Facebook Standoff
Posted by ayofemikirby on June 23, 2011
Hi guys,
So our social media world just got crazier. Apparently a man wanted for arrest in Utah had a 16-hour standoff with police as he barricaded himself in a hotel room. Standoffs have been around for years – what brings this situation into our world of new media is that during the standoff he updated his Facebook status six times and added 15 new friends. Strange (and sad) but true.
I’m curious to what you all think this says about our society. Not only did this young man think it was okay to resist arrest, but he felt no shame in posting about it to his social media friends while in action… and his friends responded with comments of love and support.
Not sure how I feel about this situation. If anyone saw the latest SCREAM film, the writers spoof our current obsession with celebrity culture and shows how social media allows everyone to become a star – even if they have to achieve fame through murder.
I know this story is not exactly the same as the SCREAM plot, but at the core, the theme is the same.
Here’s the complete story. What do you guys think?
AU MA Social Media 
chadlymc said
Wow! This is definitely a troubled person. I’m not really sure how to respond. I find it quite appropriate that the police likely will charge his Facebook friends who keyed him into the police movements outside the hotel. Kudos to the police for arresting those people if they do. That’s aiding and abetting no matter how you slice it. They knew what they were doing and if they didn’t realize the police were watching then shame on them. This is very interesting though. Will suicide letters become a thing of the past and be replaced by suicide posts or tweets? What I’d also like to know is did he gain those 15 new friends because of the standoff and the people wanted the notoriety of being his Facebook friend? If so, that’s sad and it says a lot about where society is today. In fact, I also feel that any friend of his who egged him on and encouraged him to not only keep the hostage but continue his standoff, they should be charged too.
I’m sitting here trying to think to myself what I would do if it were one of my friends posting comments on Facebook like that. I’d do my best to talk the person out of it I know that. I’d try to help the police too in some way. What would you do?