1. For two continuous hours, police in Oakland, California, attempted to apprehend an armed suspect barricaded in his home. After firing ten canisters of tear gas into the residence, law enforcement discovered the individual they were pursuing… standing next to the house, shouting, “Step out and surrender immediately.”
2. AT&T fired Chairman John Walter just nine months into his tenure, citing his “lack of leadership skills.” The compensation AT&T had to pay for breaking the contract amounted to $26 million. Perhaps, the one lacking foresight here was not Walter.
3. In Wichita, Kansas, police arrested a 22-year-old man at an airport hotel while he attempted to use two counterfeit $16 bills.
4. A man in Johannesburg, South Africa, accidentally shot his 49-year-old friend in the face, causing severe injuries. This incident was unintended as the two were merely demonstrating their marksmanship by shooting down beer cans placed on each other’s heads.
5. An American company, in an effort to extend their five-year record of zero workplace accidents, screened a documentary for employees to encourage the use of safety goggles. According to Industrial Machinery News, the realistic depictions of workplace accidents in the film caused 25 workers to sustain minor injuries while fleeing the screening room, 13 others fainted, and one person required seven stitches on his head after falling off his chair during the viewing.
6. In Chico, California, the City Council enacted a ban on nuclear weapons, imposing a $500 fine for anyone attempting to test such weapons within city limits.
7. Swedish business consultant Ulf af Trolle spent 13 years writing a book on solutions for his country’s economy. When he took the 250-page manuscript to be photocopied, he received 50,000 strips of paper instead because the store employee confused the photocopier with the shredder.
8. A criminal escaped from a Washington DC prison. Just a few days later, he showed up at court for a robbery case involving his girlfriend. During lunch, he stepped outside to buy a sandwich. His girlfriend wanted to meet him and asked someone to send a message. Through this, the police recognized the criminal’s identity and arrested him when he returned to the courthouse in a newly stolen car he acquired during his lunch break.
9. When two train station employees in Lonia, Michigan, refused to hand over money, a robber, who was slightly intoxicated, threatened to… call the police. Following through, after his threats had no effect, he actually called the police and was arrested immediately.
10. A man in Los Angeles stole a steam locomotive and fled at a speed of… 5 miles per hour while being pursued by the police. The game of cat and mouse only ended when an officer boarded the train and pulled the brakes. After being apprehended, the thief stated that he acted out of boredom from walking.
