Police Fire 22 Rounds Into C5 Corvette

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Police Fire 22 Rounds Into C5 Corvette

A misunderstanding with potentially deadly consequences ends with one seriously messed up Corvette.

Winston Churchill once said that nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result. I think we can all agree that we wouldn’t like to experience that in our Corvettes.

Police Fire 22 Rounds Into C5 Corvette

But that’s just what happened to George Robbins in Eureka, California on July 14th. As a result of a misunderstanding, twenty-two rounds were fired into his black C5 Corvette coupe.

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The incident occurred around 10 PM. Apparently, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies spotted what they believed to be a suspicious vehicle on Martin Ferry Bridge.

Robbins says he was blinded by the headlights of the patrol car as it approached. Thinking it might be his cousin playing a joke on him, Robbins reached behind the seat for a .44 caliber handgun and pointed it at the patrol car. Deputies then opened fire, shooting 22 rounds into the Corvette.

Police Fire 22 Rounds Into C5 Corvette

Robbins didn’t return fire. Instead, he ducked down and waited for the gunfire to stop. But despite the incident being a misunderstanding, Robbins was booked into Humboldt County Jail for pointing a gun at a police officer.

Robbins was working private security at the time, looking out for suspicious activity around construction equipment on Highway 169. He wasn’t supposed to be carrying a gun at the time, and he doesn’t possess a concealed carry permit. Despite this, it’s unclear whether charges were filed for those offenses.

Police Fire 22 Rounds Into C5 Corvette

Thankfully, there were no serious injuries. Robbins suffered minor wounds to his face and left shoulder. He was treated and released into police custody.

While we expect our Corvettes to protect us in the event of a crash, we’ve honestly never wondered if they’re bulletproof. Hopefully, we’ll never have to find out.

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.
He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.
In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.
You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.


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