D.C. cop takes a gun to a snowball fight
Via Balko: a D.C. cop gets pissed at kids having a snowball fight and wades into the fray with his pistol.
CNN reports that anti-war protesters dressed in black, wearing masks, and carrying anti-war signs began to pelt passing cars with snowballs. Really, the first cop that appears to cause the ruckus is not shown drawing his weapon on camera, although he pulls his jacket back and has his hand on it. Then a second officer arrives on scene with gun drawn - apparently he was responding to a call that there was a man in the crowd with a gun. Except the man in the crowd with the gun was the first (plainclothes) cop, who was busy yelling at the kids (throw another snowball! go ahead!).
Looks like they were having a blast - except for the plainclothes cop named Baylor (sp?) who was pissed off because he got hit with a snowball. In the middle of a snowball fight. With his gun. The second officer clearly was only there looking for the dangerous guy (Baylor), and had his gun drawn but aimed down by his leg until he realized that it was a cop causing the ruckus.
Update: better video from Reason.com, showing Baylor with his gun, shoving one person, and grabbing another and dragging them to his hummer:
