Video games blamed for teens shooting at police pursuers

sk8inandy87 | June 25, 2007 | News | Misc

Two 14 year old boys in New Zealand steal a car and shoot at police while being chased. Inspector Karl Wright St Clair is quick to say that it is just like in those video games. The two boys used a high powered rifle and at one point tried to steal a police car, but were taken down before they could steal it. A different article happens to mention the boys were in the care of a Child, Youth, and Family Camp.

"It was like one of those video games the kids play where they steal a car and shoot at police," said Inspector Karl Wright St Clair, of Tauranga. Asked if he was making a direct link between video games and yesterday's incident, he said: "Well, they don't come up with these things by themselves."

15 comments | go to source (www.stuff.co.nz) | Add to favorites!

favourite this article |

send to friend

33	Police Blame Video Games For Bad Drivers (6) November 18, 2008
76	Xbox Blamed For Burning Down Apartment (6) September 7, 2008
139	GTA Blamed For French car fires (27) September 22, 2008
108	New York Police go after Saints Row 2 (5) October 16, 2008
41	Japanese Police Arrest Three Criminals In Piracy (2) November 15, 2008

Comments

0 thumbs!
Deis | June 26, 2007

That policeman is seriously underestimating how evil kids can be. I'm on the fence about the link between video games and violence, but "they don't come up with this stuff themselves" has got to be the dumbest evidence for that theory ever. Jesus. Has he never heard of Mary Bell? Or the two who killed Jamie Bulger?
0 thumbs!
neto_360 | June 26, 2007

It's alwas those damn video games!

I agree with Deis. Some kids are just that bad. Yes, they can come up with this stuff on their own.
0 thumbs!
bakfromon | June 26, 2007

Why do video games always have to be the problem in these situations?
0 thumbs!
I Am Steely Phil | June 26, 2007

Yes, that's it. The games made them do it. Just like playing Barbie Horse Adventures makes me want to ride a pony and playing Madden makes me want to try out for an NFL team.

*sigh*

I wonder how long before Jack Thompson runs his mouth again?
0 thumbs!
Blackgamer2009 | June 26, 2007

OK, stuff like this has existed for hundreds of years, and violence has happened since we can last remember. Hell, the world wasn't that old when Cain killed Abel, was it? People to be held accountable for their own actions, unless they were mentally disabled or on drugs, and even drugs could be their fault too. We need to stop blaming other things, and learn that although it grabs us at the testicles, we need to blame no one but ourselves.
- 0 thumbs!
  Final Blade | June 26, 2007
  
  Yup word up. I been saying this for weeks now, everytime i see this type of articles.
0 thumbs!
xsynergyx | June 26, 2007

*bleep*s sakes, come on. Must they blame everything on videos games? Well we blame cops for carrying guns and driving cars because that's what they do in video games!
1 thumbs!
FRoGBuster | June 26, 2007

There were psycho killers before the first manhunt was released. But there were certainly movies and books and stories about them before there ever were GTA games!
- 0 thumbs!
  Gothic Girl | June 26, 2007
  
  Hahaha. You beat me to it FRoGBuster.
  
  It's always blames on video games - "It was like one of those video games the kids play where they steal a car and shoot at police,"
  
  You never hear people saying - "It was like one of those movies where they steal a car and shoot at police,"
0 thumbs!
Kokoro | June 26, 2007

Why do people always blame video games. There's a lot of violent movies, but they never get blamed for this. This is getting pretty annoying.
0 thumbs!
Silver Mirror | June 26, 2007

Lets set the scene you have police chasing you, they are ramming and possibly shooting your car, you have a gun WHAT THE HELL DO THE POLICE EXPECT THEM TO DO?
0 thumbs!
Synthesis | June 26, 2007

It's always the video games' fault. When will these people stop and acutally think for once instead of accusing games for childrens violent behavior?
0 thumbs!
skittles07 | June 26, 2007

There is no way you can blame a video game for anything a person does. Video games don't change a person. They still have full control and did what they did at their own will.
0 thumbs!
Gotenks | June 27, 2007

Well this is stupid. The guy blames it on video games before actually knowing the reason. They could of been shooting at them because they stole their donuts!
1 thumbs!
FRoGBuster | June 27, 2007

Well, to be fair then, they'd have to say that whenever someone saves the world, it was because of RPGS. It's Role Playing Games fault that people try to do good deeds and get bonuses later in life and eventually save the world from peril.
Or that it's video games' fault that we socialize everyday and make new friends and build cities and live a life with meaning - It's those darn SIM games!
Or Nintendog's fault for people caring for their dogs and playing with them and teaching them new tricks and picking up poop when they're walking their dogs.