Bahamian Authorities Catch Barefoot Bandit
[Guest post by DRJ]
Bahamian law enforcement has captured Colton Harris-Moore aka the Barefoot Bandit:
“Colton Harris-Moore was arrested before dawn in northern Eleuthera, said Sgt. Chrislyn Skippings, a spokeswoman for the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
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Harris-Moore, who has been running from American law enforcement since escaping from a Washington state halfway house in 2008, gained fame and thousands of fans who admired his ability to evade arrest. He is suspected of stealing cars, boats and at least five planes – including the aircraft he allegedly lifted in Indiana and flew more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to the islands off Florida’s coast, despite a lack of formal flight training.”
These actions are not admirable and it distresses me Americans, especially young Americans, find them or him admirable.
— DRJ
Every year there’s one or two attempts to steal an airplane by someone without flight training (and usually, with a skinful of booze). The most common outcome is death of the thief.
Airplanes have to be built light in order to fly, so they’re much easier to steal than cars. But once you’ve stolen them, then what? So there’s a little bit of a mystery how this knucklehead knew to steal late-model machines with moving-map GPS navigation, and get them up and down without assuming ambient temperature.
While his resourcefulness is interesting — I’m sure that Hollywood nihilists are lining up to make his miserable life a feature film — reading between the lines he just seems to be one more narcissistic, waste-of-protoplasm criminal. Scumbag’s been going to crowbar motel since he was 12, for crying out loud. These people get their jollies by ripping off someone else. Gotta agree with our host: if that’s a hero in your book, you need a better book.
His mother defends him, of course. Father apparently long absent (gee, shocker eh?).
There’s a story in the UK right now of some creep who killed his ex-GF, her new beau, also shot a cop and ran for a week, before killing himself when finally cornered by the police. Naturally this worthless crumb’s family is all complaining about how the cops “executed him” — with his own hand on his own gun. Needless to say, the family members backing him have no word of sympathy for his victims.
Kevin R.C. O'Brien (188cc7) — 7/11/2010 @ 1:26 pmHe probably learned to fly a plane in a video game (the poor man’s simulator).
AD - RtR/OS! (f4b0b9) — 7/11/2010 @ 1:47 pmI’m waitin’ for the perp walk. It ought to be a doozy.
ropelight (95d5ce) — 7/11/2010 @ 5:39 pmWe should strew his path with a thousands of rose petals, and thorns.
AD - RtR/OS! (f4b0b9) — 7/11/2010 @ 5:52 pmThe man is gifted. It amazes me that he could steal an airplane in Indiana and navigate (yes, he apparently had an advanced GPS but, if used a intended, his aircraft would have been traceable) 1100 miles to a tiny island, land in what was described as “high surf” in a fixed landing gear aircraft then walk or swim away with no broken bones. Does the Cessna 400 have airbags? I don’t think so.
He’s a thief but even thieves have skill levels. He clearly deserves the ten or so years he will spend in a correction facility but I think it is a sad waste. Surely the commenters here can recognize the difference between the garden variety smash and grab artist and Colton-Moore.
KIETH (98e299) — 7/11/2010 @ 6:10 pmSome of the most accomplished brigands in history were brilliant men (and women).
Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean that you get a pass for the evil you bring to others.
///que theme from Baretta///
“…If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime…”
AD - RtR/OS! (f4b0b9) — 7/11/2010 @ 6:19 pmHe learned how to fly the aircrafts by reading the manuals! He would wait until certain planes he was familiar with would show up, and then take them. My guess is that he somehow disappears (again). He’s no hero, but he certainly is infamous, like Billy the kid. As dangerous (and costly) some of those pranks were, at least he didn’t kill anyone. It is kind of amazing he survivied at least two plane crash landings, and he has no flight training.
Chris Hooten (c34512) — 7/12/2010 @ 7:05 amI think his ambitions exceeded his sensibilities.
Chris Hooten (c34512) — 7/12/2010 @ 7:06 amFox interviewed the plane’s owner. He had left the keys in the ignition so the airport mechanic could give the plane an oil change. The island authorities said a helicopter will be needed to extract the $600,000 plane from the the mangroves. The owner is hoping his insurance company will pay the claim. Good luck with that.
in_awe (44fed5) — 7/12/2010 @ 12:05 pm#5, Keith, yes, Colton-Moore is a smart kid, smart enough to know better. The arrogant smart-ass little jerk deserves everything the law can dish out, in other words, the same consideration any other crook gets, equality under the law. Nothing more and nothing less.
ropelight (d60c21) — 7/12/2010 @ 7:43 pm