Law Enforcement
La Tech Gunmen at BSU?
October 8, 2006 
While watching the Boise State Bronco football game on TV Saturday we noticed a state trooper dude toting a gun on his hip standing with the La. Tech team.
Closer examination showed a shoulder patch shaped like the state of Louisiana!
What the heck is a Louisiana copper doing at Bronco Stadium toting a pistol? Like Boise cops, we have to assume it was loaded. What legal authority would he have to shoot Bronco fans, intruders, or even nut cases willing to attempt to do harm to any one of 45 big ugly football players?
The GUARDIAN admittedly hasn’t been on the sidelines in many years, but we have never seen visiting teams bring along their own cops packing heat to out of state games. Is this common and who allows it to happen?
Does BSU not provide adequate security? Does BSU take pistol packing police on their away games?
Just curious.
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Comments & Discussion
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Oct 8, 2006, 5:04 pm
Looks like LaTech needed more than a trooper with a pistol to get past BSU. Go BRONCOS!
Oct 8, 2006, 5:09 pm
“we have to assume it was loaded”
Yes, it’s always a good idea to assume a gun is loaded when you see somebody carrying one.
I have an idea Dave’s gonna start watching them Bronco home games real closely from now on.
I figure it’s probably a “profesional courtesy” thing, with teams bringing their own heat/bodyguards so the local cops don’t have to do the job, in exchange for they get to strut their stuff out of town. Sounds like a gravy job for cop of the month.
Sounds like this could be fun…
Oct 8, 2006, 6:46 pm
It is very common for southern and midwestern colleges to travel with either campus police or state troopers for team security. BSU does not travel with armed and paid security but rather uses a volunteer retired state trooper.
As far as legal ramifications go, it is the same as if the governor of that state were to visit with a dignitary protection detail. If they are sworn certified officers on duty they are allowed to carry weapons here in the performance of that duty. Some WAC teams travel with campus police but very few, it seems to be a southern thing for the most part. As for the Lousiana State Trooper who was here, he should be cop of the month! I have known him for over 5 yrs and he works Criminal Patrol for LSP and travels with La. Tech (He says he wishes he was the Colonel so he could go with LSU!). He just returned from a 48 day straight tour in New Orleans which was not his first or second such assignment.
I don’t care if the citizens of Louisiana want to pay for troopers to travel and all of us can disagree with that, but this guy is a good cop doing his job.
Oct 9, 2006, 1:11 am
Aw, what the heck — as long as he’s not a fed!
As for your ” What legal authority would he have to shoot Bronco fans, intruders, or even nut cases willing to attempt to do harm to any one of 45 big ugly football players?’ …
Anybody has the authority to shoot the nut cases if they’re a clear and immediate threat to innocent folks. (Too bad this guy wasn’t at the Amish school!)
EDITOR NOTE–We’e told the interior secretart of the USA was there and didn’t have any “apparent protection.” Maybe those guys with sunglasses, overcoats, and earbuds nearby were packin’ heat.
Oct 9, 2006, 8:13 am
Actually Sec. of Interior DID have his protective detail with him at the game.
Oct 9, 2006, 10:20 am
Oh Guardian
And I thought that you have spent some time in the South… where football is King. When BSU plays La Tech, and did play Arkansas , (once Little Rock, once Fayetteville ), GA, Arkansas State (Jonesboro), we always get a police escort, and a cop on the sidelines for protection. La Tech the team has to land in West Monore LA, and bus to Ruston…. Always nice to have the cops to get you out of traffic jams…..
A State trooper always travels with the team from all Southern Football teams. Reason… well to protect the team… a pay off for the police dept…. I don’t know.. Maybe a sign of respect? Like I said football is King in the south.
Guardian… your going to have to get out more.
Editor Note–Porc, I understand having cops etc., I had just never seen out of staters HERE. Don’t they trust our cops?
Oct 9, 2006, 10:38 am
Editor Note–Porc, I understand having cops etc., I had just never seen out of staters HERE. Don’t they trust our cops?
Like I said Guardian… I thought you had spent some time in the South and understood Southern police departments…..The LA. folks not trusting the Idaho police, because of possible corruption in police department… Maybe they speak from experience!
Oct 9, 2006, 1:02 pm
If I was gonna hassle any out-of-state college football players, I’d pick on the kickers, and steer shy of those 320-pound linemen! (They could end up protecting armed Deputy Buford Justice, if there was trouble!)
An interesting and somewhat-related side-note… Idaho will honor ANY state’s concealed-carry license. If you can carry a concealed weapon at home, no matter where home is, you can carry it in Idaho. (A few other states will honor Idaho’s CC license.) I like it – it’s good when trust is extended to the law-abiding citizenry. I’d be in favor of national reciprocity.
EDITOR NOTE–In this case it was just your standard cop wearing a gun on his hip. It appears the readers are accustomed to any cop from anywhere. I guess if coaches are paid more than Guvs they are worthy of executive protection.
Oct 9, 2006, 9:49 pm
I stand corrected. BSU has not previously before this season traveled with police officers who were being paid, however I have been told that they may now be starting to travel with a BPD officer.
Part of this is in response to the high level of attention they now receive versus when they bussed down to Utah State in the Big Sky when I was a kid. Not positive on how this works but since I don’t want to misrepresent myself I have an obligation to clarify my previous posting with current info.
Oct 10, 2006, 10:09 am
Every time Bobby Bowden, Steve Spurrier, or any other coach from the SEC is being interviewed on the sideline, there are always two troopers flanking them. It must be more common in the South. What I dont quite get is if a retired trooper from Louisiana wants to fly to Boise and stand next to players and coaches, WHO CARES? Even if he is armed.
Has the corrupt BPD, scandalous, crooked Boise cop reports dried up so much that you have to bad mouth a trooper from Louisiana?
Go Broncos
EDITOR NOTE–Stay tuned!
Oct 10, 2006, 1:54 pm
Devin K
After spending 5 years in Arkansas, and driving to Louisiana almost monthly I don’t need “The corrupt BPD, scandalous, crooked Boise cop reports” to bad mouth the Louisiana state troopers. If you ever get time you should drive to Ruston, but make sure you don’t speed. This is from personal experience.
Oct 12, 2006, 5:52 pm
I think that’s bubba’s way of showing us wimpy guys just how macho his favorite football suicde squad is! I mean, those poor players are out there mashing each other’s brains and various body parts against the opposing enemy ( it’s not just a game to some of these guys!) Why not have an entire artillery squad out there, maybe with a 155 directly facing the ” enemies bleachers. Now thats macho intimidation!