PlayStation 2 sparks street violence

  • By , GameSpot
  • Posted Apr 7, 2006 12:58 pm PT

Alleged theft of console leads to skirmish between armed groups in Northern Ireland city.

A dispute over the alleged theft of a PlayStation 2 escalated into a skirmish between armed gangs in the streets of Ballymena, Northern Ireland, last weekend, according to a report in Ballymena Today.

The violence touched off on Friday night, the article states, as "large numbers" of police arrived in the town center area and found a crowd of people, several of whom had been injured in a fight. The police made arrests and confiscated a number of weapons from the scene, including a samurai sword and a table leg. Later that night, a petrol bomb (commonly known in the US as a Molotov cocktail) was thrown at a home in the area.

The weekend ended in much the same way it began, as another home had a number of windows broken and was the target of another petrol bomb. The bomb caused minor damage and one person was treated for smoke inhalation, Ballymena Today reports.

Two men face criminal charges as a result of the weekend violence, one for possession of an offensive weapon, the other for disorderly behavior and resisting arrest. A third man was reported for disorderly behavior.

"It would appear that this has started from the alleged theft of a PlayStation," police commander Terry Shevlin told the paper. "There was a very real threat and likelihood that this was going to escalate. It was understood that people from other parts of the Province were coming to Ballymena to provide backup to the families...I understand that third parties are attempting to mediate between the families and hopefully that will defuse the situation."

174 Comments

  • solidusbigboss

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 10:16 pm PT

    In rep.of Ireland we have a group of small time terrorists called the I.R.A.
    the leaders were arrested lately.

  • repsode

    Posted Apr 16, 2006 5:08 am PT

    Well, that's my country for you. This is just a skirmish though. You wanna see a real riot? Come back to Northern Ireland on July 12th. I call it Sectarianism Day. Whole country shuts down for it. You don't want to got to any estates then. oooh boy!

  • brendandick

    Posted Apr 14, 2006 11:24 am PT

    Thats the Irish.. A table leg...

  • king_masters

    Posted Apr 12, 2006 10:50 am PT

    I will put money up that table leg man won that fight

  • cvasquez311

    Posted Apr 12, 2006 9:58 am PT

    thats about the most.......

    ....cooooolest thing i ever heard.

    luck o' the irish, top o' the mornin, that's just me mum....

  • kuhsum

    Posted Apr 12, 2006 9:11 am PT

    Thats bad over a ps2

  • X-AluCarD-X

    Posted Apr 12, 2006 8:24 am PT

    Samurai Sword. Plush.

  • that1gamer

    Posted Apr 12, 2006 5:04 am PT

    k

  • lagrav

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 9:12 pm PT

    hahahahaha this is the funniest thing ive seen in a long time

  • killerofthedawn

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 8:22 pm PT

    irishmen hah (giggles)

  • bigdrew172

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 8:00 pm PT

    That is the craziest story ever

  • mr111111

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 6:33 pm PT

    Those Irish, always fightin'.

  • thedarklord36

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 4:35 pm PT

    Someone should have called the Darklord to take care of that guy with the Samurai sword!!!!!
    IRISH HA!!!

  • smealf99

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 1:47 pm PT

    ha ha ha good ol' irish

  • BajenVaNamnet

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 12:02 pm PT

    I´m not supriced. No one can live without a Playstation.

  • blazinB

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 8:32 am PT

    There was an event such as this that took place in the united states, somewhere in Georgia. 4 people were fighting over think they said a PS2 or an XBOX and one of the guys killed 1 and injured 2 of the other guys and now the problem is being settled in court. There are some weird obsessed people that will do about almost anything to get a video game system.

  • spetznazkye

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 7:02 am PT

    hahahaha

  • flower_power123

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 4:50 am PT

    Oh my god! Wat is da world coming to? Fighting over a playstation....with a samurai sword! Tats just plain weird!!

  • manserban

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 1:27 am PT

    Bwahahahaha!!!!
    They're just looking for a reason to fight. The PS2 is still an excellent console .
    PS: Don't you try to steal my console!!! I don't know how I'll react .

  • hampton2003

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 12:40 am PT

    Lets just be glad it wasn't an xbox, or the police could have been in some serious trouble with all the combat expierence the rioters would undoudtably have from playing halo...... lol

  • dhowell87

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 6:18 pm PT

    "Get your head out of your fourth point of contact." Where is that? I thought your a** was your sixth. That's why they say "He's on my six" when someone's right behind you while flying. If you're going to say something, say it right and dont screw it up.

  • Skelitor

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 6:15 pm PT

    LOL Wow Irish people could pick a fight. Since when do they use Samurai Swords?

  • greatestali

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 4:40 pm PT

    LOL first u try to steal a ps2 and second u try to kill the guy who did it LOL LOL

  • StriderNickolas

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 4:14 pm PT

    I knew it was coming... Soon people'll be killing themselves over 360's, Core editions nonetheless >

  • StriderNickolas

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 4:09 pm PT

    I knew it was coming... Soon people'll be killing themselves over 360's, Core editions nonetheless >

  • funky_muzic

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 12:24 pm PT

    If only the PS2 had more than 2 controller ports, then there would be more sharing and less petrol bombs!

  • Autolycus

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 6:17 am PT

    get a life

  • AzN_K3V1N

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 10:02 pm PT

    A samurai sword? No Way.

  • thefjk

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 7:52 pm PT

    You never hear people stealing Boxes do you?

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 6:02 pm PT

    kamehameha!

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 4:55 pm PT

    ROFLMAO! A "table leg" and "samurai sword"! Those crazy Irish.

    Take a note, Microsoft, that's REAL product loyalty!

  • xXAdventChildXx

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 11:28 am PT

    LOL funny but sad al over a Ps2

  • saberdook

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 10:09 am PT

    LMAO!

  • gibb1

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 10:07 am PT

    Lol, that country is a joke...

  • DeathStar17

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 10:01 am PT

    wow....

  • ninfan4life

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 9:48 am PT

    dam this is too funny wha DA is relly dat sturpid to take a game that serious
    onli people i no is my cuzins
    LOL

  • Quezakolt

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 9:08 am PT

    lol scheibe

  • scheibe

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 7:39 am PT

    aw man,they shudda provided an audio of the fighting, it mustve sounded like this: "oy priick dat bloke has got moy ploystytion! get bak heeya yew bluddy wangka! hes gettin awoy in a lorry! cam on mates, lets giv dis pisshead an arsekickin"

  • Iramek

    Posted Apr 9, 2006 7:37 am PT

    i;d be ready to fight over my system being stolen too. but, this i going a bit far.

  • Xeroshift

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 9:21 pm PT

    oooo im so mad!! *breaks my table* let FIGHT! lol that funny...sounds so naive too...rioting cuz sum1 stole a system

  • AlexWills

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 6:34 pm PT

    HA HA HA!

  • tr00pa_26

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 6:20 pm PT

    hahaha GTA to life cool!!!

  • elsol

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 5:50 pm PT

    I am also from N.Ireland, pretty sure it was an Xbox 360 as they are still pretty rare around here and PS2's are only £99 and everyone has one, seriously i know no one who doesn't own one. Still very funny that once again our fine land only gets mentioned when it comes to violence...which we do appear to love....but not because of violent computer games, we were violent long before them.

  • Willo_10

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 5:42 pm PT

    Haha, People need their Playstation nowadays as much as oxygen it seems........

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 3:27 pm PT

    It's official...Ireland is hardcore! *lmao*

  • megadeth360

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 3:19 pm PT

    ROTF that was funny everybody loves PS

  • gamingfreak47

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 2:12 pm PT

    First the quote "Xbox Murders" (I heard it was really drugs and the Xbox was a cover up) now Gang wars over a PS2, whats next? a Gamecube Bombing?

  • 635837

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 1:55 pm PT

    lmfao

  • RandyNewman

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 1:47 pm PT

    This is so ridiculous. A PS2 will be dirt cheap when the PS3 is released anyway..... And who fights with a table leg when the guy you're fighting has a samurai sword?

  • skinnypete91

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 1:21 pm PT

    lol...
    good old playstation...
    good old irish...

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