It's time to talk about flare gun control. I bet that was a semi auto assault flare gun! What if there was a school flare gun shooting? Oh the horror!!

Pine beach resident . Unlocked car ...wallet inside.. O MY . How stupid . Bet he felt like a A__ telling cops his wallet was in car How was he going to pay for his meal ?

real nice comment Uncle Moe. 16 five and six yr old's died. I don't think your stupid sarcasm works here. REALLY OFFENSIVE.

I think we need to BAN all flareguns everywhere now before this gets out of hand!
Unless this kid was a real jerk and asking for it or really endangering lives it kind of sounds like they went a little far maybe? I wasnt there and this is the first time hearing it.

This is absurd. Is this what we are paying a hundred thousand dollars a year per officer for? When I was growing up, your mommy would take you inside; tell you that your acting like an irresponsile idiot; and make you find that person and apologize and that would be the end of it. This is a complete waste of public resources and a perfect example of how utterly reliant and petty people have become.

@ Robert Yates your 100% right. This kid has to fight 4 charges now just for being a dopey 13 year old. They just love getting people in the system nowadays.

@tiredofthehaters. It was sad what happened to the kids, but we shouldn't destroy our constitutional rights because of one wacko (on SSRI drugs).

And that was like 30 years before that!

At 13 you know better then to do something like this. He shouldn't of had it in his possession PERIOD! What would have stopped him from pointing it at someone? I'm not saying lock him up for life but let him go through the system and get a little taste of what his future holds if he continues to be a dirtbag. The kids around here are punks. I see them in the local businesses being loud and obnoxious, cussing and such. I'm tired of the same few people on here blaming everyone except for the person breaking the law. It's pretty simple. Before you do anything think about the consequences for yourself and your family. I think if people pause they will make a better choice.

I see your point. If this kid was truly a dirtbag and had a record of this kind of stuff. But my question was if that was the case. Pointing a plastic flare gun at a car to a typical 13 year old is just being stupid. Your not going to hurt anyone that way. Maybe scare them.
What if it was your kid doing something stupid like that.
Would you want him THRU THE SYSTEM. I didnt think so.

@piney boy ...exactly right... consquences for actions ..its a must !

ITS NOT A FAKE PLASTIC GUN...its a flare gun...

Trust me. Im ALL for putting dirtbags away and not allowing them to hurt people. I get people all the time telling me Im too harsh that way.
And I dont know this kid or his record.
I am just saying we CANNOT take this same approach with every kid weather hes a sweet kid or dirtbag.
Shit like this has ALWAYS been stupid. Just like using firecrackers. But now that its highly illegal and you can become a felon over it and on a homeland security threat list still doesnt mean a KID is NOT going to be stupid. We shouldn't necessarily RUIN his life over it.

I know what a flare gun is. I am a licensed captain. I have used them before. Have you?

Lets be clear. Maybe this kid is a delinquent and headed down a dark path. Then he deserves it.
And this maybe the ONLY thing that starts to steer him straight. Im all for it. AMEN.
But if that's NOT the case and hes a good honest kid just being stupid then Im not sure Im on board.
If It was your kid would you be on board in that case.
Didn't think so.
Trouble is all these new laws are great if your trying to put the dirtbags away or really stick it to them.
Otherwise it can be overkill.

Example. Not long ago a kid around here was riding his dirtbike on the street going from the woods back to his house like MANY of us did down here for years.
An officer saw him and tried to stop him. He did not hear the car behind him right away. Finally he realized it then stopped. He was then charged with FELONY evasion. He was a good kid and over 18(19?) and had a good job in the schools AND a part time job as well.
When he got convicted he became a felon and immediately lost both jobs since they could not employ felons. Now he will have a hard time finding ANY job the rest of his life let alone a good job.
Dont tell me he deserved that or that you or your kid were not capable of that.
I heard this story second hand so not positive on all the facts but it still makes my point either way.

what was his charge ??? a felony.. for what ??? have a hard time believing that !!!

I know its NOT necessarily the cops fault either. They usually just execute what laws are out there and what they are told to do. Im NOT blaming them either.

It was probably a bunch of charges. Then they probably dropped the bogus ones. Thats what they usually do. But it was FELONY EVASION. Thats what happens if you dont stop for them. Its a FELONY.

Trust me. It was my friends neighbors kid. It happened.

I totally get what you are saying Captain Ed but i disagree. It sucks what happened to your friends kid but he should have been paying more attention (and checking behind him every now and then). Not saying he deserved it or I wouldnt ask for leniency but it happens. As for this kid, he does deserve punishment. Dont forget he isnt going to get life and because of his age it should all get taken off of his record when he turns 18. But its not even just about this one kid. Everyone who knows this kid is going to see the example they are setting with him and I hope that anyone would think twice about doing something like that. yes no one got harmed but if he would have accidentally fired it, it could have cause accidents. Even just pointing it could have done the same. Not saying he should go to jail but at least get charged with what he did. Have to answer to the same authority any one else should

I think some of us need to think back to some of the stupid shit we did as kids. Throwing snowballs at cars are MUCH MUCH MUCH more dangerous then a flare hitting a car. And he didnt do that. He pointed it.
Give me a goddamn break. So if you ever made a motion as a kid to throw a snowball at a car you should get what hes getting no questions asked.
My guess would be many of you would be convicted felons now.

Cmon people lets use our heads. Drug dealers put them away and throw away the key. Not give them a hug and blame society. Same with burglars and thieves. Lock em up.
But if a young kid like 13 does something dumb (AND IF HES A DECENT KID NOT A DELINQUENT) then treat him as such. Thats all Im asking. Cuz if we did that when most of us were kids MANY of you would be convicted felons now with the laws now and some of the current thinking.

Captain Ed is right on with this one.

What if he shot the flare gun off, it goes through a window and ignites a house on fire, putting people in danger. Would he be a dopy 13y/o then? Wake up people someone could of got seriously hurt or killed!

What if. What if. What if he bashed it over someones skull and killed them. Lets worry about what he DID. NOT what he didn't do or could have done or might have done. It probably wasnt even loaded. If so its a flare. Not a shot gun shell. It fizzles like a bottle rocket.
Lets not start thinking like these ass-wipes on Capitol hill. Were from Lacey damn it. Use your brain.
If he killed someone or shot it at the car then he would be charged as such. He pointed it at a car. A 3,000 lb plus object. Not someone's face.
Maybe some of you should try shooting a flare gun.
Youll understand once you do.

Awww. Look another dopey kid (Phil) from Lacey trying to get attention. Maybe Piney Boy was right. Maybe I shouldn't defend these idiots.

The police charge juveniles with the crimes that they commit. It is then up to a panel to decide what the punishment for the juvenile will be. If the police did not charge the 13 year old with the crime he committed, then they would risk numerous complaints to the department or the prosecutor's office for failing to do their job. We do not know who this juvenile is or what his history is. Perhaps he has been charged with delinquency before? If this kid was given a slap on the wrist at the scene, and then the next day he walked into the middle school and shot a teacher with the flare gun, could you imagine the lawsuit that Lacey Township would find itself the target of? The police did their job. If the juvenile court wants to be lenient then that is their decision. Do the charges sound heavy? Yes. Will the juvenile be convicted and punished severely for each charge? Probably not. Don't get yourselves all spun up and upset over a 13 year old facing the consequences of his actions. Relax.

A couple of years ago, in the wooded area behind my home, a couple of teenagers decided it would be fun to dress up like gang-bangers and run around pointing very real-looking guns at each other. Problem was, my five year old son and his friend were playing in my back yard at the time and I looked up and saw someone pointing a gun in our direction. Once I got the kids indoors, I tried to address the teens from a safe distance, but they ran off. Still don't know if the guns were real or not, but I certainly wished that these kids had understood that someone would err on the side of caution and assume that they were real and perhaps react seriously. I know that kids make bad choices sometimes, but it's really not ok to scare people like this. Doesn't matter what kind of gun it was, it is the fear that it ignites that matters people.

Was one of them your hubby?

iknow, that sounds like a decent system but unfortunately those charges will still follow that kid the rest of his life. Everyone thinks they magically disappear when you turn 18 but they dont. If he applies for a govt job that requires an extensive background check it will pop right up.
Like RD said, its ALL about reaction. Especially right now. The word GUN. If he pointed a hand held flare which is almost identical noone would care, but because someone got scared then hes screwed. And all 13 year olds probably dont fully realize how people are going to react. He probably knew it was an orange plastic flare launcher that you probably wouldnt even realize was launched if it was fired at the car unless you saw it.
If it was a snowball he threw noone would care. If he made a motion like he was going to throw it even less.
And snow balls hitting cars are far more dangerous.
Its all about people getting scared. It was NOT a gun he pointed. It was an orange plastic flare launcher. Lets take the word GUN out since its NOT a gun.

I dont know the kid and maybe hes a delinquent or headed down that path. If so then he was asking for it.
But from what the charges sound like and if it was your kid you would be going nuts over those serious charges and something this stupid. And often what winds up happening is if the kid gets screwed to the wall over something stupid your just creating a very angry and resentful kid thats now going to do his best to GET even or get his moneys worth and take it out on someone else when the opportunity arises. Thats how some kids are. You treat them unfairly or screw them to the wall over something they will get even. Even if its just.in their minds.

As Mr Yates pointed out the laws on the books nowadays are very very extensive. Everything is a crime or a felony. It is designed so that bad guys can get nailed to the wall for a huge list of stuff when they do something bad. However if your a dopey kid you could also be too.
Every kid I ever knew lit firecrackers as kids. It was almost a right of passage. It still is sort of.
A kid gets caught now doing that and I cant even imagine what kinds of charges he could be facing. Maybe even be put on a terrorism watch list and threat to homeland security.
Kids cant really be kids anymore or make dumb mistakes without it possibly effecting the rest of their lives. Thats the point. Its NOT supposed to be this way. They are supposed to be PARENTED not POLICED. This is not Nazi Germany.

Laws are in place to protect the stupid

@Paul Ryan: Laws should be in place to protect life, liberty and property. Any law that seeks to protect people from themselves is invalid as a violation of liberty. They are manifestations of an arrogant nanny state mentality. @R.DinLacey: It's already illegal to scare someone, hence my suggestion that he be charged with misdemeanor assault if anything. @inknow: the captain already addressed your point re: prospective crimes. The law does not and can not judge something before it occurs. The infinite possibilities of what someone might do are irrelevant.

It is against the law for a cop to sit n run plates, They need probable cause. I had a cop do it to me and my reg. had exp.. 3 days b4 that i didnt relize. But since he needed probable cause he said i was following to closely! Wich i was not! He made it up. So i went to court n it cost me $458. in fines for his lie! The cops lie n brake the law too just to make the town some money! This country is becomming a comunist one!

Hardt it kind of already is one unfortunately. And Jersey is pretty high up there compared to other states. There are only a few that are worse like California and New York. Mommy Cuomo and Nanny Bloomberg are certainly doing their best to cement that in place.
The President and Congress are doing the same as well.
Mr Yates is more versed about the laws then I am but I certainly agree with him.
By the way, some of you that think FLARE GUNS are so scary and lethal- go on YouTube and watch all the videos of dumb ass kids shooting themselves in the head with flare guns. Although incredibly stupid and a bit painful its pretty damn far from lethal.
Especially if your in a moving car. Daaaaa.

i kjnow there not lethal , but shouldnt any gun regardless , be treated with respect....i would think it could take an eye out or injure it pretty bad....i do not think the kid should have any legal action against him , but its just the fact.....learn to use guns correctly , regardless of what danger they impose...shouldnt be pointing it at cars,,,, im sorry, it s my opinion..... he s young and should learn a lesson...but not from the law....

Jake of course. Absolutely. Im just saying just cuz a dopey kid pointed a plastic flare launcher at a car doesnt mean we should treat him like he shot someone with a gun. Time to dial it back a notch and stop over-reacting. Again, all of our kids are capable of doing such things. And if your kid had all those charges afterwards you would understand what I mean.