Dong pinched by cops for having long gun near campus

William Dong, 21 or 22, 1336 Stratfield Road, Fairfield, was arrested but not charged as of late Tuesday afternoon. A rifle was recovered in his car, a gray-blue Toyota RAV, which was parked in the ShopRite parking lot. The UNH campus was on lockdown for much of the day.

Sgt. David Tammaro said a 911 call came from the ShopRite lot reporting a man with a rifle. Police “confronted (Dong) within minutes” near the UNH campus and arrested him. In addition to the rifle, ammunition and magazines were found in the Toyota, Tammaro said. He said Dong was the only suspect.

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If the New Haven Register is correct, Dong had two handguns and a rifle in his possession, and was arrested based upon the fact that someone saw the rifle. He had a valid handgun permit, and never apparently threatened anyone.

Whether he had any ill intentions is unclear. Dong was arrested by New Haven Police within minutes after the initial 911 call.

What is clear is that law enforcement agencies on every level completely over-reacted to the short-lived threat.

LEOs gone wild

Perhaps the most interesting part of the story isn’t anything that Dong did, but how law enforcement responded to a laughable degree, as detailed in the Register’s photo gallery of today’s events.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies responded, including the West Haven PD, Milford PD, Connecticut State Police, FBI, U.S. Marshals, and law enforcement from several unidentified units, one of whom seems to be the real-life inspiration for secret agent Cobra Bubbles from Lilo & Stitch.

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They came in cars and SUVs, on trucks and in RVs, and even an armored vehicle (Bearcat?) made an appearance.

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We can only assume an AWACS and several Predator drones were scrambled as well.

The event also turned out to be an excuse for a tactical fashion show, with seemingly every cop within a two-hour drive turning out with every bit of quasi-military kit they’ve ever purchased.

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At least everyone in the parade seemed to have their scopes mounted pointing in the right direction. This time.

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When all was said and done, this was a horrific waste of taxpayer dollars, especially since Dong was grabbed (snicker) within moments of the initial call.

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But at least everyone agreed that in the end, McDonalds was a great place to meet for lunch.

If it seems like I’m being unfair, please consider this: Dong was already in police custody before these geardos finished lacing up their boots.

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