Bears DT Facing Gun Chargers

[James]

How is this guy even allowed to be out in society? this guy needs to be put in jail, all the guns found are high powered and very lethal, .50 caliber desert eagles just laying around the house, with KIDS IN THE HOUSE?? i hope this guy gets put in jail, and looking at his priors, id be surprised if he wasnt. People have always used the "NBA is filled with thugs" excuse for a lack of interest in the NBA, well hell, the NFL has had HUGE problems this year with some of their players...the Bengals 8 arrests...the chargers player selling coedine...they need to have better personal to talk to these guys not only once they enter the league but after they have been in for 3 or so years.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson was charged Thursday with not having a gun owner identification card after six firearms were found at his Gurnee home.

The misdemeanor charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail upon conviction, said Jeff Pavletic, first assistant state's attorney in Lake County.

Gurnee Police issued a warrant and searched Johnson's home, coach Lovie Smith said.

Johnson, the Bears' starting nose guard, didn't practice Thursday and was driven away from Halas Hall by a Bears security official.

Johnson turned himself in to Gurnee police, posted bond and was released Thursday night, Police Chief Robert Jones told a news conference.

"It definitely is a concern because Tank has had to deal with some things like this in the past. Yes, it definitely is a concern," Smith said before charges were filed.

He added that it was a distraction for the playoff-bound team.

Police told the Chicago Tribune that a 26-year-old male and a 25-year-old female were in the home with a toddler and an infant when the police conducted their search.

According to the Tribune, a man was led from the home in handcuffs by police.

Witnesses told the Tribune that at least 20 police officers took part in the raid.

Unless specifically exempted by statute, all Illinois residents who buy or possess firearms are required by law to have a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card. They are issued by the Illinois State Police.

In November 2005, Johnson was sentenced to 18 months probation and 40 hours' community service after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge. He was arrested was arrested earlier in 2005 after a nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his sport utility vehicle.

Johnson also was arrested last February after a confrontation outside a Chicago nightclub, but the charges were dropped after the police officer he allegedly scuffled with decided not to continue the prosecution.

Losing Johnson would be a major blow to the Bears, who've already clinched a playoff berth by winning the NFC North. Chicago is also without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who underwent surgery Tuesday for a torn hamstring.

Johnson was a second-round draft pick of the Bears out of Washington in 2004.

"I'm disappointed," Smith said at practice. "Of course we're disappointed that something like this is coming up. We're constantly talking about our players, about doing the right thing, and our players do the right thing the majority of the time. But sometimes things like this come up."

Source

 

[chiefwahoo]

Shouldn't this guy be on the Bengals. I agree James, the NFL is now the league of thugs.

 

[James]

Shouldn't this guy be on the Bengals. I agree James, the NFL is now the league of thugs.

there was a recent article in sports illustrated how the NFL or as the author of the article called it "No Fault League" gets away with pretty much everything, i mean this is a good example, the Merriman on steroids is another example, Merriman is an awesome player, but come on, he cheated...whenever there is a baseball player that gets caught its HUGE NEWS, but when the same thing happens to a young star athlete in the NFL, people look the other way.

 

[chiefwahoo]

Yet, I still have friends who say they are only casual NBA fans because there are too many thugs and gangstas in the league. I always say look at the NFL. Way more guys getting into trouble on a regular basis in the NFL than any other sport. And they definitely seem to get away with a lot more. Anyone remember Leonard Little on the Rams? He got into an accident and killed a woman while driving drunk. This is the excerpt from his page on Wikipedia:

In October of 1998 Little killed a St. Louis woman while driving drunk. Little ran a red light and collided with a smaller vehicle driven by Susan Gutweiler. Gutweiler, who was 47 at the time of the accident, left behind a husband and a teenage son. Little pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 90 nights in jail, 1,000 hours of community service, and four years probation.

He was only suspended for 8 games by then commissioner Tagliabue. I don't understand the leniency given to these football players.

 

[kevolution]

I'm a little confused by the article James. It says he doesn't have a "card". Could that mean that they are his guns and he has them registered but misplaced or lost the "card". I don't know if you guys heard more info from other places and know more than what that article states, but it didn't say that the guns were just "layin" around or that they were even loaded.
I'm not trying to stick up for the guy, but it just seems odd that 20 cops were raiding an NFL players home for not having a "card". I'd like to find some more info before I just send this guy to jail, ya know?
I'm not familiar with Illionois gun laws, but I have been putting off getting a gun down here in Houston, even though I think that I should carry one especially when traveling in my vehicle at night. I'm not really a gun guy, guns scare me.
I'm not justifying Tank having one because I'm sure he lives in the burbs but maybe his past is following him and he doesn't feel safe or is just a collector. However anyone that owns a gun or several high powered guns should follow the law and have them registered etc.

As for Little and the NFL and for famous people in general it's complete bs double standards. But at the end of the day, money talks and that's the key to getting out of trouble. It's a messed up system with too many holes and loops.

 

[James]

yea yea kev, we all know this another case of "the man" holding another successful african american back. get real dude, this guy is a bum, i heard them talk about some of the bullshit he said to cop, that he was going to kick this guys ass and that he wasnt the only one with a glock. this guy is a piece of scum and should in jail.

Two of the weapons seized from Johnson's home Thursday were assault-style rifles, an AR-15 and a .223 caliber, said Gurnee Police Chief Robert Jones. Three were powerful handguns -- a .44 Magnum, a .50 caliber, and a .45 caliber -- and one was a .308 Winchester hunting rifle, Jones said.

"The biggest thing you get is that he doesn't have a card for guns that are legally his," Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said Friday.

"It's not like he stole the guns, they are in his name. He bought them legally, and they got some misdemeanors out of it and it's a waste of time and a waste of taxpayers' money. The media's going to blow it out of proportion, and I just hope it all turns out well for him."

Police said during the search they also found two ounces of marijuana and arrested Willie B. Posey, 26, on a count of felony cannabis possession. Posey was released Friday after posting the $10,000 bond set by a Lake County Circuit Court judge. He is scheduled to return to court Dec. 21.

Posey said in court Friday he was Johnson's bodyguard, the Chicago Tribune and Arlington Heights Daily Herald reported on the newspapers' Web sites. Gurnee police could not confirm Posey's relationship to Johnson.

im sorry, but you know, you dont leave these kinds of guns in an open environment, with kids, and weed in the house. i dont care who you are, it makes you a jackass.

 

[kevolution]

yea yea kev, we all know this another case of "the man" holding another successful african american back. get real dude, this guy is a bum, i heard them talk about some of the bullshit he said to cop, that he was going to kick this guys ass and that he wasnt the only one with a glock. this guy is a piece of scum and should in jail.

God, James, I never said anything about "the man" and I also purposely stated that I wasn't sticking up for the dude to avoid straying off of the topic because I knew you would go there.

You believe everything you read don't you? I'm sure cops always tell the truth and never make up stuff on reports. You don't know what the cop said to him first. I asked a few easy questions and you couldn't even answer them without turning this into a "kev VS the man (again) discussion". This other article you posted still didn't explain whether the guns were "laying around" as you stated or in a gun safe or even loaded. Weed and guns don't make you scum, although weed is illegal. I know plenty of "white" people with the same guns and even more. It's not illegal to collect guns that's all I'm saying.

If anyone else has any other info about this I would be interested in hearing it. Get real dude? Your the one living in a fantasy world watching Fox news and believing every minute of it.

 

[cdt]

James believes what he wants..

He could see an article showing George Bush touching children and spin it off into something pro republican..

He could see David Ortize tests positive for steroids..and spin it into an Anti Yankee thread :chuckles:

He posts what benefits his opinions..

 

[James]

fox news? fox news is ****ing trash, i watch CNN pretty much all day. and i got this off of ESPN so what are you talking about? and sure some cops lie, but not all of them do. so i guess nobody has never done anything wrong in the world huh? everyone is just a victim of overagressive police tactics, conspiracy theories and all kinds of other nonsense. i live in the south, the south and guns are pretty much hand and hand, but i dont know anyone who has kids and loaded AR-15's and .50s laying around the house, they are locked up in a case. and you can collect guns, but if your not responsible to keep the right paper work on something like an AR...you have no bussiness having one at all.

get off this whole "anarchist" type shit dude. its soooo 60s.

 

[kevolution]

Agreed CDT!

The Souf baby! What. The South is so gangster James yes we all know the means streets of D.C. are right down the way from you.

I know that you didn't get it from Fox news that was just a joke James.

Everyone is guilty by Judge James in the mean streets of D.C. where James holds his court.

Again you keep saying "loaded" guns but you don't have the facts man. Relax and wait, I'm sure all the facts will be available soon and hey, who knows maybe your right and the dude is scum but if you were a cop I bet you'd tazer the crap out of everyone and ask questions last.

I am no anarchist nor do I want anarchy. I just don't usually judge people or situations until I get some facts. Remember your still waiting on "facts" on the Sean Bell case. Btw did you you get those "facts" yet? It has been a while.

 

[James]

Agreed CDT!

Again you keep saying "loaded" guns but you don't have the facts man. Relax and wait, I'm sure all the facts will be available soon and hey, who knows maybe your right and the dude is scum but if you were a cop I bet you'd tazer the crap out of everyone and ask questions last.

I am no anarchist nor do I want anarchy. I just don't usually judge people or situations until I get some facts. Remember your still waiting on "facts" on the Sean Bell case. Btw did you you get those "facts" yet? It has been a while.

they said DURING the police confrence that they were loaded not "hot" which means they didnt have one in the chamber and werent cocked back. but im sure the cops went in his house and loaded them all up and put the ammo there as well, didnt they? so yes that is a FACT that they were loaded. if i was a cop? i wouldnt be a cop, i couldnt deal with the stresses that come with that terriotry.

 

[kevolution]

See that's all you had to do.
And no, I don't think that the cops loaded his guns. Do let me know though if you find out that they were just "laying around".

 

[James]

for some reason its not letting me post an article i found...

 

[bomber]

Associate of Bears DT gunned down in club

Associated Press


CHICAGO -- Troubled Chicago Bears nose tackle Tank Johnson was at a nightclub early Saturday morning when a man who called himself the player's bodyguard was shot to death, authorities said.




Johnson

The shooting occurred about 12 hours after Johnson offered a public apology to teammates and family for his third arrest in the past 18 months. Johnson, the Bears' starting nose tackle, will be inactive for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.


Willie B. Posey, 26, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about 2 a.m. The shooting took place following a fight at Ice Bar, a club in the city's trendy River North neighborhood, said Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond.


Bond said police did not know whether Johnson was involved in the fight or the shooting.


"He was at the bar," Bond said. There was "no information to link him to anything that occurred at the bar at this point in the investigation."


The Bears issued a statement Saturday saying the team was aware of the shooting, but didn't mention Johnson by name.


"We are currently gathering information to learn more about the situation," the statement said.


Johnson and Posey were arrested earlier this week following a raid at Johnson's home.


Posey was arrested Thursday on a count of felony cannabis possession. He was released after posting the $10,000 bond set by a Lake County Circuit Court judge and had been scheduled to return to court Dec. 21.


Johnson was not at home during the search, but later turned himself in and was arrested on misdemeanor weapons charges because six unregistered firearms were found at his residence, police said. He was released after posting 10 percent of his $1,000 bond.


Two of the weapons seized from Johnson's home were assault-style rifles, an AR-15 and a .223 caliber, said Gurnee Police Chief Robert Jones. Three were powerful handguns -- a .44 Magnum, a .50 caliber, and a .45 caliber -- and one was a .308 Winchester hunting rifle, Jones said.


Johnson practiced Friday and afterward offered a public apology. He is scheduled for a court appearance Jan. 9, which would be several days before the NFC North champion Bears play their first postseason game.


In November 2005, Johnson was sentenced to 18 months probation and 40 hours community service after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an arrest in which a nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his sport utility vehicle.


Johnson also was arrested last February after a confrontation outside a Chicago nightclub, but the charges were dropped after the police officer he allegedly scuffled with decided not to pursue the case.


Posey said in court Friday he was Johnson's bodyguard, the Chicago Tribune and (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported on the newspapers' Web sites. Gurnee police could not confirm Posey's relationship to Johnson.





Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

 

[James]

this guy is just a great role model, but im sure kev will say it was really the police who gunned his friend down and they are going to frame him.
this guy isnt sorry for any of the things he has done, lock this thug up.
this was the guy who was arrested with 2 ounces of pot in Tnaks house i have just read.