Armed Vigilantes Caught in NYC's Holland Tunnel

[ShadowofVashj]

Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/...eapons-arrest/

Three people were caught on an alleged vigilante mission with an arsenal of weapons, during a routine traffic stop at the Holland Tunnel on Tuesday, authorities said.

As CBS2’s Hazel Sanchez reported, John Cramsey, 50, and Dean Smith, 53, both of Zionsville, Pennsylvania, and Kimberly Arendt, 29, of Lehighton, each face several weapons charges. They were arrested as they passed through the tunnel around 7:40 a.m.

The group claimed they were vigilantes on their way to “extricate” a teenage girl who was being held by a drug dealer, police said. Initial reports said the teenage girl was in Queens, though Facebook posts from Cramsey indicated the girl was believed to be in a hotel room in Brooklyn.

Their big-wheeled sport-utility vehicle was hard to miss, trimmed with neon paint and plastered with decals for Higher Ground Tactical – a Pennsylvania gun range. Cramsey is the owner of the gun range.
But it was actually eagle-eyed Port Authority police Officer John Basil who pulled over the vehicle at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, after noticing a crack low on their windshield.
“And upon approaching the motor vehicle, the officer observed in plain view a loaded pistol magazine,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police Supervisor Michael Fedorko. “He had the driver exit the vehicle, and when then driver got out, he noticed a .45-caliber handgun on the driver’s seat.”

Inside the SUV were:

A pump action shotgun with a pistol grip and collapsible stock
An SAR-98 Salamander Arms assault rifle
7 clips of ammunition for the rifle
4 9mm pistols
1 .45 caliber pistol, with several magazines
A Kevlar bullet resistant helmet with camouflage cover
Tactical goggles
Night-vision goggles
Body armor
Some of the guns were loaded, police said.

Sources said the suspects told police they were on their way through the city to rescue a friend who was being held hostage by a drug dealer.
While traveling to New York City, the suspects posted selfies from inside their tricked-out truck, CBS2’s Tony Aiello reported.
Cramsey posted on Facebook, “The young lady is scared to death and wants to go home to her folks,” along with a graphic reading, “Enough is enough!” in boldface red letters.
Cramsey is well-known in and around Allentown as the owner of the gun shop, CBS2’s Aiello reported.
Cramsey’s 20-year-old daughter, Alexandria, died from a heroin overdose four months ago Tuesday and he has since attended town hall meetings around the Allentown area to voice his concerns over the drug epidemic, The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported.
“This is a plague and we are losing our brightest and most brilliant minds,” Cramsey told the newspaper shortly after his daughter was found dead of an overdose with another man inside an Allentown home.
Friends of Cramsey’s told CBS2’s Aiello he feels tremendous guilt and began an “enough is enough” campaign. He also put decals on his truck reading, “Shoot your local heroin dealer.”
CBS2’s Aiello spoke on the phone with Cramsey’s friend, Michael Nickisher.
“Ever since his daughter died, I think it was one of those things where he wishes he could have done something to save her, and now that she’s gone, he feels this guilt in his heart that he needs to help other people,” Nickisher said.

So alright... obv the 2nd Amendment Thumpers don't want a gun discussion, and I'm not exactly anti gun myself (fuck the NRA) but this is a clear cut situation I think that just screams Mental Health Reform. The poor guy loses a daughter to heroin and I guess he just sort of snapped. If he got help would this have been prevented? Just sad, the guy is a small business owner and I suppose killing hard drug dealers is a "noble" cause (he'd get a medal in South East Asia now), but now he's screwed. I mean the guy had to have known how strict NY state gun laws are, especially NYC.

[Deleted]

Slightly disappointed by title and lack of TMNT content.

Good job some eagle eyed public servant's attention was drawn to this covert operator's vehicle.

[lockedout]

I mean the guy had to have known how strict NY state gun laws are, especially NYC.

I don't think he ever made it to NY.

[oxymoronic]

Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/...eapons-arrest/






So alright... obv the 2nd Amendment Thumpers don't want a gun discussion, and I'm not exactly anti gun myself (fuck the NRA) but this is a clear cut situation I think that just screams Mental Health Reform. The poor guy loses a daughter to heroin and I guess he just sort of snapped. If he got help would this have been prevented? Just sad, the guy is a small business owner and I suppose killing hard drug dealers is a "noble" cause (he'd get a medal in South East Asia now), but now he's screwed. I mean the guy had to have known how strict NY state gun laws are, especially NYC.

i dont get what they did wrong. its illegal to have guns now? even if legally obtained?

[Independent voter]

You call this armed?

Pffft!

[Darsithis]

i dont get what they did wrong. its illegal to have guns now? even if legally obtained?

It's not illegal to have guns. It is illegal to use those guns to attack other people or as a show of force. That's vigilante "justice" and not acceptable under the law. Leave that up to the people who are actually paid and trained to do it.

[Polyxo]

Though they won't admit it, I think this is what most gun 'enthusiasts' fantasize about.

[lockedout]

It's not illegal to have guns. It is illegal to use those guns to attack other people or as a show of force. That's vigilante "justice" and not acceptable under the law. Leave that up to the people who are actually paid and trained to do it.

Well they didn't do that, they got pulled over for a cracked windshield which is when they found the weapons.

[Darsithis]

Well they didn't do that, they got pulled over for a cracked windshield which is when they found the weapons.

Intention still counts. Just like the people arrested in "To Catch A Predator" stings, gearing up with the intention to do something is still a crime.

[Damajin]

Though they won't admit it, I think this is what most gun 'enthusiasts' fantasize about.

You don't know many gun 'enthusiasts' then. Grats on the projection though, good job.

[Dug]

They must have finished Season 2 of Daredevil

[Altrec]

Intention still counts. Just like the people arrested in "To Catch A Predator" stings, gearing up with the intention to do something is still a crime.

Yes, but the intent of the person in the "To Catch A Predator" stings is pretty clear. In this case not so much. I know personally if I was going to a drug den to retrieve a friend or family member I felt was in danger I would probably be armed. My intent would be to protect myself during the process if needed rather than to go full on Punisher mode on some drug dealers. That being said these guys were clearly going overboard with their actions.

[Darsithis]

Yes, but the intent of the person in the "To Catch A Predator" stings is pretty clear. In this case not so much. I know personally if I was going to a drug den to retrieve a friend or family member I felt was in danger I would probably be armed. My intent would be to protect myself during the process if needed rather than to go full on Punisher mode on some drug dealers. That being said these guys were clearly going overboard with their actions.

And I get the impulse to just run in and do it. Think about it, though - you're not trained for it. You could easily end up killing your family member or friend, or an innocent bystander because you jumped the gun, maybe even went to the wrong place. Leave it up to the professionals. That's why they exist and why there are laws against people grabbing their weapons and witch-hunting in the streets.

[Deleted]

Yes, but the intent of the person in the "To Catch A Predator" stings is pretty clear. In this case not so much. I know personally if I was going to a drug den to retrieve a friend or family member I felt was in danger I would probably be armed. My intent would be to protect myself during the process if needed rather than to go full on Punisher mode on some drug dealers. That being said these guys were clearly going overboard with their actions.

Punisher mode, you say? Nothing was probably further from his mind.

https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpre...=all&strip=all

[omfgreally]

hmm... They said on the news that the cop pulled him over because of a cracked windshield I don't see a crack at all B.S. probable cause "reason".

Here in the south everyone drives shit like that with big wheels and swing rocks so every person that gets behind them will have a cracked window my poor father's avalanche on his way home after work got a huge crack from the top to the bottom now because of rocks flying from one of these "compensating for something" Trucks

I feel sorry for the guy that lost his daughter but if he was a better father she wouldn't have been smoking crack to begin with. But really if you plan to kill someone don't do it in a clown mobile.

[muto]

Slightly disappointed by title and lack of TMNT content.

Good job some eagle eyed public servant's attention was drawn to this covert operator's vehicle.

That's some Dog the Bounty Hunter mixed with Larry the Cable Guy right there.

[Narwal]

What was he charged with?

We've decided as a nation that law abiding citizens can have guns, ammo, body armor, etc. He hasn't made threats against anyone, was not deemed to be looking to use those on innocents, for all we know he's decided to go into a dangerous place, you know those areas police don't like to patrol for their own safety, and in that case, he better have all that shit for self defense if he expects to get out.

- - - Updated - - -

I feel sorry for the guy that lost his daughter but if he was a better father she wouldn't have been smoking crack to begin with. But really if you plan to kill someone don't do it in a clown mobile.

“Doctors became very vigilant then about diagnosing pain and prescribing pain medication, and you can see a huge uptick of the amount of opiate prescriptions,”. She explained that in many cases, patients began to misuse their medications and went down the path of addiction. Eventually, these people turned to something that was cheaper and easier to acquire: heroin. People who were not normally considered “at-risk” are falling victim to the drug, with some of the greatest increase of abuse occurring in women and those with higher income.

The problem is not parenting, the problem is prescription of extremely strong pain killers with addictive properties. We are all the chemicals that compose us, some of us are more prone to addiction than others.

[Sunseeker]

Intention still counts. Just like the people arrested in "To Catch A Predator" stings, gearing up with the intention to do something is still a crime.

But planning to do a thing is not the same crime as doing the thing. The best they could possibly be charged with is conspiracy.

[melodramocracy]

But planning to do a thing is not the same crime as doing the thing. The best they could possibly be charged with is conspiracy.

I'm curious to see what they're charged with.

[Deleted]

The problem is not parenting, the problem is prescription of extremely strong pain killers with addictive properties. We are all the chemicals that compose us, some of us are more prone to addiction than others.

To have one well raised child fall into a cycle of heroin addiction might be seen as a tragic accident, two kids just seems like more than bad luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcQOjlkGFk