As a Kansas Highway Patrol helicopter patrolled from the air, Lawrence police on Friday seized two semi-automatic guns from a vehicle downtown and arrested two Kansas City, Mo., men on gun violations.
Sgt. Dan Ward, a Lawrence Police spokesman, said the arrests were the result of increased patrols undertaken after the department learned of a possible threat from people attending a concert at Last Call, 729 N.H.
"We increased our manpower in the downtown area in order to try to address that, and as a result we recovered two very, very dangerous assault weapons," Ward said. "Those guns posed a very serious danger to the citizens and the safety of the officers."
It's the latest episode in a series of gun-related incidents downtown in the past year. Officers repeatedly have seized guns from parking lots near Last Call, most frequently on its Saturday "hip-hop" night. In May, someone fired seven gunshots inside the club.
"We've recovered somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 guns in the downtown area" in recent months, Ward said. "These two weapons are by far more dangerous and more concern to us than what we've recovered so far. Both these guns were loaded and they were in the firing position."
Two arrests
According to Lawrence Police spokeswoman Kim Murphree, police were on patrol shortly before 1:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Borders Books and Music Cafe, 700 N.H., when they saw two weapons in a vehicle. Shortly after 3 a.m., officers made contact with the vehicle's driver, a 21-year-old, and an occupant, age 23.
Police seized a Bushmaster Carbon 15 pistol with a 30-round magazine and a Ruger Mini-14 with a 100-round magazine. Both guns were loaded with .223-caliber ammunition, police said.
Both men were arrested and taken to the Douglas County Jail. The 23-year-old, Richard Vonelle Cooper, was cited for carrying a weapon near a bar, then released on bond and ordered to appear in court Jan. 3. The 21-year-old, identified as Damen Terell Carter, was booked into jail and charged Friday with criminal possession of a firearm.
Watch 6News video report
During Carter's first appearance in District Court, Assistant District Attorney Brenda Clary said he had a past drug conviction that involved a gun.
Lt. John Eichkorn, a Highway Patrol spokesman, said Lawrence police requested the helicopter as part of a special patrol.
"When large crowds are aware of the helicopter, a lot of times it does keep the crowd ... from becoming unruly," Eichkorn said. "It's probably a deterrent, No. 1. It's an officer-safety issue, No. 1"
Eichkorn said the helicopter was used not just in downtown, but also to help find a suspect's vehicle in a vandalism case. Police did not have further details on that case Friday.
Neighborhood concerns
The helicopter's presence in the area raised concerns of some nearby residents.
Sean Brumwell, 29, a Kansas University doctoral candidate and a research analyst at Fort Leavenworth, said he woke up a few times during the night at his home near 14th and Vermont Streets. He likened the helicopter's noise to a neighbor mowing the lawn at midnight.
"I appreciate the fact that they're trying to do something. I just think that might be a little too much," he said. "At least for me, the waking up part was a little more inconvenient than I think it should be."
The helicopter costs about $127 per hour to operate and was in the air for five hours, Eichkorn said.
The helicopter also was used in February to patrol downtown. Ward said Lawrence police don't always know ahead of time when the highway patrol's helicopter will be brought to Lawrence.
"We always welcome any assistance from other jurisdictions that are willing to help, just as we would assist them," Ward said. "We will continue, when we have intelligence information, to address it in what we deem to be an appropriate manner."
Last Call's owner, Dennis Steffes, did not return a phone call Friday seeking comment.
Comments
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Sigmund (anonymous) says…
Waking up to the sound of a helicopter is much better than waking up to the sound of one-hundred-and-thirty rounds of .223 caliber ammo being sprayed, any one of which could keep you (and a few others) from waking up again, ever.
Oh, and the LPD was not "trying to do something", they were **succeeding** in getting some very powerful guns out of the hands of a 23 year old who had previous a past drug conviction that involved a gun. Nice work LPD.
I would much rather spend the $123/hour for a "pork-chopper" than $30 million dollars for a new library any day of the week.
sublime (anonymous) says…
I wonder how "gangsta" they will feel when the wake up in jail this morning.
Informed (anonymous) says…
A 100-round magazine??? Sounds like someone was planning for some serious trouble.
sublime (anonymous) says…
Sean Brumwell, 29, a Kansas University doctoral candidate and a research analyst at Fort Leavenworth, said he woke up a few times during the night at his home near 14th and Vermont Streets. He likened the helicopter's noise to a neighbor mowing the lawn at midnight.
"I appreciate the fact that they're trying to do something. I just think that might be a little too much," he said. "At least for me, the waking up part was a little more inconvenient than I think it should be."
So you got woke up,big deal.Suck it up bastard....Stop being such a cry baby about it, and be glad that these two wanna be gangstas are not out there shooting folks.
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
The folks that control the estate of Hetzel Park III ( that own the building that the "Last Call is in) should pull the lease.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
lrN51EXCXydf -
Dennis Steffes owns Last Call, and he doesn't give a darn about anything but the almighty dollars he stuffs into his pockets. My guess is that he caters to this particular clientele simply because they are oftentimes problematic and somewhat controversial. His establishment might be better suited for certain communities east or west of here, since a majority of Last Call's customers come from there, and I, for one, wish he'd pack up and leave Lawrence!
cutny (anonymous) says…
The whole "guns don't kill people" slogan is wearing a bit thin, so how's this?
Stupid gun control laws don't pull triggers, people do.
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
according to county records, he does not own that building.
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
..I'm not saying that Steffes isn't a scumbag...
00jester (anonymous) says…
I'd find it interesting if they patrolled every bar in lawrence, and wether or not they would find guns at other places. Not saying last call doesn't warrant the extra look, but i wouldn't be suprised to see them other places as well.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
MacHeath (8:32 a.m.) -
...that's good, because he is!!! He may not own the building, but the business is his.
jhawkrawk (anonymous) says…
Many thanks to the LPD for keeping our downtown safe. Thank you Douglas County Sheriff's Department for keeping the peace in southeast Lawrence. And, thanks to the Highway Patrol for patrolling the highways coming into our town. I personally witnessed all three departments working together to keep us safe Thursday night into Friday morning.
Now, if we could just get the government to shut down businesses, like Last Call, that profit from crime and criminals.
Citizens, please don't give Dennis Steffes one red cent of your money. (Steffes also owns Coyote's.) Until he realizes that he is partially responsible for the increased gang presence and violence in Lawrence, he will continue drawing the rowdy crowds, and guns, into our peaceful town.
By the way, is it possible to send the bill for the police staffing and helicopter costs to Dennis Steffes?
nekansan (anonymous) says…
Sounds pretty logical to me. If your bar has a shooting incident inside, it absoutley warrant the extra scrutiny. It seems to me like the LPD is making a real effort to keep the city and downtown safe and vibrant. They are doing exactly what they should. People complaining about getting woke up would be even more vocal if people started shooting these guns that are being taken out of the hands of criminals.
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
The point I have been trying to make is:
Staffes does not own that building. He leases the space from the people that do. Those people are the administrators of Hetzel Park III's estate.
As far as I'm concerned, the folks that own that building are bigger swine than Saffes.
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
Steffes
Baille (anonymous) says…
"Waking up to the sound of a helicopter is much better than waking up to the sound of one-hundred-and-thirty rounds of .223 caliber ammo being sprayed, any one of which could keep you (and a few others) from waking up again, ever."
So the KHP officers in the helicopter found the guns? Interesting...
local_support (anonymous) says…
They also found my friend urinating in his driveway and put the spotlight on him. No joke.
Sigmund (anonymous) says…
Sgt. Dan Ward, a Lawrence Police spokesman, said the arrests were the result of increased patrols undertaken after the ****department learned of a possible threat from people attending a concert at Last Call,**** 729 N.H.
That helicopter just didn't happen to be in the area.... But believe what you will.
Baille (anonymous) says…
I didn't suggest that it was. But one guy complained about the noise from the helicopter. You responded that the noise from teh copter was better than the noise from the guns, but the guns would have been found without the helicopter being around. What is the connection you are trying to make?
paladin (anonymous) says…
Nobody leaves weapons of that quality and value in an automobile out in plain view while being away from the car for an extended period of time. And this has happened numerous times in the recent past. Are these potential perps really that careless and thoughtless? Or, is the action by the PD actually more than as it is described? Can they search an automobile if, by visible view, a weapon is seen from outside, by happenstance? Can they open the locked car, without a warrant, and then search for weapons? Is that what they are doing, have done? Could they do it to your car? Sometime, some other night, some place else? Your house?
FormerCentralKansan (anonymous) says…
Shout out to T-Town!
jimincountry (anonymous) says…
Sounds like Lawrence has a problem.....and I'd bet most of it comes from KC!.........and Topeka!
Baille (anonymous) says…
"Can they search an automobile if, by visible view, a weapon is seen from outside, by happenstance? Can they open the locked car, without a warrant, and then search for weapons? Is that what they are doing, have done? Could they do it to your car? Sometime, some other night, some place else? Your house?"
Look into the motor vehicle exception to the requirement that the government actor have a warrant based on probable cause before searching you or your stuff. The evolution of that doctrine is truly scary.
And an illegal weapon (or a weapon that in addition to being close enough to a bar to constitute a crime) in plain sight to someone standing where they have a right to be establishes probable cause.
In any case, there is really no evidence the LPD did anything wrong in this case. Seems pretty straight-forward based on the facts we know so far.
The selective enforcement of these types of statutes and their desirability at all is another discussion all together.
ku_born_kstate_bred (anonymous) says…
maybe the people of this fair and nice city should actually thank the police for doing jobs that the rest of us don't. if they found the weapons and got them off the street isn't that the important thing... get real folks I own a couple of guns myself but when bar hopping in another city or where I live the guns stay at home in the gun safe not in the car.
and for the guy pissing in his driveway that is why here we have indoor plumbing why wasn't he using it instead of a tree.
Baille (anonymous) says…
It is important to get illegal guns of the street as well as punish people who break the law. It is equally important that the requirements of due process are observed and the federal and state onstitutions are upheld.
While the former protects us from those with ill-intent and preserves our well-being, the latter protects us from tyranny and preserves our liberty.
Baille (anonymous) says…
Please add an "f" and "c" where appropriate.
paladin (anonymous) says…
I was a cop for many years. I would never have participated in the stuff that goes on now. In fact, that's why I quit. It is, indeed, scary. Our only defense is by always being diligent and critical and holding law enforcement to the requirement to obey the law. If we don't, they won't, cause they are on a power trip to the max. We need to be ever vigilant.
not_dolph (anonymous) says…
Hmmm...and these guys weren't even from Topeka!?! Add to the list of places to not patronize...
1. Abe & Jakes
2. Last Call
Tychoman (anonymous) says…
CW there is no such thing as a "nice weapon" or having "good taste" in a machine that's designed for one purpose: to kill people. Idiot.
jayhawkette (anonymous) says…
ok, who needs a gun to go pick up a date at a bar??? morons...
Berserk (anonymous) says…
Culture_Warrior, you're a hillbilly, come step into the 21st century, we don't need guns, nobody does, shouldn't be allowed to have them. PERIOD.
compmd (anonymous) says…
I think Culture_Warrior's comment is perfectly valid. He's definitely in the 21st century, Berserk. Tons of people have a "me first" attitude towards everything in life these days and won't stop until they get what they want, even if it means hurting people. So long as those people exist, there is a useful market for guns.
A C-15 or mini-14 is not for amateur punks like those in the article. Tychoman, there is such thing as a nice weapon. A nice weapon is reliable, long-lasting, sturdy, and of course, accurate.
For now and the forseeable future, there is a need for weapons. That isn't changing any time soon.
Wallythewalrus (anonymous) says…
I my self own a Ruger; fine German craftsmanship.
anceee (anonymous) says…
just curious...any one know what kind of car it was?
underground_voice (anonymous) says…
I, as a downtown citizen, thank the LPD for doing their job on this past Thursday night. I also thank them for doing all they do on an average Saturday night. I do witness them looking into all the vehicles, even mine, with a flash light and writing tickets for cars backed into the stalls. I wonder what they thought when they saw my bra that I took off after work that night and threw into the backseat of my car and my Janet Joplin CD on the dash...
LOSER!