Boston Metal Musician Arrested for Wearing Bullet Belt
These days, complaining about being harassed by cops for being a metalhead sounds a little weak, considering that you should just be happy you’r not getting shot down for being black. But this shit still happens, and it’s still bullshit.
According to Metal Insider, Kevin Young of the band Hexxus was stopped by Boston police for basically being dressed like a metalhead. According to the BPD website:
“Officers learned that the driver had pulled the bus over as passengers began calling 911 when a male suspect boarded the bus with what appeared to be military grade ammunition strapped around his waist. The driver stated that the passengers were in a panic, fearing that the suspect was about to pull out a weapon. The suspect, later identified as Kevin Young, 26, of Watertown, exited the bus and was stopped by police on Penniman Road at which time it was discovered that the ammunition was fake. Officers recovered 69 replica bullets in all. The suspect was wearing what was described as spiked fighting gloves and spiked leather bracelets.”
To be fair, the cops were responding to a bunch of panicked passengers rather than singling a guy out for how he looked. But come on — spiked fighting gloves? The dude was dressed like any heavy metal dude! Anyone born after 1975 knows that metal dudes wear spikes and bullet belts! This was in Boston, not some tiny midwestern town that metal hasn’t reached yet. Then again, when you live in an age where nutbars are blowing away schoolchildren and church goers to prove a point, the assumption that a random dude is going to open fire for no reason exists.
Young was arrested and charged with “Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Unlawfully Carried Dangerous Weapon and Disorderly Conduct.” The last charge meaning he probably told the cops and/or passengers on his bus to fuck off or something.
Thankfully, all charges were dropped, so we can laugh about it now. But metalheads, take note — get on the wrong form of public transport in the wrong city in full metal garb and risk getting hassled by the POPO.
