Seattle police to trace status of missile launcher

January 27, 2013 @ 4:06 pm

SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle police are tracking down the history of a nonfunctional missile launcher that showed up at a Saturday weapons buyback event in Seattle.

Detective Mark Jamieson says a man standing outside the buyback event bought the military weapon for $100 from another person at the event. The item, a single-use device that had already been used, is a launch tube assembly for a Stinger portable surface-to-air missile.

He says detectives will notify the Army Criminal Investigation Command on Monday.

Jamieson says the launcher is a controlled military item and is not available to civilians through any surplus or disposal program offered by the government. He says it is most likely that the launch tube was previously obtained unlawfully from the military, and would likely be returned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (25)


  • Add A Comment

  • CH wrote...
    What about the functioning missile launcher on the streets?
    January 26, 2013 2:08 pm
    republican clowns have their second amendment rights. Only in Seattle ! Monson is right the end is near.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Gunther wrote...
    Exaggeration
    January 26, 2013 2:31 pm
    Wow, just a slight exaggeration on a rocket launcher. It was a used Laws Rocket that cannot be used for anything. They are sold to anyone and perfectly legal. Way to sensationalize the news.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    Gunther
    January 26, 2013 2:37 pm
    A spent LAWS tube....... yikes! I have some cardboard tubes leftover from Christmas, can I turn those in?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • El Duderino wrote...
    Stinger missile tube
    January 27, 2013 6:58 pm
    Expended Stinger (anti aircraft) missile tube. No missile = no danger to anyone. I will bet $1000 there are no live Stingers in private hands in the United States, they are VERY tightly controlled and you're not going to walk off the range and into your house with an unfired one. An expended tube, why would the DoD care? It's a tube of fiberglass.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    I have some cardboard tubes leftover from Christmas, can I turn those in? YES -
    January 26, 2013 3:15 pm
    @ Walmart. They call it rollback!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    Hey SPD
    January 27, 2013 2:10 pm
    How about tracing the status of Jimmy Hoffa? That would be a better use of your time.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cash wrote...
    I thought no questions were asked???
    January 27, 2013 7:46 pm
    Now they take a worthless tube from a dude, give him $200 for it, and are conducting an investigation? This entire thing seems like it was a major waste of time and money all the way around. Good job city leaders you suck.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }