...The Beltway Snipers started on October 2, 2003 and last for three weeks ending on October 24, 2002. There was ten people dead and three injured. The shootings occurred in Maryland and Virginia. This left the DC, Maryland and Virginia living in fear for the entire time until the shooters had been caught. This was a devastating attack that we had never seen before and have not seen since. It was later discovered that these shootings were being carried out by a man named John Allen Muhammad, and his teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, in a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan (crimemuseum.com). The men used the car as a shooting area to commit these killings with a hole cut in the back of the car by the license plate. There are many factors that helped catch these criminals and prevent further killings. Three of the...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
...Sniper Twenty-three days is a long time to stay in and worry about being next on the shooters list. “The day of October 2, 2002, the beltway snipers began terrorizing people (FBI.Gov).” The beltway snipers, who are they, what crime did they commit, and theories of why they committed the crime is what this paper is about. The beltway snipers were, “John Muhammad, 41 and Lee Boyd Malvo, 17 (FBI.Gov.)” John Muhammad was a 41 year old African American. He was born on December 31, 1960 in Louisiana. 1985, Muhammad converted to Islam. He also joined the Army. During the Gulf War he become a skilled marksman. Around 2000, Muhammad took his children to Antigua. While in Antigua, Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo met. Muhammad returned to Bellingham,...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...Social learning theory when an individual learns how; to do a various form of criminal activity within society. Like robbing banks or people, murders, kidnappings, selling drugs, assaulting with a deadly weapon in so forth. The criminal acts that people learn, from the people that he or she surround their selves with on a daily basis. That feels nothing wrong, with committing any of these forms of crimes. That the associates present stimuli according to their foundation place within the public as well as the economic location, gender, culture, class, also subculture. It the part of the theory where disparity reinforcement stress person has various social groups also situations present to him or her on a continuous basis, therefore, various relationship with different people then the learning with any conduct is a function of reinforcing stimuli also the possibility for reinforcement makes available from a person different social circumstances. (Pg.9- 183, Franklin P. Williams III, and Marilyn D. McShane, 2014). With social learning it connected, with cognitive learning theory, which says that learning controls the person mental dynamics. A behavioral theory that thinks that learning comes, from the reply from the environmental. With both of these theories and created four guidelines, it comes to learning that stated by Albert Bandura. They retention is cognitive, motivation uses both cognitive and environmental, awareness is environmental. The reproduction cognitive the method...
Words: 1315 - Pages: 6
...Class: AJS/514 professor: James L. Smith Personal Criminological Theory Social learning theory when an individual learns how; to do a various form of criminal activity within society. Like robbing banks or people, murders, kidnappings, selling drugs, assaulting with a deadly weapon in so forth. The criminal acts that people learn, from the people that he or she surround their selves with on a daily basis. That feels nothing wrong, with committing any of these forms of crimes. That the associates present stimuli according to their foundation place within the public as well as the economic location, gender, culture, class, also subculture. It the part of the theory where disparity reinforcement stress person has various social groups also situations present to him or her on a continuous basis, therefore, various relationship with different people then the learning with any conduct is a function of reinforcing stimuli also the possibility for reinforcement makes available from a person different social circumstances. (Pg.9- 183, Franklin P. Williams III, and Marilyn D. McShane, 2014).With social learning it connected, with cognitive learning theory, which says that learning controls the person mental dynamics. A behavioral theory that thinks that learning comes, from...
Words: 1325 - Pages: 6
...Police Discretion Case Analysis Albeiro E. Florez Law Enforcement Administration CCJS 340 Due by 13 October 2013 Author Note Albeiro E. Florez, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Maryland University College. This report is a response to Professor Jeffrey B. Bumgarner’s project 2 directives. Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to Albeiro E. Florez, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi eCampus, Adelphi, MD 20783. Contact: florezalbeiro87@gmail.com Police Discretion Case Analysis People make decisions on a daily basis to decide what we should do in any given situation. Having the knowledge to differentiate between what is appropriate or inappropriate is what gives us the freedom to make this decision with the correct judgment. In law enforcement, sworn officers are taught to face any situation by employing good judgment and making the best decisions by themselves or with little to no supervision. This is what we know as police discretion (The Rynard Law Firm, 2007). The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes discretion as “the quality of being careful about what you do and say so that people will not be embarrassed or offended” (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Although systematic routines and protocols need to be followed by officers to ensure they abide by the law as well as to enforce it, often circumstances will show up and force officers to make a decision based on what they feel is right...
Words: 2424 - Pages: 10
...John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo the two so called culprits of the Beltway Shooting terror the occured between August 1, 2002 and October 24 of the same year. This case was a media frenzy "During the 2002 D.C. sniper incident, journalists, who considerably outnumbered the police serving on the task force to catch the perps, were motivated both by the opportunity to get a good story and by personal fear of getting shot" (*Censer, Jack* * **On the Trail of the D.C. Sniper: Fear and the Media **University of Virginia Press, 2010). *People on the streets were so scared the normal walkers to work wouldn't walk to work anymore. A quote by John Muhammad was released to the press by *Charles Moose* as chief of police of Montgomery County, Maryland stating "Your children are not safe, anywhere, at any time".(Text of Chief Moose's Statements, Washington Post October 2, 2002) The press Feasted on this statement and sent the people of the D.C area into a near pandemic state of fear while the killings continue. The media turned the snipers into two menacing madmen who would kill strike anyone at anytime. Until they got to the trial the equally blamed both shooters until they saw how old one of them was. Then it was all turned on the older killer John Muhammad and was portrayed as the mastermind brain washer of then 17 year of Lee Malvo. 2nd paragraph The accusations against the not yet guilty Muhammad and Malvo were 11 counts of 1st degree murder and 6 counts of attempted...
Words: 304 - Pages: 2
...Introduction On October 22, 2002, the beginning of what seemed like the longest three weeks in the Washington Metropolitan area transpired. No one wanted to believe that what was happening would change the lives of thousands. The attacks left the Washington suburbs transfixed with terror. People knelt down by their rear wheels to pump petrol or sprinted into shops from their cars to avoid the snipers. Thousands of people were scared to exit their home due to the killings. The killings were known as the “Beltway Sniper Attacks” because the shootings took place in many different locations that were located within so many miles of each other. This would puzzle police since the very essence of many of these attacks were random further pushing the brink of fear even farther to a place no longer imaginable. The Shooter's The shooters were identified as John Allen Muhammad and his teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo. John Allen Williams was born December 31, 1960, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and died November 10, 2009, by the lethal injection execution. John Allen Williams was also a former U.S. Army soldier. John's parents were Ernest and Eva Williams, he and his family moved to New Orleans when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; she died when he was five. After his mother's death, his father left and he was raised mostly by his grandfather and an aunt. In 1987 he joined the Nation of Islam. As a member of the Nation of Islam, Muhammad helped provide security for the "Million...
Words: 1244 - Pages: 5
...true or false, often alter society's view. In the sniper case, as in many other cases, instead of informing the pubic, the media inundates the viewer with biased information. The sniper case of October 2002 is a prime example of the media controlling and manipulating public knowledge. The media frenzy hurts these cases more than it helps them. The media not only informed society about the sniper case but also included numerous distractions and irrelevant information and attracted unnecessary publicity. Although the media was able to help solve the sniper case, all the distraction and superfluous information was unnecessary. The lack of relevant information provided in the sniper case caused news producers to get creative by adding extraneous elements in their productions. For example, the media often showed reenactments. In the sniper case, manikins were used to demonstrate the positions of the bodies. They also used manikins to demonstrate the path of the bullet as it traveled through the body. Not only were the demonstrations harmful to the victims’ families, but they were also irrelevant. Reporters often overwhelm viewers with irrelevant information and useless opinions. Journalist, Mike Drew admits that in the first few days of the sniper attacks, it was unknown whether the sniper was attacking alone or was a male or female. However, the 24-hour news channels were using “he” and “him” when referring to the sniper. There were also assumptions that the shooter was...
Words: 1156 - Pages: 5
...This assignment will explore the pros and cons of Ballistics Fingerprinting. My paper will be based on two published articles. The first is by Lorraine Woellert, whose article which states how ballistics fingerprinting can be extremely beneficial to a criminal investigation. Then there is Paul Magnusson’s article that states how ballistics fingerprinting is a waste of time and cost ineffective (both articles were published in BusinessWeek Online). Just like when a human hand touches a surface, it leaves a fingerprint distinctive to that person. When a weapon is fired, the marks and grooves left on the bullet when it leaves the barrel are distinctive to that particular weapon. Ballistics fingerprinting was crucial in the DC Sniper case of Oct 2002. The case came to an end when John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were found sleeping in their car. Ballistics test done on the weapon found in the car, a Bushmaster .223 Caliber rifle later linked the weapon to 11 of the 14 shootings. I like this article because it states that this technology can help in solving a major crime. Because of the success of this, a national ballistics database should be established. On the other side of that coin, the next article explores the disadvantages of ballistics fingerprinting. A national database would be costly and unworkable. And it would be a distraction to police in their efforts of fighting violent crimes. At the time of this article’s publication, a major supporter of this program...
Words: 366 - Pages: 2
...The D.C Sniper attacks After the shooting of 15 different people in Maryland and Virginia in October, 2002, this country would never be the same. One of the most challenging cases in history would draw the attention of not only police forces, but also the FBI, the US Marshalls and the Secret Service. In this essay, I will analyze the background information on the murderers, followed by the crime development, and finally police intervention and resolution, linked to the assailants John Allen Muhammad, and Lee Boyd Malvo. On the one hand, perpetrator John Muhammad, 41 at the time of the attacks, had served in the US Military for 17 years, and earned medals for his actions during the Gulf War of 1991. After being discharged in 1994 as a Sargeant, his wife, Mildred Muhammad claimed that he had returned...
Words: 651 - Pages: 3
...4 Injured at Lethal Shooting in Joe’s Sports Bar According to Ken Shindle who is the police commissioner for the Philadelphia police station, a gunfire was broken out in front of Joe’s Sports Bar at around 2 o'clock AM last night on Manchester Boulevard that injured four people including officer Thomas Schwartz who responded to the shooting. Local police obtained a security video from Joe’s Sports Bar at around 2 o’clock AM that showed the gunfire in the bar. Thomas Schwartz responded to the gunfire with his partner, and they hurried to the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, he was shot around the upper right shoulder, and he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Gunfire continued after Schwartz was shot, and police believe...
Words: 280 - Pages: 2
...This case truly began long before the investigation really began, even before the 9/11 attack, forty-one-year-old John Allen Muhammad and his seventeen-year-old protege, Lee Boyd Malvo started their “reign of terror” when they pretended to be father and son in the state of Washington. But, even before this, Muhammad had two failed marriages which caused him to kidnap his own children and flee to the caribbean island of Antigua where he became involved with Malvo’s mother. Malvo and his mother later entered the United States illegally through Florida and settled in Bellingham, Washington, Muhammad later followed. When Malvo’s mother was apprehended Malvo lived with Muhammad at a shelter, where he pretended to be Muhammad’s son. Police later found Muhammad and returned his three children to their mother. Police say that this may have been the trigger that led him on his murderous rampage. In this rampage, a friend of his ex-wife was murdered. A month later a man was shot dead on an Arizona golf course. More shootings and murders followed as Muhammad and Malvo made their way across the country. They later drove around and target random people doing everyday things, such as pumping gas or going shopping, when it was all over this duo killed ten and injured three in the DC area. Were they ever apprehended? Or maybe they got away for free. You will have to further investigate this case to find out the answers to the many questions you have. There were many different things occurring...
Words: 841 - Pages: 4
...1. A Fairfax County’s top prosecutor presented to a judge that there is a 17-year-old sniper suspect of the name John Lee Malvo. Malvo can be linked to at least four October shootings through fingerprints, threat notes, and ballistic evidence. Mr. Horan the lead detective interviews a witness named William Franklin the husband of Linda Franklin. Mr. Franklin explains that he and his wife were leaving Home Depot just after 9 PM on October 14. He heard a noise and felt something hit him... later realizing it was his wife’s blood. Mr. Franklin‘s wife got shot through the head. He later explained to the defense attorneys that he did not see the blue Chevy Caprice. Mr. Horan connected Malvo to four communications with phone calls and notes that...
Words: 573 - Pages: 3
...Discretion is the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment within certain legal bounds (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Although regular routines and protocols should be followed by officers to make sure that they abide by the law as well as enforce the law, often situations arise that force officers to decide or act according to their own judgment. Even though the Chiefs of police are not in the field, they still have to use discretion in making very important decision that affects the department and the community as a whole. In the DC Sniper case, Chief of Police Charles A. Moose use discretion in the investigation by deciding what information should be shared with the public. As the Chief of Police one of his most important duties is to reassure the public of their safety. While trying to keep the public informed without causing panic, Chief Moose limited the details of the investigation in order not to alert the snipers. With this being one of the most tumultuous killing sprees within the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, crucial decisions were made by Chief Moose in an effort to save lives. At the crime scene of the eighth victim a tarot card and a note were recovered as evidence with a specific message directed to law enforcement. Chief Moose decided to use his better judgment and not release the latest finding at the crime to the media. His reasoning behind his controlling...
Words: 1100 - Pages: 5
...In the Las Vegas shooting Jonathan Smith was shot at least twice while trying to run back and save others in the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest festival. He was shot in the neck and is likely to spend the rest of his life with a bullet lodged in his neck.THis shooting is known as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.s. history. During the shooting Smith main concern was to put his family in safety away from the bullets. He had came from Orange County, California, to celebrate the 43rd birthday of his brother, Louis Rust, a big country music fan who had attended the festival in the past. Together they had spent the weekend enjoying the music and had scored seats close to the stage for Jason Aldean’s prime time performance that sunday night....
Words: 253 - Pages: 2
