A 26-year-old Glendale man armed with a pick axe smashed a stationary speed camera on Loop 101 at 59th Avenue Wednesday, authorities say.
Travis Munroe Townsend was booked into the 4th Avenue Jail in Phoenix for charges of criminal damage, interference with a traffic control device and criminal trespassing, according to a Department of Public Safety release.
An on-duty DPS officer noticed a loud banging sound while he watched traffic underneath the 59th Avenue overpass at 11:42 p.m. Wednesday night. After searching the area for the source of the banging, the officer witnessed Townsend swing a pick axe at the camera and strike it several times, the release shows.
Townsend did not break the camera but caused several thousands of dollars worth of damage to the camera’s protective shell. The camera was up and running at 11 a.m. Thursday.
If convicted, Townsend could face over three years in prison and over $150,000 in fines, according to the release.
What in the world is the matter with people? Unbelievable.
This guy was foolish (cop was in the immediate area in a patrol car) and unsuccessful (the guy is now in jail). He gives the concerned and protesting public a bad name. Makes the DPS guy look like a hero. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Good Job. He should be given a reward for breaking that camera. He is my hero.
Why would we give this guy three years when a first time child molester in this state gets 90 days in jail and rehab on the state’s dime then probation and (ohhh scary) - register as a sex offender.
Why does our state put so much value on a stupid camera’s destruction, but not that of a child.
Where the heck are the priorities?
The message is (Don’t mess with the Government or any of it’s property) You wouldn’t get that kind of punishment if you murdered someone.
Wouldn’t black spray paint been a less noisey, but more effective means to disabling a speed camera?
God Bless this man!!!
A patriot fighting for our freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was dumb. He should have just gone to Home Depot and bought a can of black spray paint, then painted over the glass protecting the camera lens.
I don’t think he should do time, but criminal damage and fines will do…..I think the cameras are doing a good job out there. I ride the freeways often and people have slow down. less accidents. So Keep the cameras rolling, and If your not a speed demon WHY WORRY ABOUT THOSE CAMERAS? Cause me personally I have better things to spend my money on, other that speed camera tickets and higher car insurance.
Yeah! Good job, I agree with all the positive reviews on here, its only disappointing that he failed to break the camera completely and its back up and running, power to you brother, I hope you’re outta jail soon, you did what was right.
can get out of them. Just plead the 6th and ask to confront the witness with his accusations and question them… oh wait YOU CANT. uh yes your honor i would like to call the Nikon to the stand. Had a friend get out on two of them.
Should have the state budget in surplus by New Years with all these cameras. Hopefull our new governor will get rid of them.
Thank you!!! Those cameras are rediculous!
he could have just shot it with a .30 cal. like some guy did in Montana. That was effective, he got something like 3 or 5 of them. more power to ya brother!!!
did they get a picture of him swinging that axe pick and how fast did he swing it, if it was under the speed limit…more power to him..the fool!!!
This guy’s dumb as a box of rocks. I wonder how much he’d been drinking.
The guy must be a fan of Darrell Ankarlo’s morning radio show. I’ve been listening to Mr. Ankarlo promote vigilantism against these law monitoring devices. It’s easier to break the law than to change it. I do understand wanting to generate favorable radio station ratings, but at the expense of highway deaths I do not understand. But Mr. Ankarlo has put it best “it’s all about the money”.
Travis Munroe Townsend,
A Patriot, and a Hero.
We need more good American like him to step up and take down these Communist, big brother freedom stealing abominations.
You know once upon a time George Washington was considered a criminal by the British, someday history may look back at Mr. Townsend as the man who began the fight for the Restored United States of America.
Thank you Mr. Townsend, and Godspeed.
did you ever know that you’re my hero
you’re everything i wish i could be
Travis, You da man!
That stupid machine never pulled a drunk driver off the road. Never Pulled a man or woman with a warrant for arrest off the road. Never pulled an unlicensed driver off the road. Never caught a drug dealer with a full box of illegal drugs sitting in plain view on the front seat.
I hope you learned your lesson, Travis. Next time don’t get caught.
And for the record, I have never been caught by any speed or red light camera. I just believe they are wrong. At all costs, live police officers should be doing these jobs.
we should start a fund to pay for this guy’s fine
i agree. power to the people. someone buy this man a can of spray paint.
While I don’t think he deserves a possibly 3 years in prison, I don’t agree with his actions. Physically destroying the property is not the way to solve this issue. Obviously, considering that he didn’t even harm the camera.
Wake up people! Stop speeding and it becomes a non-issue!
What would the patriots who threw tea in Boston Harbor be charged with today?
Criminal damage? Criminal tresspassing?
We need to form a grassroots organization for this mans defense of taxation without representation…we will make national headlines ot to mention, bring attention to our Governers abuse of power.
Im in, is there antone else?
Sorry my keyboard needs replacing and I just woke up : )
Yeah I don’t hear any racist remarks! Gee i wonder why?
Nor do you read mrfrost accusing anyone of bigotry without regard to his own bigoted comments!
What do you mean?
Do you want to make everthing about race?
I’ll let you in on a little secret…
We just voted a black man to be President.
Slavery was never about race, it was about money.
White people dont care what color you are.
Look around you do you really think Obama was elected by people of color?
NOT, he was elected by white people.
If a person of color brings something to the table…something of value, character intelligence talent charisma. White people accept those qualities.
If a person of color comes to the table bringing ignorance and a toilet brush their looked down on.
Its not about color its about what a person brings,
Hero??? He is a criminal. If he would have taken a pick axe to a patrol officer handing out a citation would you think the same way? What if he just tried to ram a police car or photo van same thing? If this guy has so much hatred and vengence in him to do this, what is stopping him from doing something criminal to your family? These cameras are in place to ensure safety on our roads and to punish individuals that break the law. Anyone going 12 miles above the speed limit deserves a ticket. AZ continues to be a leader in highway fatalaties, there is data that proves we have made these roads safer to the public by installing cmaeras, police departments are being cut due to budget constraints in this economy and you are moaning about speed cameras and lauding this guy. Idiots.
Obviously this is a GREAT income source for the state. Where is the support group FOR the cameras ? In addition to saving lives we are making money for the state - sounds like a win-win for Arizona. If you are not speeding the cameras are not an issue - grow up and don’t break the law!!!!! I challenge the news to publish as many positive stories as they do negative stories in ANY situation. And one more thing - your life may be saved by one less speeding idiot!
I prefer to spray paint the camera. More effective that way.
THIS GUY WILL MAKE SOMEONE A GOOD WIFE IN JAIL. THEY LOVE THOSE BLOND CURLS……….LMAO….ROTF
LOL. I think for this guys punishment, he should stand out on the freeway and manually take pictures of speeders with a camera. That’ll teach him…
Redflex owns the careas its a lease… but this idiot will be made a example of. drive 10miles over and your safe…idiots
LMAO….ROTF HISKOLEDUKATD YOU ARE LIKE THE FUNNIEST DUDE HAVE EVER ENCOUTERED ON THESE BOARDS. AND TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS EVEN MORE HILARIOUS BWAHAHA LMAO LOL ROTFL$%#$%
Young Towsend is the greatest American Hero since the Boston Tea party!
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2008/12/travis-munroe-townsend-is-patriot-not.html
I really hope all these people calling this guy a hero are joking…
Hitting a speeding camera with a pick axe with a DPS officer in the area in the middle of the night…come on! People! If you are afraid of having your picture taken by a speed camera…slow down! Especially around the speed cameras. It’s not like we don’t know where they are. Speeding cameras work. Most people slow down around the areas where the cameras are located. Those that don’t get a letter in the mail. For those that shout that this guy is a “freedom fighter”… Think about this…we paid for those cameras, maintenance and their installation, tax money spent for the good of the public. Mr. Townsend (aka The New Captian America) whacked those cameras with a pick axe. Now more tax money is being spent to repair the damage Travis did. Is he still a hero in your eyes? Furthermore, what freedoms are being taken away from us: Freedom to drive at rediculous speeds, the freedom to put our own and everybody elses lives at risk?
Good for him standing up for the citizens! GOOD MAN! Next time use black spray paint. Uprise and don’t be treated like a communist nation people!
What is disturbing to me is that this man was a substitute teacher at Peoria High School the same day this happened. Thank God he didn’t snap on the kids!
101 heading east towards 17 speed reduces to 55 for no reason other than a speed trap, there is no integrity in that, anybody with half a brain can see the danger in going much slower than the flow of traffic to avoid a fine, the cameras are dangerous as well !
You can’t win this folks. No matter how hard you fight you won’t win. Two guys are trying to get an 153 thousand signatures to get the state to raise the trigger limit to 20 mph via popular vote. Fine, the popular vote passes and the limit is raised to 20mph. A week later the state drops the legal speed limit by 10mph. Guess what…. you still lost.
I saw a guy the other day swinging golf clubs at one of these in the same area LOL!!!
This is ridiculous… it’s just another way for the govt. to get more money. I swear I’ve had so many more “near accidents” with these stupid cameras up than without. Spend the money on better borders, imigration, real crimes, etc…
this country is completely loosing it’s freedom now days, it’s getting worse and worse…