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A skateboard, when used as a weapon, is a deadly weapon. weapon, n: a thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage. Does a skateboard

A skateboard, when used as a weapon, is a deadly weapon. weapon, n: a thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage. Does a skateboard have other innocent purposes, to which it is generally put to use? Of course — that’s generally why skateboards are brought to riots. It provides plausible deniability during the times when you’re not using it to hit people in the head with a deadly weapon.

Dylan16807 5y ago
If we go with that definition, and nothing else, then imagine "one of them threw an ice cube at someone, so he was armed". It's a thing used to inflict bodily harm in that context, but calling it "a weapon" seems crazy to me.
- sergiogjr 5y ago
  How big of an Ice cube? As big as a brick? Yes, can be just as deadly and a coble stone.
- teakettle42 5y ago
  If you have large enough ice cube — or any other object — that is capable of inflicting serious bodily harm, and you use it to physically attack someone, you’ve committed assault with a deadly weapon. Why is this crazy to you? This is why someone can be charged for assault with a deadly weapon while trying to run someone over with their car. Do you think that’s crazy just because cars are usually meant to be used for driving?
  - Dylan16807 5y ago
    I'm talking about normal ice cubes. They can inflict bodily harm. With 'serious', does that mean you're suggesting a different definition from the one you quoted? > This is why someone can be charged for assault with a deadly weapon while trying to run someone over with their car. A car is at least in a medium category where it's not a generally safe object. Remember that my original objection was saying someone was "armed". If we used the definition you gave to figure that out, I think almost everyone is armed. Or they transform from unarmed to armed when they smack someone??
    - teakettle42 5y ago
      > I'm talking about normal ice cubes. They can inflict bodily harm. If you used it as a weapon, it's a weapon. There aren't generally enhanced criminal charges for non-deadly weapons, however — that's usually just charged as assault. > With 'serious', does that mean you're suggesting a different definition from the one you quoted? No, I'm tying this question back to the actual law. > Remember that my original objection was saying someone was "armed". If we used the definition you gave to figure that out, I think almost everyone is armed. You're treating the law like it's some sort of extremely idiotic expert system that implodes anytime someone grabs their child's baseball bat with the intent of murdering someone — or actually does so. Google "mens rea". You're not going to beat a charge with the argument of "It was a little league baseball bat!". If this still isn't clear, maybe it'd help to see how Colorado defines a "deadly weapon": > (I) A firearm, whether loaded or unloaded; or (II) A knife, bludgeon, or any other weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, that, in the manner it is used or intended to be used, is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. If you can figure out how to use your ice cube as a deadly weapon, then congratulations, at the moment you picked up an ice cube with the intent to use it as a deadly weapon, you armed yourself with a deadly weapon. > Or they transform from unarmed to armed when they smack someone?? They transform from unarmed to armed when they arm themselves with an object they intend to use as a weapon. You know you could just google this stuff, right? This is very simple, well-established law.
      - Dylan16807 5y ago
        > They transform from unarmed to armed when they arm themselves with an object they intend to use as a weapon. That makes sense if they intended to use it as a weapon. What if they didn't? > This is very simple, well-established law. Mens rea makes sense for certain crimes. I would not say someone is 'armed' or 'not armed' based on intent. > Google "mens rea". You're not going to beat a charge with the argument of "It was a little league baseball bat!". > (II) A knife, bludgeon, or any other weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, that, in the manner it is used or intended to be used, is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. A baseball bat at least is pretty dangerous when used as intended. So is a car. A skateboard isn't, and an ice cube isn't. > You're treating the law like it's some sort of extremely idiotic expert system that implodes anytime someone grabs their child's baseball bat with the intent of murdering someone — or actually does so. The legal system wouldn't implode if it was just 'assault'.
wrekone 5y ago
> that’s generally why skateboards are brought to riots. A skateboard can certainly be a weapon but I believe this is conjecture.
- teakettle42 5y ago
  This is well-documented, though I don’t know for certain when it became the norm. If you go back to the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, you mostly see people using short, concealable weapons, such as wooden clubs. At some point, the gear of choice evolved towards the plausibly deniable, including skateboards, umbrellas, etc. 2020 example: https://mobile.twitter.com/TheGunzShow/status/1266851406822232065 https://mobile.twitter.com/TheGunzShow/status/12668514068222...

Dylan16807 5y ago

If we go with that definition, and nothing else, then imagine "one of them threw an ice cube at someone, so he was armed". It's a thing used to inflict bodily harm in that context, but calling it "a weapon" seems crazy to me.

sergiogjr 5y ago
How big of an Ice cube? As big as a brick? Yes, can be just as deadly and a coble stone.
teakettle42 5y ago
If you have large enough ice cube — or any other object — that is capable of inflicting serious bodily harm, and you use it to physically attack someone, you’ve committed assault with a deadly weapon. Why is this crazy to you? This is why someone can be charged for assault with a deadly weapon while trying to run someone over with their car. Do you think that’s crazy just because cars are usually meant to be used for driving?
- Dylan16807 5y ago
  I'm talking about normal ice cubes. They can inflict bodily harm. With 'serious', does that mean you're suggesting a different definition from the one you quoted? > This is why someone can be charged for assault with a deadly weapon while trying to run someone over with their car. A car is at least in a medium category where it's not a generally safe object. Remember that my original objection was saying someone was "armed". If we used the definition you gave to figure that out, I think almost everyone is armed. Or they transform from unarmed to armed when they smack someone??
  - teakettle42 5y ago
    > I'm talking about normal ice cubes. They can inflict bodily harm. If you used it as a weapon, it's a weapon. There aren't generally enhanced criminal charges for non-deadly weapons, however — that's usually just charged as assault. > With 'serious', does that mean you're suggesting a different definition from the one you quoted? No, I'm tying this question back to the actual law. > Remember that my original objection was saying someone was "armed". If we used the definition you gave to figure that out, I think almost everyone is armed. You're treating the law like it's some sort of extremely idiotic expert system that implodes anytime someone grabs their child's baseball bat with the intent of murdering someone — or actually does so. Google "mens rea". You're not going to beat a charge with the argument of "It was a little league baseball bat!". If this still isn't clear, maybe it'd help to see how Colorado defines a "deadly weapon": > (I) A firearm, whether loaded or unloaded; or (II) A knife, bludgeon, or any other weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, that, in the manner it is used or intended to be used, is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. If you can figure out how to use your ice cube as a deadly weapon, then congratulations, at the moment you picked up an ice cube with the intent to use it as a deadly weapon, you armed yourself with a deadly weapon. > Or they transform from unarmed to armed when they smack someone?? They transform from unarmed to armed when they arm themselves with an object they intend to use as a weapon. You know you could just google this stuff, right? This is very simple, well-established law.
    - Dylan16807 5y ago
      > They transform from unarmed to armed when they arm themselves with an object they intend to use as a weapon. That makes sense if they intended to use it as a weapon. What if they didn't? > This is very simple, well-established law. Mens rea makes sense for certain crimes. I would not say someone is 'armed' or 'not armed' based on intent. > Google "mens rea". You're not going to beat a charge with the argument of "It was a little league baseball bat!". > (II) A knife, bludgeon, or any other weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, that, in the manner it is used or intended to be used, is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. A baseball bat at least is pretty dangerous when used as intended. So is a car. A skateboard isn't, and an ice cube isn't. > You're treating the law like it's some sort of extremely idiotic expert system that implodes anytime someone grabs their child's baseball bat with the intent of murdering someone — or actually does so. The legal system wouldn't implode if it was just 'assault'.

wrekone 5y ago

> that’s generally why skateboards are brought to riots. A skateboard can certainly be a weapon but I believe this is conjecture.

teakettle42 5y ago
This is well-documented, though I don’t know for certain when it became the norm. If you go back to the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, you mostly see people using short, concealable weapons, such as wooden clubs. At some point, the gear of choice evolved towards the plausibly deniable, including skateboards, umbrellas, etc. 2020 example: https://mobile.twitter.com/TheGunzShow/status/1266851406822232065 https://mobile.twitter.com/TheGunzShow/status/12668514068222...