Ever thought about getting a gun tattoo? It might get you into trouble.
According to a local news report, in rural Norridgewok, Maine, Michael Smith was awakened by the blare of a megaphone, instructing him to leave his home. Why would the Maine State Police bring a team of armed officers to address a sleeping man? His tattoo.
Smith has a night shift job, so he largely sleeps during the day. That Tuesday morning (March 18th), a crew from Lucas Tree Experts drove on to his property and began cutting down some branches around the powerlines in Smith’s yard. In response to the noise from the cutting crew, Smith walked outside in his pajama bottoms (sans shirt), and started calling to the workers to leave and come back some other time. Perhaps because of the noise, the workers from Lucas Tree Experts weren’t quite clear about what Smith was saying, but what they did see clearly was the butt of a pistol protruding from the waistband of Smith’s pajama pants. The crew left the area, and called the police. Unaware of the impending officers’ arrival, Michael Smith went back to bed to enjoy the resumed quiet of the morning.
Upon meeting Smith, the police quickly discovered the source of the misunderstanding; Smith has a realistic and size-accurate tattoo of a pistol on his stomach, designed in such a way that it appears the barrel end of the “gun” is tucked into his pants (see image above). Apparently, Smith’s “dangerous” gun tattoo has caused similar mix ups before. But despite that, Micheal stated to the Morning Sentinel that “he doesn’t regret getting [the tattoo.]”
What do you think about firearms-related body art? Is it a right for self expression, or is it more trouble than it’s worth?
Featured image by David Leaming, staff photographer for onlinesentinel.com
