Metro Roundup: Bullets and blunders

Cameron Nordholm

D.C.: No jail time for Arenas handgun folly

agg-Gilbert Arenas: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/2454803501/Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas was spared jail time Friday for his D.C. Verizon Center locker room antics in which he pretended to shoot teammates while in possession of multiple handguns, a violation of the district's strict gun regulations.

Arenas was sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house, two years of probation and community service, "not to be served in basketball clinics," according to Superior Court Judge Robert Morin. His season-long NBA suspension remains, however, and there are no indications from the beleaguered Wizards if he will rejoin the team once the suspension ends.

Despite the seriousness of the charges he faced and alleged attempted cover-up, some are eager to see him get back to the game and let both him and the Wizards move on from the blistering press that the episode has garnered.

From the National Post: "No prison time sends the message that the rich and famous can skate away when they break the law. But that doesn't mean I wanted him to go to jail. I admit to rooting for Arenas, despite his juvenile taste in pranks, his immaturity, his stubbornness, his recklessness. I root for him because there are so few genuine characters left in sports as the whole edifice balloons into ever-greater corporatism. As Arenas put it in court yesterday, "I like to make people laugh. I like to make people smile."

Or, if you're still unconvinced, you can weigh in on the severity of his punishment on a poll from the Los Angeles times.

Virginia: Bullet fired at Cantor's office more incidental than incident

agg-cantor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/republicanconference/4112034923/in/set-72157622823712074In an impromptu press briefing Thursday aimed at criticizing Democrats for discussing recent threats following the passing of landmark health care legislation, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) dropped a bomb:

"Just recently, I have been directly threatened... A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week, and I have received threatening e-mails. But I will not release them because I believe such actions will only encourage more to be sent." (via NYTimes.com)

Suddenly the scope of threats and violence on health care had widened. But why? With the GOP firmly opposing the legislation, Cantor seemed like an odd target. Theories about "Rovian" tactics from the left took off but, in the end, an investigation by the Richmond police showed the bullet was likely fired randomly into the air.

The AP reports that "Richmond police said in a news release that the bullet had been fired into the air around 1 a.m. Tuesday. It finished its random arc back to earth at a sharp downward trajectory, breaking a window pane on the bottom floor of the two-story brick building where Cantor’s campaign leases the top floor."

In fact, the bullet was moving so lethargically that it posed almost no threat. "The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds," Richmond police said.