and bad mouth me so i better stop thinking i am free right now....

Veritas, sorry but this shows the system is not working. The lawyers and the state will see most of what he settled on even though he was screwed for being a law abiding citizen. Seems he was guilty until proven innocent considering he was put in jail for nothing.

GilpinGuy
05-28-2014, 07:00
I don't think anyone here is saying anyone should give up their rights.

From the story:

“The movie stopped and the lights came on,” he said. “Someone said, ‘I just got a call from my friend who said there’s someone in the theater with a gun.’”
Mape said he stood up and told fellow patrons that he had a concealed carry permit.

So he had a CCW but decided it was a good idea to open carry right after Aurora anyway. IMHO this was a bad move and he used bad judgement. Yes, he has the right to do so and not be wrongfully arrested but there many things that you can legally do that can still be a dumbass move sometimes.

He won. Good for him.

O2HeN2
05-28-2014, 07:49
Gotta love the closet gun owners. Talk big to the choir, but really they're scared to death of people knowing that they own guns. Loudly proclaim it's a right on the anonymity of a 'board, but run, hide and make excuses when someone else is unafraid to REALLY exercise that right.

We have a problem, folks: The public is completely unaware of the majority of gun owners; the only information they EVER get is about crime committed with guns. No wonder they think we all torture puppies before breakfast.

What exactly are YOU doing to alter that perception? Because if it remains unchallenged and unaltered, we WILL eventually lose.

O2

james_bond_007
05-28-2014, 09:48
IMOH

I think the crux of this and other violations of a citizens being able to legally carry is ignorance of the laws and lack of firearms education.

People are complaining, when they see someone with a firearm, because they do not know enough about the subject of firearms to be able to tell what is legal and what is not, or to speak intelligently on the topic.
But yet they are still willing to offer STRONG OPINIONS about the topic based on assumptions and emotions, rather than facts.
Further, they are not willing to take the time to LEARN the facts, and choose to remain ignorant, but outspokenly opinionated.

They have been traumatized by the media to believe that:
a) Guns are evil
b) That person has a gun
c) Therefore that person must be evil or about to do an evil thing

Our children are growing up with almost every reference to firearms being removed from school.
They are being punished/expelled/suspended/sued for the mention, or even thought of firearms.
(Note: the kids that got in trouble for a) eating a Poptart into the shape of a gun; b) throwing an imaginary hand grenade; c) drawing a picture of their dad with a gun (his dad was a US ARMY soldier)

So the new generations are not receiving any education on firearms (unless they are fortunate enough to have a parent/relative/friend to help them understand this subject).

Because of this, the GUN=EVIL mentality will continue to compound and perpetuate as time goes on.

NFATrustGuy
05-28-2014, 10:12
So the new generations are not receiving any education on firearms (unless they are fortunate enough to have a parent to help them understand this subject).


Hey, hey now... Don't forget us UNCLES!

I recently took my 15 y/o niece to the range for her first experience with anything more than her pink Daisy BB gun. We started with an M&P 15 and progressed to my AR-15. She also shot my XDm 9mm. Her little sister can't wait for her turn at the range. She's 12 and considerably smaller so I bought her a Ruger SR22 last week because it fits her hand well with the smaller backstrap/grip installed.

My brother and I grew up around guns so it's still very strange for us to see everyone so freaked out about them. I guess we were a little sheltered from the great big, big-city world having moved from small town Kansas to small town Colorado. It's interesting how the 30-second news cycle and the instant availability and exposure to big city opinions and news events has altered our lives.

It's sad that the big cities around the perimeter of our country are dictating policy for the rest of the nation---referring to us as "flyover country". I don't see it getting any better, either, when their voting advantage stems from people who's lives consist of sucking from the government tit and who simply vote themselves a pay raise every 2-4 years by voting Democrat.

james_bond_007
05-28-2014, 10:19
Hey, hey now... Don't forget us UNCLES!


You are right...I adjusted my post.

How's this ? [Coffee]


... parent/relative/friend...

Ronin13
05-28-2014, 10:20
IMOH

I think the crux of this and other violations of a citizens being able to legally carry is ignorance of the laws and lack of firearms education.

People are complaining, when they see someone with a firearm, because they do not know enough about the subject of firearms to be able to tell what is legal and what is not, or to speak intelligently on the topic.
But yet they are still willing to offer STRONG OPINIONS about the topic based on assumptions and emotions, rather than facts.
Further, they are not willing to take the time to LEARN the facts, and choose to remain ignorant, but outspokenly opinionated.

They have been traumatized by the media to believe that:
a) Guns are evil
b) That person has a gun
c) Therefore that person must be evil or about to do an evil thing

Our children are growing up with almost every reference to firearms being removed from school.
They are being punished/expelled/suspended/sued for the mention, or even thought of firearms.
(Note: the kids that got in trouble for a) eating a poptart into the shape of a gun; b) throwing an imaginary hand grenade; c) drawing a picture of their dad with a gun (his dad was a US ARMY soldier)

So the new generations are not receiving any education on firearms (unless they are fortunate enough to have a parent to help them understand this subject).

Because of this, the GUN=EVIL mentality will continue to compound and perpetuate as time goes on.
Well said!
To expound upon this, many living in ignorance of firearms and the laws related to also don't realize several things about guns such as the fact that, in this state anyway, you can go out and buy a gun and if you have no issues, walk out with that gun usually in less time than a dinner at a sit-down restaurant. Carrying of guns is perfectly legal in most parts of the state (all public places with a ccw). And quite a few don't realize that you don't need a "license" or "permit" to own a gun. My GF was taken back when she moved here from FL and found that you don't have to wait to buy a gun, don't need to register it, and you don't need a permit to carry it (unless concealed). The worst part about many in our society, they live in ignorance and the only thing they know about guns is what they see in movies and on the news, and neither one is really truly friendly to American gun culture.