Wanted Parolee Busted by Ice Bucket Challenge Video on Facebook
A wanted parolee's Ice Bucket Challenge video on Facebook didn't inspire donations -- it inspired a tipster to call the cops.
Jesean Morris, 20, was wanted for an outstanding warrant, and Omaha police received a tip on his specific location from someone who saw Morris' Facebook video. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Morris was hauled in by police on Friday and booked for criminal impersonation, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer.
How did Morris' Ice Bucket Challenge video leave him out to dry?
Arrest Warrant for Parole Violation
It's definitely possible that injuries from a surprise Ice Bucket Challenge stunt can get you sued, but Morris' is the first arrest we've heard of related to the viral challenge. The World-Herald reports that Morris had been on parole for a felony conviction since March, but he had a warrant for his arrest on a parole violation. According to The Smoking Gun, Morris' parole violation was "for absconding," meaning the parolee didn't inform his parole officer of his whereabouts.
In Nebraska, failure to keep your parole officer advised of your whereabouts "at all times" is considered a violation of parole, and in this case it meant a warrant being issued for Morris' arrest. It isn't uncommon for a bench warrant to be issued if a parolee or probationer suddenly vanishes, and Morris was no exception.
Tip From Viral Video
Morris wouldn't have been the first suspect to be brought in because of an Internet video; criminals really love posting videos and selfies even after they've committed felonies. The 20-year-old Ice Bucket Challenge accepter wasn't as cavalier as other social media users on the lam, he didn't admit to his crimes or explain his location. However, police got lucky when a tipster recognized the house in Morris' video, giving police a location to stake out.
Officers didn't need to get a warrant for the house, they simply waited for Morris to emerge. According to the World-Herald, he spat in one of the arresting officers' faces and gave them a fake name and birthdate, adding assault, resisting arrest, and criminal impersonation to his list of legal problems.
The Smoking Gun reports that Morris is in Douglas County jail awaiting charges... and will probably not be making his donation to fight ALS.
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Related Resources:
- Jesean Morris Arrested For Parole Violation After Posting 'Ice Bucket Challenge' Video On Facebook (The Huffington Post)
- Can the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' Lead to Injury? (FindLaw's Injured)
- Aunt's Fake Facebook Page Leads to Teen's Murder-for-Hire Arrest (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Video Confession in Fatal Crash May Lead to Charges (FindLaw's Blotter)