FAKE NEWS: LAPD, MEDIA TOUT ROCKET LAUNCHER SEIZURE THAT WASN'T

The L.A. Police Department had big news on December 27. They had seized a pair of rocket launchers! This, of course, would have been shocking news if only they really had found "rocket launchers" in the City of Angels.
As the LAPD's "gun buyback program" came to a close, Chief Charlie Beck had frightening news for his city. A pair of "rocket launchers" had been turned in.

Chief Beck proudly paraded the pair of launcher tubes at a press conference and gravely told those assembled, "Those are weapons of war, weapons of death. These are not hunting guns. These are not target guns...they have no place in our great city."

The media, of course, dutifully ran to press with the "news" of the dangerous weapons of war found on the streets of L.A.

Such outlets as NBC News pounced on the story. Unsurprisingly, so did the L.A. Times. Wire service UPI did, too. So did the New York Daily News.

L.A. Weekly was really in high dudgeon with writer Dennis Romero expressing his outrage.

"Cops picked up two--count 'em two--rocket launchers (!) (and not one, as other outlets are reporting), an LAPD official with close knowledge of the program told us. Holy hell why do people on our streets have military grade rocket launchers?"

That might seem like a good question.

Only one problem. The story is pure puffery. These so-called “rocket launchers” the LAPD recovered weren't a danger to anyone. In fact, at least one of them was never a danger to anyone.




snip


What we really have here is the LAPD making a big story out of nothing and a gaggle of Old Media lapdogs lapping up the fake story because they haven't a clue about the topic.

Instead of the media giving us scary stories of rocket launchers infesting the streets of L.A., this story should have been reported as the LAPD trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the citizenry and the media alike.

Quote: steph wrote in post #1

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FAKE NEWS: LAPD, MEDIA TOUT ROCKET LAUNCHER SEIZURE THAT WASN'T

The L.A. Police Department had big news on December 27. They had seized a pair of rocket launchers! This, of course, would have been shocking news if only they really had found "rocket launchers" in the City of Angels.
As the LAPD's "gun buyback program" came to a close, Chief Charlie Beck had frightening news for his city. A pair of "rocket launchers" had been turned in.

Chief Beck proudly paraded the pair of launcher tubes at a press conference and gravely told those assembled, "Those are weapons of war, weapons of death. These are not hunting guns. These are not target guns...they have no place in our great city."

The media, of course, dutifully ran to press with the "news" of the dangerous weapons of war found on the streets of L.A.

Such outlets as NBC News pounced on the story. Unsurprisingly, so did the L.A. Times. Wire service UPI did, too. So did the New York Daily News.

L.A. Weekly was really in high dudgeon with writer Dennis Romero expressing his outrage.

"Cops picked up two--count 'em two--rocket launchers (!) (and not one, as other outlets are reporting), an LAPD official with close knowledge of the program told us. Holy hell why do people on our streets have military grade rocket launchers?"

That might seem like a good question.

Only one problem. The story is pure puffery. These so-called “rocket launchers” the LAPD recovered weren't a danger to anyone. In fact, at least one of them was never a danger to anyone.




snip


What we really have here is the LAPD making a big story out of nothing and a gaggle of Old Media lapdogs lapping up the fake story because they haven't a clue about the topic.

Instead of the media giving us scary stories of rocket launchers infesting the streets of L.A., this story should have been reported as the LAPD trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the citizenry and the media alike.

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Gotta disagree with you here: Dumb cops

"Seeking media approval" cops, maybe. Or "misleading the public we are out there protecting them" cops, but "dumb"? Like foxes maybe.

Most police departments, especially in a major city like LA, have plenty of guys on the force who are ex-military and also have their own weapons experts, so these claims by the LA police brass are pure bovine excrement and they know it. But notice how the MSM buys into it and pushes the story line as if it were true, either out of ignorance or an anti-gun agenda.

This was nothing but sheer propaganda put out to make the LAPD look good and gives the media the opportunity to strike another blow at the "dangerous weapons" which are out there. Ginning up baseless fear is the best weapon the anti-gunners have.

I agree with this being a pure propaganda attempt to push the gun grab agenda.