Indy Man's Topgolf Night Is Ruined Mid-Swing As His Gun Goes Off While He's On Probation
An Indy man's recent night out at America's hottest golf spot for criminals was ruined mid-swing when his gun, that he wasn't legally allowed to carry, popped off.
Felon Anthony Hurd was minding his business on February 23 at the Fishers, Indiana Topgolf when, police say, this violent felon's gun discharged and sent his crew running for the exits. Police say Hurd tried to stay calm after the gunshot. He bent down to grab "an object" off the mat and then went back to playing golf "as if nothing happened," but it quickly became apparent management was moving in.
(via Fishers Police Department / Fox59)
Fox59 reports Hurd's crew, sensing their boy was about to bring heat on all of them, got the hell out of there. So did Hurd.
But there's a twist. Hurd was wearing a GPS tracking device as part of his probation program with Marion County, Indiana authorities who quickly noted that the golfer had fled to his house where the fuzz eventually tracked him down.
As if a gun going off at Topgolf is something, it turns out that Hurd became a felon after a violent robbery in 2010 that turned into six years in prison. Then, last March, Hurd was popped for another violent felon in possession of a firearm charge which turned into four years of probation with two of those years supposedly being served as home detention.
But, when you need to get some swings in, Topgolf starts calling. One thing leads to another and Hurd was breaking probation because he's clearly married to the game.
I want to propose something right now for the U.S. prison system: Topgolf for prisoners. Relax, I'm not talking suites where Hurd and his boys get to post up and have a blast smashing golf balls in the pen. I'm talking solitary confinement centers where these guys get to go into a concrete room and swing until they crumble.
Then, it's back to their prison cell to keep them away from society and Topgolf.
Stop and think about my proposal for a minute:
• Gangbangers LOVE Topgolf. I've lost track of all the gangbangers I've written about over the last 4-5 months who love Topgolf.
• The PGA Tour needs new blood that brings out the fans. Just think about how the golf world would react to some tatted-up felon bad boy who just got out of prison who can rip drives 395 and drop pitching wedges to within six inches from 175 out.
• The prison system is all about turning these guys pro in something other than gangbanging and street violence. Give them a bag of clubs inside their cinder block Topgolf cell and let them dial in their swings for 4-5 years and then unleash them on the PGA. The prison system could even work out a commission program where they get 10-20% of the guy's PGA winnings to help pay back the Indiana taxpayers.
• The gangbanger gets buzzed into his cinder block Topgolf experience where it's just him, the clubs and balls. One hour. Hit away.
• The minute these gangbangers want to cause trouble in the general pop, you take away their cinder block Topgolf privileges.
• Think about how cheap it would be to put up a net, put out a few circlular greens with flags at different distances and cinder block bays where the golfer cannot fight with other golfers.
• And then think about the return on investment. The state penal system would own 10-20% of winnings for potentially tens of thousands of golfers. It's a win-win for everyone.
Is my plan crazy or genius? Let me know:
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com