Grand Theft Auto sparks another lawsuit

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at a
lose for words.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html

Devin Thompson, 18, is accused of the slayings, which occurred after he was
arrested in 2003 for suspicion of the crime of grand theft auto. According
to the Associated Press, when he was caught, Thompson said, "Life is a video
game. You've got to die sometime." While being booked at the station, he
allegedly grabbed a police officer's pistol and then shot its owner and two
other officers in the head--all three died. Thompson is then said to have
driven off in a stolen police car, but was later apprehended. He is
currently being charged with three counts of first-degree murder, and is set
to go to trial on July 11.

Two of the victims' next-of-kin have filed a lawsuit accusing the two GTA
games as having "trained and motivated" Thompson to commit his crimes.
Besides Take-Two, the other defendants named in the near-60-page, $600
million suit are Wal-Mart and GameStop, where Thompson is said to have
bought both M-rated games while under the ESRB-mandated 17-year-old purchase
age. Sony Computer Entertainment America, makers of Thompson's PlayStation 2
console, is also named in the legal filing.
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

OldDog wrote:
> I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm
at a
> lose for words.
>
> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html

Get used to it, there'll be plenty more like it. "Video games made me
do it" is the "rock lyrics/violent movies made me do it" of the decade.
Which in turn was the particular witch-hunt of the late 20th century.
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"OldDog" wrote
> I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at a
> lose for words.
>
> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html
>
> Two of the victims' next-of-kin have filed a lawsuit accusing the two GTA
> games as having "trained and motivated" Thompson to commit his crimes.

It's gonna be thrown out of court like all the other cases.
Bugs Bunny cartoons and board games caused kids to be violent, Superman
movies caused kids to jump off buildings, and rock music is the work of
Satan. Same old, same old. It would just be un-American to let a few
dumbasses stop us from enjoying violent entertainment.
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com> wrote in
news:lH_Qd.7672$Bx5.1444@fe1.texas.rr.com:

> I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at
> a lose for words.
>
> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html
>
> Devin Thompson, 18, is accused of the slayings, which occurred after
> he was arrested in 2003 for suspicion of the crime of grand theft
> auto. According to the Associated Press, when he was caught, Thompson
> said, "Life is a video game. You've got to die sometime." While being
> booked at the station, he allegedly grabbed a police officer's pistol
> and then shot its owner and two other officers in the head--all three
> died. Thompson is then said to have driven off in a stolen police car,
> but was later apprehended. He is currently being charged with three
> counts of first-degree murder, and is set to go to trial on July 11.

I smell a hoax. I find it difficult to believe that a teenage punk could
kill three cops in a police station and then escape in one of their cars.


stePH
--
If it cannot break the egg's shell, a chick will die without being born.
We are the chick. The world is our egg.
If we cannot break the world's shell, we will die without being born.
Smash the world's shell! For the revolution of the world!
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

On 17 Feb 2005 20:18:42 GMT, stePH <acetheta@earthlink.net> wrote:

>"OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com> wrote in
>news:lH_Qd.7672$Bx5.1444@fe1.texas.rr.com:
>
>> I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at
>> a lose for words.
>>
>> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html
>>
>> Devin Thompson, 18, is accused of the slayings, which occurred after
>> he was arrested in 2003 for suspicion of the crime of grand theft
>> auto. According to the Associated Press, when he was caught, Thompson
>> said, "Life is a video game. You've got to die sometime." While being
>> booked at the station, he allegedly grabbed a police officer's pistol
>> and then shot its owner and two other officers in the head--all three
>> died. Thompson is then said to have driven off in a stolen police car,
>> but was later apprehended. He is currently being charged with three
>> counts of first-degree murder, and is set to go to trial on July 11.
>
>I smell a hoax. I find it difficult to believe that a teenage punk could
>kill three cops in a police station and then escape in one of their cars.
>
>stePH

I was thinking the same thing. One other thing I can't believe is he
gets apprehended without being ventilated by the cops. When a 187 gets
broadcast over the airwaves the assailant is as good as dead.
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"saint" wrote
> >I smell a hoax. I find it difficult to believe that a teenage punk could
> >kill three cops in a police station and then escape in one of their cars.
> >
> >stePH
>
> I was thinking the same thing. One other thing I can't believe is he
> gets apprehended without being ventilated by the cops. When a 187 gets
> broadcast over the airwaves the assailant is as good as dead.

It didn't say there was a chase. It could very well be there was no
broadcast because those were the only 3 cops in town; it supposedly happened
in Fayette, Alabama. Killing 3 cops in a small town police station is
certainly doable. Maybe only 1 was armed at the time, easy to take down the
rest with years of shooting at beer bottles in the backyard. I've known 18
year olds with deadly good aim.
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

> Get used to it, there'll be plenty more like it. "Video games made me
> do it" is the "rock lyrics/violent movies made me do it" of the decade.

I remember fondly when it was Jodie Foster who made you do it...
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"stePH" wrote...

> I smell a hoax. I find it difficult to believe that a teenage punk could
> kill three cops in a police station and then escape in one of their cars.

I was there, I saw the dude jumping buildings in that patrol car
afterwards.... honestly !!

Ofcause, any link to any newsstation covering the story could prove me wrong
in a sec 😉
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"stePH" <acetheta@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:37kch2F5b1cppU1@individual.net...
> "OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com> wrote in
> news:lH_Qd.7672$Bx5.1444@fe1.texas.rr.com:
>
> > I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at
> > a lose for words.
> >
> > http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html
> >
> > Devin Thompson, 18, is accused of the slayings, which occurred after
> > he was arrested in 2003 for suspicion of the crime of grand theft
> > auto. According to the Associated Press, when he was caught, Thompson
> > said, "Life is a video game. You've got to die sometime." While being
> > booked at the station, he allegedly grabbed a police officer's pistol
> > and then shot its owner and two other officers in the head--all three
> > died. Thompson is then said to have driven off in a stolen police car,
> > but was later apprehended. He is currently being charged with three
> > counts of first-degree murder, and is set to go to trial on July 11.
>
> I smell a hoax. I find it difficult to believe that a teenage punk could
> kill three cops in a police station and then escape in one of their cars.
>
>
> stePH
> --


You could be right. I did a search on "GTA lawsuit Devin Thompson" ...
and came up with several hits.


Oh, and here's another lawsuit.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/dixons_manhunt/


"Updated UK consumer electronics retail chain Dixons and games retailer Game
have pulled the computer game Manhunt from its shelves after the parents of
a murdered schoolboy blamed the title for their son's death.

Stefan Pakeerah, 14, was stabbed and beaten to death in a Leicester park in
February. Warren Leblanc, 17, of Braunstone Frith, Leicester this week
pleaded guilty to the lethal attack."
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

Thus spake "OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com>, Thu, 17 Feb 2005 10:52:01 GMT,
Anno Domini:

>I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at a
>lose for words.
>
>http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html
>
>Devin Thompson, 18, is accused of the slayings, which occurred after he was
>arrested in 2003 for suspicion of the crime of grand theft auto. According
>to the Associated Press, when he was caught, Thompson said, "Life is a video
>game. You've got to die sometime." While being booked at the station, he
>allegedly grabbed a police officer's pistol and then shot its owner and two
>other officers in the head--all three died. Thompson is then said to have
>driven off in a stolen police car, but was later apprehended. He is
>currently being charged with three counts of first-degree murder, and is set
>to go to trial on July 11.
>
>Two of the victims' next-of-kin have filed a lawsuit accusing the two GTA
>games as having "trained and motivated" Thompson to commit his crimes.
>Besides Take-Two, the other defendants named in the near-60-page, $600
>million suit are Wal-Mart and GameStop, where Thompson is said to have
>bought both M-rated games while under the ESRB-mandated 17-year-old purchase
>age. Sony Computer Entertainment America, makers of Thompson's PlayStation 2
>console, is also named in the legal filing.

What did you expect with e-trash like GTA? If a fully grown man can even
claim it caused him to commit murder (a game ffs!), then what's the surprise
that a whole lot of other fully grown men would want to sue him...?
(and imagine the effect it has on kids if it even marginally contributed to
this whacko's state of mind? some things are best left non-interactive imo)

--
No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again.
Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit?
I feel like the maid; "I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!"

Replace 'spamfree' with the other word for 'maze' to reply via email.
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 23:24:47 GMT, "OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com>
wrote:

>Oh, and here's another lawsuit.
>
>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/dixons_manhunt/
>
>
>"Updated UK consumer electronics retail chain Dixons and games retailer Game
>have pulled the computer game Manhunt from its shelves after the parents of
>a murdered schoolboy blamed the title for their son's death.
>
>Stefan Pakeerah, 14, was stabbed and beaten to death in a Leicester park in
>February. Warren Leblanc, 17, of Braunstone Frith, Leicester this week
>pleaded guilty to the lethal attack."

If I remember correctly, it was the VICTIM who had played Manhunt, not
the murderer. But that didn't stop the press blaming the video game
for the murder. Oh and of course they decided not to reveal this
rather important tidbit. ;-)
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com> wrote:
>I was going to say something about the link below.... but sadly I'm at a
>lose for words.
>
>http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/16/news_6118699.html
>
>Devin Thompson, 18,

Hey wouldn't it be funny if he was related to Jack Thompson?
 
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

riku wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 23:24:47 GMT, "OldDog" <OldDog@citypound.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Oh, and here's another lawsuit.
>>
>>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/dixons_manhunt/
>>
>>
>>"Updated UK consumer electronics retail chain Dixons and games retailer Game
>>have pulled the computer game Manhunt from its shelves after the parents of
>>a murdered schoolboy blamed the title for their son's death.
>>
>>Stefan Pakeerah, 14, was stabbed and beaten to death in a Leicester park in
>>February. Warren Leblanc, 17, of Braunstone Frith, Leicester this week
>>pleaded guilty to the lethal attack."
>
>
> If I remember correctly, it was the VICTIM who had played Manhunt, not
> the murderer. But that didn't stop the press blaming the video game
> for the murder. Oh and of course they decided not to reveal this
> rather important tidbit. ;-)
>

That's correct.

--
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always
so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts"

Bertrand Russell
 
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