Complaint: Man shoots lawn mower

[Botany]

http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_9995627?source=rss

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — A 56-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start.

Keith Walendowski was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.

Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning, according to the criminal complaint.

"I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want," Walendowski told police.

A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She says he was intoxicated.

Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.

A call to Walendowski's home went unanswered this morning.

[seemslikeadream]

1. I would have shot my SEARS washing machine last week and the nazi repair man

if I had a gun and was a very very different person

[somethingwicked911]

2. He didn't do anything wrong, IMHO

at least he didn't try to use the lawn mower as a hedge trimmer.

[somethingwicked911]

15. Totally missed the sawed off shot gun part

Right to bear arms? Anyone?

Would you rather,

A. See a man shoot his lawn mower with a sawed off shot gun?

or

B. See a herd of babies with 8,000 lemons between them?

Just saying.

[Deja Q]

3. Good thing the lawn mower didn't have a union. Or did the man charge the mower with murder?

Blades of grass have rights too, you know!

[LiberalFighter]

4. The guy was in fear of his life. He was protecting himself.

If he hadn't shot the mower someone else might had been.

And to think now he will have to replace that mower when it would had been cheaper to get it repaired.

The deck lift rod came loose on mine. I didn't lose my cool. Shut the thing off and checked to figure out what the problem was and then called the hardware for a pickup.

[awoke_in_2003]

5. Lawn Boy?

Don't you have to plug them in to work :)

[klyon]

22. I am just glad it wasn't the kid down the street that cuts my lawn

because I need my grass mowed and it is so hard to find responsible boys that will do yard work. ;)

[Sanctified]

6. As a person who is an alcoholic...

I am grateful that I never had a gun in my possession when I was at my worst moments. Now that I am sober I do carry but man I can only imagine the damage I would have done being drunk with a gun or even a knife or a car.

[somethingwicked911]

14. As a former drug abuser...

....I would rather have an alcohol abuser shoot his lawn mower, than, let's say, go to his job as a dentist and fix my teeth? Babysit my children?

I hope that someone gets this man some help. Fast.


Also, I mention that I'm a former drug abuser so I can have some street cred.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. Here down South, no alcoholic would dream of disabling their lawn mower

the riding kind, ya know?
They ride them to the beer store when they have lost driver's license.
Sometimes at night.

I had 3 clients in court on DUI/lawnmower charges, a few years back.
News stories pop up now and again about it, seems to be a nation wide product of "stinking thinking".

[bunnies]

7. I have many appliances I'd like to shoot.

Thats why I dont own a gun. :P

But seriously... WTF did this guy do wrong? When I lived in VT and did own a gun, we'd shoot targets out back all day. I never dreamed I could be arrested for shooting a bail of hay.

[azurnoir]

8. Lesson here

if your going to shoot lawn implements do it with a legal weapon

Keith Walendowski was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.

it's that sawed off shotgun that get him fined

[exothermic]

9. Yup. The misdemeanor is just an inconvenience. The sawed-off scattergun

is way serious.

[LiberalEsto]

10. He should have Tasered it

Practically guaranteed to kill.

[emilyg]

12. Ha! You're right.

[BlooInBloo]

29. +1

[RB TexLa]

11. Someone watched Blaze

[Ikonoklast]

13. He may have had probable cause

Have you seen that thing?

[ZombieHorde]

16. Dead Kennedys fan?

[Throd]

24. "Some people,don't take no shit, maybe if they did..."

[snake in the grass]

17. The irony of the story is...

if the lawn mower had been an undocumented immigrant he could have killed him with a shot in the back and he wouldn't have anything to worry about. O tempora, o mores!

[Enrique]

18. did it work?

did the lawn mower start?

[Codeine]

19. Life imitating art.

Dead Kennedys sang about this almost thirty years ago. :headbang:

[beevul]

21. The outcome should be interesting.

The "short barrteled shotgun or rifle" charges may amount to nothing, since there are MANY legal short barreled rifles which are not NFA firearms - that is, not covered by the national firearms act which is what controls most but not all short barreled rifles and shotguns.

It is possible the guy sawed off his shotgun, but equally possible that he had a legal short barreled rifle. Most LEOs are not well versed in which firearms are which, and will simply arrest and charge, and let the details sort themselves out.

[MindPilot]

23. That's what happens when there aren't enough Mexicans

You end up with drunk white guys who think they know how to operate a lawn mower.

[Sanctified]

27. Your comment kind of makes me sick. N/T

[Edweird]

25. Sledgehammers are more fun for that kind of thing.

Just sayin'.
:evilgrin:

"It's art officer"

[Blue_Tires]

26. i know where he's coming from nt

[BlooInBloo]

28. Good thing he has a gun for self-defense.