Man Breaks Up a "Rape" with his Sword

[Katie]

.....god that title sounds dirty Ahem....

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OCONOMOWOC, Wisconsin (AP) -- A man says he broke into an apartment with a cavalry sword because he thought he heard a woman being raped, but the sound actually was from a pornographic movie his upstairs neighbor was watching.

"Now I feel stupid," said James Van Iveren, who has been charged in the case. "This really is nothing, nothing but a mistake."

According to a criminal complaint, the neighbor told police that Van Iveren pounded on the door and kicked it open without warning February 12, damaging the frame and lock.

"Where is she?" Van Iveren demanded, thrusting the sword at the neighbor, the complaint said. "Where is she?"

The neighbor told police Van Iveren became increasingly aggressive as he repeated the question, insisting that he had heard a woman being raped. The complaint said that, with the sword pointed at him, the neighbor led Van Iveren throughout the apartment, opening closet doors to prove he was alone.

The neighbor later played for police the part of the DVD he believed Van Iveren heard downstairs.

Van Iveren, 39, of Oconomowoc, was charged with criminal trespass, criminal damage and disorderly conduct, all while using a dangerous weapon, and is scheduled to appear in court March 5. Together, the misdemeanor counts carry a maximum sentence of 33 months in jail.

Van Iveren said Tuesday that he heard a woman "screaming for help," grabbed the sword, bounded up the stairs, kicked in the apartment door and confronted the man who lived there.

"I intended to hold it behind my back and knock. But I froze and instead, what happened happened," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Contesting his neighbor's account, Van Iveren said he didn't look anywhere in the apartment except the front room, and that he never threatened the neighbor with the sword.

"I had the sword extended, but that was all," he said.

Van Iveren, who lives with his mother in the downstairs apartment, said he did not call police when he heard the noises because he does not have a telephone. He said he barely knew the upstairs tenant.

Police seized Van Iveren's sword, which he said was a family heirloom.


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No good deed goes un-punished.....but seriously, friend, don't act before you think

[LogicDonny]

I bet the man who was thought to be raping someone was probably naked and already "Hard" lol.

Imagine. Still it was a nice story but leads to consequences.

[The Terror of Death]

Its good that the guy wanted to be a good samaritan but people please think things through first. He should have knocked, waited for a response, and then have gone looking for a phone to call the police. Theres no reason to go "hero" without actually having some solid proof.

[Fledermaus]

Haha. This reminds me of what we all learned in gym class during CPR-ed. If you see someone who looks like they're unconscious and not breathing and/or have no heartbeat, make sure you try to get their attention by asking them if they need help before proceeding with the mouth-to-mouth. If the person doesn't respond after you scream in their ear, tap the person on the shoulder, etc. No one wants to awaken from a wonderful dream to find some stranger's cottage-cheese reeking breath entering their lungs.

Now even though this fool made a HUGE mistake, I hope for his sake he doesn't get tossed into prison -- mark on his permanent record, a hefty fine and payment for the damage he caused, eviction from the apartment complex, probation, and several years worth of community service would suffice. The article creates the impression that he was genuinely sorry and deeply ashamed of his failure to respond in an orderly, more calculated (more mature) fashion. This sort of crime of stupidity does not indicate a tendency toward criminal behavior. (And if he is prone to outbursts of public disorder, the writer didn't bother to mention it.) It may, however, indicate a tendency toward unintentionally irrational behavior, for which our glorious nation has other institutions.

The writer of the article found it worth mentioning that the man was still living with his mother. I gather from this that the sword-wielder may be a frail, clueless Caucasian -- making him a very ideal target for a future of abusive non-consensual leapfrog in prison with him on the receiving end.

[The Terror of Death]

Originally Posted by Fledermaus

The writer of the article found it worth mentioning that the man was still living with his mother. I gather from this that the sword-wielder may be a frail, clueless Caucasian -- making him a very ideal target for a future of abusive non-consensual leapfrog in prison with him on the receiving end.

Lets hope its a good prison. (If there is such a thing for non-rich people)

[Death's Head]

He'd make a good vigilante if only he were smarter. I have to hand it to him for intentions, though. And recklessness. It is nice to get a hero every now and then, but it helps to think before acting.