Editor's Note: This story was updated to include information from the police report.
Howard County police announced on Wednesday they arrested an Ellicott City man who was shooting marbles at a speed camera near Manor Woods Elementary School around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Bruce Lawrence May, 50, of 2882 Evergreen Court in Ellicott City, was charged with second-degree assault, destruction of property and reckless endangerment after police said they determined he was driving the vehicle the marbles were being shot from.
A civilian speed camera van operator was inside the van at the corner of Route 144 and Tridelphia Road when he heard something strike the side of the van and saw a gray 2005 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan passing on Route 144, according to police.
The same van passed again and the van operator saw the driver, May, with a sling shot firing a projectile at the van, said police. The projectiles were later determined by police to be glass marbles.
The van operator reported the incident to police and May was later stopped and arrested, according to police.
During a police interview, May reportedly said he was angry at the speed vans because he had received two speeding citations in the past six weeks, according to the police report.
The speed camera van is assigned to the Manor Woods school zone because a county summer camp program takes place there from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., police said.
Police reported that this is the third incident this month involving damage to speed camera vans.
The other two:
- On June 13, someone threw an unknown object at a Howard County speed camera van on Route 99 near Waverly Elementary School in Ellicott City, breaking the back window.
- On June 12, someone threw rocks through the window of a State Highway Administration speed camera van on U.S. 29 near Route 103, striking the operator and damaging the equipment and vehicle.
Police said they are investigating whether all three incidents are related.
Also, in April, a stationary speed camera in Catonsville was torched a week after it was installed by Baltimore County. Police determined that incident caused $13,000 in damages.
Howard County speed cameras are allowed to operate in school zones between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Earlier this year, police noted they would continue to operate the cameras during the summer months because summer programs take place at many schools.
Other Patch speed camera coverage:
We as Americans need to stop allowing people to interfering with our rights. And when we have no rights left, we will realize that it all began when we let speed cameras photograph us and the TSA agents do whatever they wanted to.
I have to say, with the Manor Woods and West Friendship elementary locations.... I'm suspicious of the reasoning. I see the speed camera vans there all the time. OTOH I do not see any school activities actually taking place. Furthermore the Manor Woods location is a 'set up' as the van is parked at the bottom of a hill. Hence traffic going either direction is going downhill approaching the van. As much as I hate to admit it, I believe this is in place primarily as a revenue generator, not as a safety measure. If SAFETY was the primary reason for the vans being there, they would place them in a position of maximum visibility, which would cause vehicles to slow down. However that's not the case and in fact they do their very best to hide the vans from approaching traffic, so they're obviously not so worried about slowing vehicles as they are getting the opportunity to snap a photo and issue a fine. It's all about the $$$
http://marylandpatriots.org/maryland-speed-cameras-violate-constitutional-rights/
If and when driverless car technology comes about, the government will find a way to garner revenue from it, either from required "safety" inspections, a broadband technology user fee, or perhaps a fee if you wish not to embrace the new, "safer" technology, and still want to use your un-smart car, ala opting out of the health insurance mandate.
Wish I could have my Vet son speak with you, or his buddy who is dead, or perhaps his other buddy who has had 8 brain surgeries, not too mention many other surgeries, but alas, he is still unable to read or speak. Shame, shame on you. If you don't like it here, MOVE out of the country, PLEASE! If you were being sarcastic, it did not resonate and you should leave our brave men and women out of your statement either way.
The camera is only activated if you speed at a high rate (12 mph over the limit). Don't want the fine? Don't speed! I'm not sure how hard it is to simply accept that this is the easiest way to not only avoid a fine but also to not put any money into the government coffer. You can argue day and night over why it's there, whether it's just or constitutional, what to do about it, etc. The fact remains that you just shouldn't speed (especially excessively) and that's all that needs be done.
Government just doesn't get it, when they choose to be punitive (fines) they raise the ire of certain people and you get the Robin Hood effect. Our "Never Enough Revenue" politicians don't know how to operate within our means. Just take a good look at Stockton CA - they are planning to file bankruptcy. Chicago isn't far behind as well as Illinois. It is time to think outside the box and stop mortgaging the future.
Now some serious questions here... How many of you that are opposed to these have been popped for speeding? How many of you are angry that you have to slow down on your travels due to the possibility of being popped? I am willing to bet that most of you are afraid of being popped and then getting popped again. Shame on you if you didn't learn the first time! Bottom line: SLOW DOWN and you will HOLD ON to your money!
if none other, at least the 4th, if not the 14th or the first. usually i bitch a little then pay my fine and learn. however, anyone who REALLY BELIEVES they are there to make us safer... think about this: what if a hit and run accident were to be caught on camera? the identity of the driver is unknown, and the identity of the victim in such a horrifying accident would probably also be unknown. these cameras aren't installed in places where tourist $s are higher than in MD. politicians who petition for these cameras have even admitted this is basically a tax. i wouldnt even be talking about this if it werent for the fact that i just got a ticket for a ticket received by my car while i was not driving it (and i dont know who was driving it. at the time when the license plates that are registered to me were photographed, i was in a relationship in which he didnt respect *my* car and handed it to some drunk idiot friend of his was driving) now i, unemployed and almost homeless, have to pay this idiotic fine cuz i dont know who was driving my car. the state also refuses to give me more than five days, so the fine might be doubled by the end of this evening. these tickets are ridiculous.