Video Bares Snowball-Gun Near Tragedy

A video has emerged revealing how tense a standoff became between a pistol-brandishing cop and several snowballers on a DC street. The angry off-duty detective, who has been rebuked by his superiors, is seen waving his gun after his Hummer was pelted by snowballs, and taunting the crowd, "Go on, throw another snowball." People in the massive snowball fight, organized via Twitter and Facebook, back off in fear as someone warns: "He's got a gun!"

One participant pleads, "Do not shoot anyone over snowballs, please." Soon the crowd begins chanting: "You don't bring a gun to a snowball fight." A uniformed officer arrives on the scene to keep the peace as the off-duty cop pushes a member of the crowd onto his car. The cop has been assigned to desk duty, and his actions declared "totally inappropriate" by police officials. An investigation has been launched by the department.
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