1.9K views May 2009
A mock news report explains how police used thousands of party photos to determine that a student's dropped cigarette accidentally started a dorm fire.
0:06 We have an update now on the fire that burned down one of New York University's dormitories late last week. 0:11 Police had ruled that the fire was an arson, but after combing through nearly 43,000 pictures taken at the scene by the students at a dorm party, they have determined the fire was an accident. 0:21 With us now to discuss this development is Ben Stadler from the NYPD. 0:25 Detective, now why did you change your ruling? 0:28 Well, after examining the evidence from the 25 iPhones, 15 Blackberries, 10 video cameras, and 40 digital cameras obtained from the students who attended the party, we were able to reconstruct every second of the event. 0:41 Okay. 0:42 This 22-year-old student, Danny Gordon, was smoking throughout most of the night 0:46 Yeah. 0:47 and eventually dropped a lit cigarette onto the carpet. We have about 2,400 pictures of the cigarette falling out of his hand from 14 different angles. 0:57 And we're seeing some of those photos now. 0:58 Yeah, you can see Gordon standing in the corner here with the cigarette in his hand. 1:03 Uh-huh. 1:03 So in the next 19 photos these female students in the foreground took, we can document the cigarette falling until it hits the floor in this picture where all the girls did their goofy sexy poses. 1:14 I see, see that. But detective, how is it that you confirm that that was the cigarette that started this fire? 1:20 Well, we have corroborating evidence from another angle. You can see Gordon's arm here. 1:25 Right. 1:26 You see the cigarette falling here as the male witness in the foreground flexes, and then here as the male witness lifts up his shirt to show his new falcon tattoo. 1:35 You can see the fire start. 1:37 I see. 1:37 And in this one, and again in this one, and this picture. 1:41 And no one made a move to put out the fire? 1:44 No, unfortunately, at exactly the moment that Gordon dropped the cigarette, 2:32 AM, the partygoers were distracted by 3 female students making out in the kitchen. 1:55 Yes, we have 23 different videos of that here. 2:03 I have a boat. It's on fire. 2:09 Now, the dorm was destroyed, but thanks to the quick action of the students at the party, no other buildings were affected. 2:14 That's right. Within moments of the fire breaking out, 45 people had called the fire department, 2:18 Okay. 2:19 and 38 people had Twittered that they were fleeing a fire. 2:22 I see. 2:22 And many sent picture mail warnings to friends as they ran down 12 flights of stairs and then waited for help to arrive. 2:29 Well, detective, it is good that they knew enough to leave the building immediately. 2:33 All right, thanks so much for being with us. 2:35 Thank you. 2:36 And when we come back, why that headache may be cancer. 
