Sunday, November 14, 2010

People On Edge...

KC police fire at backfiring van

Two Kansas City police officers who thought they were being shot at from inside a van returned fire Thursday night.

Only later did police realize that the van was actually backfiring and the man inside was not armed. He was not injured by the shots fired by police.

Now, I've heard a few cars backfire in the day, and I've heard a mess of gunshots in my time, and to me they don't sound similar at all. Of course, I've never been dispatched to a scene where shots were allegedly fired, either, so I really can't comment as to the effect that adding adrenaline to the mix might have.

In a way, it's a testament to modern cars that this was even an issue. A vehicle "backfiring" - unburnt fuel making it to the exhaust system and being ignited there rather than inside the engine - is so rare that it stands out, as opposed to the earlier days of internal combustion engines where a car backfiring was often a plot device. Cars have gotten so much more efficient that a backfire is a rare event, which is kind of cool when you think about it.

Of course, not for the poor SOB in the van, who most likely needs a new pair of underpants right now...

That is all.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would leave to read the claim that gets filed with his insurance company for the bullet hole repairs.

ZerCool said...

Jeff, it won't be his insurance reading the claim...

And Jay, he can afford to buy any new underoos he wants once the lawsuit settles.

Weer'd Beard said...

Well Backfires are still common in high-end sports cars when you give them full-throttle then let off the gas, but its much more controlled...and well beautiful sounding.