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El Supremo

(20,365 posts) Sun Jul 5, 2015, 12:13 PM Jul 2015

Police: Man shoots off firework from top of his head, dies [View all]

Source: The Denver Post/AP

CALAIS, Maine (AP) — A young man who was drinking and celebrating the Fourth of July tried to launch a firework off the top of his head, fatally injuring himself, authorities said Sunday.

Devon Staples and his friends had been drinking and setting off fireworks Saturday night in the backyard of a friend's home in the small eastern Maine city of Calais, said Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety. Staples, 22, of Calais, placed a fireworks mortar tube on his head and set it off, he said.

The firework exploded, killing Staples instantly, McCausland said.

His death is the first fireworks fatality in Maine since the state legalized fireworks on Jan. 1, 2012, authorities said.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_28435918/police-man-shoots-off-firework-from-top-his

83 replies

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Police: Man shoots off firework from top of his head, dies [View all] El Supremo Jul 2015 OP

At least he didn't swim with a gator. ChairmanAgnostic Jul 2015 #1

That was his cuz! Cryptoad Jul 2015 #25

this is a tragedy and there is a family mourning over a stupid antic roguevalley Jul 2015 #67

I see it as a blessing Cryptoad Jul 2015 #71

really how sad for you then roguevalley Jul 2015 #75

1, n/t RKP5637 Jul 2015 #76

Don't give Kim Jong Un any new ideas Zorro Jul 2015 #2

Darwin award llmart Jul 2015 #3

Sure, why not. -none Jul 2015 #7

Seems to be a self-correcting problem in this case. n/t backscatter712 Jul 2015 #19

Give him homegirl Jul 2015 #20

"A young man who was drinking and" - avoid "drinking and" anything... n/t PoliticAverse Jul 2015 #4

Even drunk a person should know this is a bad idea damnedifIknow Jul 2015 #5

Hold my beer and watch this! Duckhunter935 Jul 2015 #6

In this case? "I'm gonna give you a piece of my mind!" Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #39

Puns like that, imthevicar Jul 2015 #80

I thought the redneck famous last words are "oh shit!" George II Jul 2015 #61

Darwin award nominee, up there with "eff the gators-man" magical thyme Jul 2015 #8

He's a winner, not a nominee sarge43 Jul 2015 #11

Somebody really... 3catwoman3 Jul 2015 #46

According to the annual Darwin Award report, somebody really got that drunk sarge43 Jul 2015 #50

When I was in nursing school, in the early 70s, I worked... 3catwoman3 Jul 2015 #62

Classic ebaums world time awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #64

Spousal unit was a paramedic sarge43 Jul 2015 #65

I hear ya' I almost dread the 4th. Every year my pets freak out and I have to hear BANG!! BOOM!! BlueJazz Jul 2015 #12

Wife and I were watching TV christx30 Jul 2015 #34

This year was a miracle! More Firecrackers than Gun Fire dem in texas Jul 2015 #60

got you beat! demigoddess Jul 2015 #63

Sweet Jesus!!...If I had to put up with THAT, I'd make sure it wouldn't happen again. BlueJazz Jul 2015 #73

every 4th since 1970 heaven05 Jul 2015 #18

another drinking was involved story. mackerel Jul 2015 #9

Yup. With weed he wouldn't have wanted to kill his buzz. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #22

How awful :( DawgHouse Jul 2015 #10

At least he went out with a bang. Chakab Jul 2015 #13

A stupid child but still a child tavernier Jul 2015 #14

This message was self-deleted by its author Jack Rabbit Jul 2015 #15

Sad to see a young life taken so stupidly truthisfreedom Jul 2015 #16

Sad. H2O Man Jul 2015 #17

I've been so shitfaced I had to look at my ID to remember who I was. hobbit709 Jul 2015 #24

That's good. H2O Man Jul 2015 #29

Well said, thank you. n/t sl8 Jul 2015 #49

I agree we've all done stupid things... sendero Jul 2015 #51

+1. I am always sickened by these. Bonobo Jul 2015 #70

Hmm. I rarely see women doing dumb stuff like this, juajen Jul 2015 #78

Right. H2O Man Jul 2015 #81

How stupid. 22 is certainly old enough to know better and where were his "friends"? LoisB Jul 2015 #21

drunk and watching him die mackerel Jul 2015 #23

I can guess catchnrelease Jul 2015 #58

People appear to have lost track of how to use their bodies. The mouth is not for holding things to freshwest Jul 2015 #77

I wonder how much of this growing stupidity is fueled by the desperate greed for 15 minutes of tblue37 Jul 2015 #82

How dumb and drunk must you be to do that? Vinca Jul 2015 #26

I'm confused. When they say it "exploded" does that mean it malfunctioned? arcane1 Jul 2015 #27

I think it works much like a recoiless rifle. Kaleva Jul 2015 #36

Yep. Fireworks mortars do not make good hats. backscatter712 Jul 2015 #47

Indeed, "Light Fuse and Get Away" is not meant as a suggestion! n/t arcane1 Jul 2015 #48

Yep, and if you make the classic drunk mistake of putting the mortar in the tube upside-down... backscatter712 Jul 2015 #56

It's a Libertarian Triumph bucolic_frolic Jul 2015 #28

47 year old did the same in Michigan. uppityperson Jul 2015 #30

22 year-old Dumb, meet 47 year-old Dumber. LoisB Jul 2015 #33

i have friends with dead children. I hope they never read a thread like this. roguevalley Jul 2015 #68

ISIS wannabe Renew Deal Jul 2015 #31

sad but not surprising restorefreedom Jul 2015 #32

That must've been a tough act to follow. TheCowsCameHome Jul 2015 #35

Paging Mr. Darwin.... 47of74 Jul 2015 #37

Dude -- you need an airplane to do that. leveymg Jul 2015 #38

We now have a Darwin tie between him and the alligator guy. CanonRay Jul 2015 #40

"He who comes forth with a fifth on the Fourth.... lastlib Jul 2015 #41

LOL. A seriously funny keeper. n/t JimDandy Jul 2015 #52

Wow, when I read the headline, I figured it was one of the Repuke camndiates! n/t Hepburn Jul 2015 #42

A lot of us have done stupid things ..... jb5150 Jul 2015 #43

Sad. But drinking and stupid don't mix. Rest in peace, Devon... jtuck004 Jul 2015 #44

Thinning of the herd. Where were the responsible adults? marble falls Jul 2015 #45

Teh stoooopid. It hurrrrrrrrts! valerief Jul 2015 #53

I left a party because I was afraid Aerows Jul 2015 #54

VERY smart of you AwakeAtLast Jul 2015 #55

Crooks and Liars has the dummy's picture. Archae Jul 2015 #57

Poor fellow flunked physics. Quite sad actually. Owl Jul 2015 #66

It was Second Degree Mortar. kairos12 Jul 2015 #59

This looks bad for my Fireworks Hat business. tclambert Jul 2015 #69

Let me guess: OldRedneck Jul 2015 #72

Not judging any comments, but adding a quick note tomm2thumbs Jul 2015 #74

Depressing. :( bravenak Jul 2015 #79

One of the ugliest threads I've seen here in a long time. Psephos Jul 2015 #83