Two more articles. The celebs hit the firing range and an interview with Jack Osbourne, plus more pictures in the following link:

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...0801&Ref=PH

Cadets hit the firing range

All five celebrities moved another step closer to living up to the first part of the show's title.

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

La Toya Jackson's heart raced Sunday as she held a gun for the first time.

Then, with one nervous day of practice behind her, Jackson underwent a field test Monday morning to decide whether she was good enough with her Glock .40-caliber to become a city cop for the upcoming reality show

The show will film through January to be aired at a yet-unannounced date on CBS, and includes celebs Erik Estrada, Wee Man, Trish Stratus and Jack Osbourne as well as Jackson.

"You're scared to death of that gun going off," firearms instructor Chris Wells told Jackson as semi-automatic handguns from other recruits cracked and spit cartridges near them. "Just relax."

Jackson eventually did relax.

She and every other celeb "recruit" at the Fraternal Order of Police gun range scored high enough by early afternoon Monday to carry a gun as a police officer.

"My family is not going to believe I've done this," Jackson said.

The celebrities needed to score higher than 192 in two of three shooting rounds.

A perfect score is 240; Osbourne posted the highest number with a 232 score.

Each recruit shot from distances of three, seven, 15 and 25 yards.

Puffs of dirt exploded in the dirt mound behind paper targets of human silhouettes.

In between shots, training supervisor Sgt. Rick Eber delivered commands with the calm intensity of a drill officer.

"Bring the weapon back slowly on your target," Eber instructed them early in the day. "Find your sights. Bang. Bang. Two rounds."

Temperatures near 15 degrees forced the celebrities to wear coveralls and gloves.

They sometimes gathered in the department's mobile command center, an RV, to reload gun magazines, drink coffee and thaw their fingers.

The cold, noted Lt. Steve Cox, another firearms instructor, can have a negative effect on scores.

"It's miserable," he said. "Your face goes numb. Your fingers go numb. If you put heavy gloves on, you don't get a true feel for the weapon."

The celebrities are expected to undergo training on how to clear buildings of bad guys today, which will include a sort-of paintball fight, according to Estrada.

They are scheduled be sworn in early this week and begin patrolling soon.

Contact news reporter Nick Werner at 213-5832.

Osbourne: Muncie seems like childhood home

After acing a firearms exam on Monday, Jack Osbourne sat down with us for an interview.

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Growing up in Buckinghamshire County, England, Jack Osbourne and his father, Ozzy Osbourne, hunted rabbits with .22-caliber rifles.

"Where I grew up is actually a lot like Muncie, oddly enough," Osbourne said in his first interview with The Star Press on Monday.

Rabbit hunting apparently paid off for Osbourne as he posted the highest score among the five-member cast of Armed & Famous as they underwent qualification exams on firearms proficiency Monday at Muncie's Fraternal Order of Police gun range.

The crew shot at paper targets from ranges of 3-yards, 7-yards, 15-yards and 25-yards.

A perfect score is 240 and a passing score is 192.

In two rounds, Osbourne scored a 232 and a 227, according to Lt. Steve Cox, a firearms instructor with the MPD.

"For someone to come in and shoot a 232 with very little experience is great," Cox said. "It's pretty good for reserve status, without a doubt."

After passing the shooting test, Osbourne sat down with The Star Press for a five-minute interview in an office at the FOP lodge.

Osbourne spoke about everything from his dislike of hotel towels to his budding relationship with training officers and how his dyslexia forced him to spend 16 hours studying for his written police exam.

Osbourne said he appreciated downtown bars like Docs and Heorot, and had even visited the city's new southside Wal Mart.

"Everybody's just friendly and polite," he said.

Osbourne was nervous about hitting the streets this week as a real cop, he said.

The 21-year-old said being a celebrity and bringing cameras to a dangerous situation might help diffuse a problem. But it could also have the reverse effect.

"It could escalate things," Osbourne said. "I don't want that. I don't want to lay hands on people actually."

Osbourne has been training in Muy Thai kickboxing for about two years and noted that it corresponds with many defensive tactics taught to police officers.

Aware of the controversy Armed & Famous has created, Osbourne said he understands why the public would be apprehensive about celebrities engaging in public safety roles.

"But all celebrities are are people with high-profile jobs," he said. "We are exactly the same as any other rookie. We just have cameras following us."

Contact news reporter Nick Werner at 213-5832.

Source: The Star Press, 12/5/06

I'm so happy that the Pope of Pop is doing this reality series! I hope her long delayed new album is finally released because of this. The leaked version is amazing and I can't wait to hear the new version!

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I'm so happy that the Pope of Pop is doing this reality series! I hope her long delayed new album is finally released because of this. The leaked version is amazing and I can't wait to hear the new version!

I don't follow La Toya's music, but I'm sure if this does ends up airing, it should help her with the release of a new album.

The local paper will have her interview in the paper tomorrow. I'll be posting it in the morning.

*dies*

I can't wait to read it! Honestly, her album was supposed to be released in 2002 and the Toy Soldiers are STILL waiting. It's been so long that she's had to re-record it because it sounds dated.

I know people think I'm joking when I talk about her music, but she's not bad! Her voice is just as good as Janet.

Two more articles. The celebrity cadets graduation and interview with La Toya Jackson. The interview isn't much. Apparently the paper only had 5 minutes with each person and basically just asked what they thought of Muncie.

More pics here: http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...0801&Ref=PH

Celebrities take oath - again and again

The celebrities of Armed & Famous swore Tuesday night to uphold the law of Muncie.

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- No doubt Muncie's newest police recruits know what time their first roll call is.

And in case the celebrity cops from Armed & Famous forget, they could probably hunt down footage of Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle repeating it three times to get it perfect for the cameras.

"Roll call is at 6 o'clock (p.m.)," Winkle told them. "Do not be late."

Winkle and Mayor Muncie Dan Canan swore in Erik Estrada, Jack Osbourne, Trish Stratus, Wee Man and La Toya Jackson in what was undoubtedly the most orchestrated event ever to happen in the city hall auditorium.

Armed & Famous is a a reality show for CBS being filmed in Muncie that follows the celebrities as they enforce the laws as reserve officers with the city's police department. The network has yet to announce when it will air.

A standing-room-only crowd of 200-some police officers, city employees and some from the general public jockeyed for space with about six cameras and dozens in the production crew.

Before entering the auditorium, every person had to sign a waiver agreeing to appear on film and then have their photograph taken.

As the ceremony began, a producer coaxed the crowd into cheering loudly for the cameras in several ovations, giving the event the feel of a high school pep rally.

"Someone told me that they cheer louder than that in New Castle," he said.

Then a pair of drummers from Ball State and what appeared to be a high school JROTC color guard each repeated their performance for three or four takes.

After the celebrities were sworn in, they each thanked Muncie.

Their exit from the ceremony was delayed by the fact that Winkle's last line -- the one about roll call -- was interrupted by audience applause.

The second take was followed by total silence, which was also unacceptable.

"Welcome to TV," Julie Link of Forman Productions told the crowd. "Sometimes, we have to retake."

The monotony of the event, however, was broken up by the antics of celebrities that drew laughter on several occasions.

At one point Erik Estrada joked with the crowd that no one would recognize him on the street because he would not be wearing his toupee. He then peeled up the back inch of his hairpiece and wiggled it.

"I've seen that 30 times, and it keeps getting better," Sgt. Rick Eber said.

Estrada fan John Wargo stood in the back and said the ceremony lasted longer than he thought it would.

"There was more hype to it," he said.

Training changes La Toya

The Armed & Famous celebrity said Munsonians are "the most cordial people."

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Training to be a police officer has made La Toya Jackson so much more confident that her voice has even changed, she said.

Jackson, 50, once communicated with the soft voice common to those in her famous musical family, including her brother Michael.

Now, however, she said she sounds stronger, sometimes even aggressive.

"This is not the same La Toya that walked through that door," she said in her first interview with The Star Press, just a week after arriving in Muncie. "I'm stronger. My voice is stronger. I'm not that shy anymore."

The Jackson metamorphosis has caught the attention of the only other female cast member, Trish Stratus.

Of the five members of the CBS celebrity show Armed & Famous, Jackson has made the most progress, Stratus told The Star Press.

Jackson was born in Gary but moved at an early age and has few memories of Indiana, she said.

This is her first visit to Muncie.

"The people are the most cordial people," she said.

Jackson said she has turned down many offers to appear in television shows before but agreed to Armed & Famous out of respect for public safety workers, including police, paramedics and firefighters.

She considers them her heroes, she said.

"These are people who help other people, who care for them when they are in need," she said.

Jackson doubted her family would believe everything she has done, including shooting guns and training in defensive fighting tactics.

"My sister always said the heaviest thing I carry is a purse," La Toya said.

Source: The Star Press, 12/6/06

Thanks for this!

"My sister always said the heaviest thing I carry is a purse," La Toya said.

:lol:

It's so funny, I think in W magazine Janet made a very bitter remark about how La Toya has never worked out in her life and how she wishes she could be naturally fabulous like her sister. I know Janet, we all wish we could be as fabulous as Queen Toy.

Work it!

Several more articles about the celebrities first day patrolling the streets, La Toya Jackson and push-ups, and an interview with Wee Man:

Celebrity cop makes stop

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Most traffic stops end with an officer placing his signature on a piece of paper, often confirming a motorist's date in court.

What is usually a miserable experience for drivers, however, was unusually pleasant for Kristie Koch, 28, when La Toya Jackson pulled her over for having a light out on her license plate.

Jackson issued Koch a verbal warning but left her with a souvenir from her police notebook.

"She was nice and gracious and I asked her after it was all said and done if she would give me an autograph," Koch said. "And she gave me an autograph."

Koch's husband Sam, owns LIFE Skateboards skatepark, where professional skateboarder Wee Man, also a celebrity Muncie cop, has passed time.

Koch was one of about a half dozen motorists pulled over by the celebrity officers between 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesday.

At the end of the pullover Koch signed a waiver, agreeing to appear on film. Even so, she said, "I'm not thrilled with the idea."

La Toya Jackson joins force without passing pushups

Police Chief Joe Winkle said the reality show cast member isn't the only officer who can't complete 25 pushups.

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle allowed La Toya Jackson to join the force as part of the reality show Armed & Famous despite that she has yet to pass a pushup test.

Jackson and the four other celebrities in the upcoming CBS reality show were sworn in Tuesday and hit the streets for their first shift Wednesday night as reserve cops.

Winkle said his decision to make an exception for Jackson was not influenced by CBS or television producers.

"I think CBS thought she was going home and were prepared to go ahead with four," he said.

Going into filming, the celebrities were told they would have to be able to run 1.5 miles in 16 minutes, complete 30 situps in a minute and 25 pushups in a row.

The test was based on entrance standards for the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, and all recruits seeking paid spots on the department must pass it before they are hired.

While Winkle had applied the test to the celebrity recruits, a passing score is not required for the regular officers on the volunteer reserve force.

Winkle said he doubted Jackson's failure and his own about-face on the pushup policy would affect public confidence in the police force.

"It was a judgment call on my part," he said. "I feel like she deserves the opportunity."

Jackson is not the only police officer who cannot complete 25 pushups, Winkle said.

In 2003, 15 of about 120 paid officers failed to pass the pushup test and 37 failed to pass tests for any one of the three exercises.

Passing a physical fitness test is not required to keep one's job once an officer is already on the force.

The department tries to persuade officers to stay in shape by allowing them three hours of paid time every week to work out in the large gym in the basement of city hall.

"We try to make it more of an incentive than a requirement," Winkle said.

Jackson, however, will be working out at Studio 22, a gym on the city's north side.

Owner Brad Warner said he approached Winkle to offer his facility and his training skills after reading about Jackson's struggle in the newspaper.

Jackson will work out four times a week for about 30 to 40 minutes a workout, Warner said.

"I'm not going to baby her," Warner said. "I have a job to do."

If Jackson fails to show progress or misses training sessions, she risks losing her job as an officer, Winkle said.

Jackson is not Studio 22's only celebrity client. Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis works out there.

"He's an incredibly strong guy too," Warner said.

Wee Man says stint as cop sounded like fun

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Before Armed & Famous, Wee Man had never heard of Muncie.

The 33-year-old California native, whose real name is Jason Acuna, described the city's character as "warm," despite recently frigid temperatures.

"It's cold," he said. "I'm a beach guy."

Wee Man said he has grown close to training officers Rick Eber, Jeff Pease and Chris Wells, and hopes to return after filming to ride along with police for a night.

"Without cameras," he said.

Wee Man is a professional skateboarder who gained fame on MTV's Jackass, a controversial show that featured several people performing stunts and pranks. Wee Man sometimes dressed as an Oompa-Loompa, the fictional little people from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, while skateboarding.

Wee Man never wanted to be a cop, he said.

But when producers approached him about the idea around a month ago, he liked the idea of a challenge.

"I thought, hey, it sounds fun," Wee Man said.

Those who think Wee Man's small stature -- he's 4 foot 7 -- would interfere with his ability to enforce law might think again.

The 130-pounder was recently spotted in the police weight room bench pressing 185 pounds four times.

"And my feet don't even touch the ground," he said afterward.

He has also undergone training to carry a Tazer. During training, police officers attacked him with the electrical device, a practice required for every officer who wants to carry one.

"It was shocking," he said.

Wee Man had been shocked before.

"I actually play with stun guns," he said.

Did reality show steal Christmas?

The city took down holiday decorations at City Hall to help with continuity in filming Armed & Famous.

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Officials have removed Christmas decorations from City Hall at the request of producers for the upcoming CBS reality show Armed & Famous.

When the celebrity cast of Armed & Famous first arrived Nov. 26, there were no Christmas decorations on City Hall and cameras filmed the building while it was bare.

The next day, firefighters draped City Hall in lights, garland and wreaths.

Producers asked City Hall to remove decorations for "continuity's sake," according to CBS publicist Kelli Raftery, and the city complied.

Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle said producers didn't want the show to be seasonal.

"I don't think it's the end of the world," he said.

Source: The Star Press, 12/7/06

Interview with Trish Stratus:

'A&F' celeb: This one's for the girls

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Trish Stratus's goal as a Muncie police officer in Armed & Famous is to empower female viewers who might be hesitant to enter the field of law enforcement, she told The Star Press.

"I was a woman making it in a male-dominated industry before, and that's the same opportunity I have here," she said.

Stratus, 30, retired this fall from World Wrestling Entertainment, where she held the WWE Women's title a record seven times between 2001 and 2006.

In a short interview with The Star Press, Stratus, an Ontario native, jokingly apologized in advance for talking slowly, noting she speaks "Canadian."

Stratus did not have a recognizable accent, however, as she answered questions about her views on Muncie and how her police training compares to her training as a fitness model and professional wrestler.

"With the physicality, I'm used to it," she said. "I was a professional wrestler, so I fought for a living."

Stratus describes herself as a tomboy and said she feels at home in "boys' clubs" like police departments.

Before taking to the streets as a cop, Stratus told the newspaper she was gradually overcoming the initial nerves related to being an officer.

"I really feel like each day we are getting better," she said. "I also know we are going to have backup."

Armed & Famous is being produced for CBS, which has not announced when the reality series will air.

Source: The Star Press, 12/8/06

Interview with Erik Estrada...

Erik Estrada living childhood dream

Before he played a police officer on TV, the Armed & Famous celebrity wanted to be a real police officer.

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Becoming a cop has been a chance for Erik Estrada to live out a childhood dream, he said.

Raised by a single mother in Spanish Harlem, one of Estrada's role models growing up was a family friend and police officer in New York.

"I loved that man," Estrada said, then briefly interrupted an interview with The Star Press to harness his emotions.

From the age of 7 to 17, Estrada planned to be a cop. It is a fact that appears on his official Web site and one he mentioned in interviews before Armed & Famous came to Muncie.

Then at the age of 18, fate hit.

Estrada, now 57, developed a crush on another student at his high school and followed her after class one day to drama club.

"Then I got hit by the acting bug," he said.

Estrada went on to play police officer "Ponch" in CHiPs, a hit television show in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

After Armed & Famous, Estrada hopes to continue his budding law enforcement career by becoming a reserve officer in Los Angeles.

"I put the cop thing on the back burner, and here I am, 360 degrees," Estrada said.

Estrada has earned the reputation as both a hard worker and a self-deprecating comedian.

He regularly introduces himself to people as singer Tony Orlando, another famous Puerto Rican-American.

Police report that Estrada has a full head of hair, and it's his own. Yet he constantly grabs the back of his hair and shakes his scalp as if he's wearing a toupee.

He pulled the trick at his swearing-in ceremony at Muncie city hall, and a false report of baldness sparked lively conversation on local radio station WLBC the next day.

"It's my icebreaker," he said.

Armed & Famous is being filmed in Muncie. The schedule for airing the reality series has not been announced by CBS.

Source: The Star Press, 12/9/06

Are producers paying people to appear in the reality show?

'Armed & Famous' paying money to people arrested, some offered T-shirt

By NICK WERNER

[email protected]

MUNCIE -- Armed & Famous producers are using T-shirts and money to persuade criminal suspects to sign waivers that allow the show to broadcast their faces.

This tactic has at least some community members concerned that the show's celebrity cops are taking advantage of low-income residents -- and possibly targeting the neighborhoods they live in.

"No amount of money is worth the pain and hurt that I'm feeling as a parent," Dorothy Woods told The Star Press.

Woods's son, Terence Walker, 23, 222 W. Centennial Ave., Apt. F2, agreed to appear on Armed & Famous in exchange for $150 cash after he was arrested Thursday night on a warrant and misdemeanor marijuana charge by several Muncie police officers.

The officers included "celebrity cops" Trish Stratus, Wee Man and Erik Estrada.

Armed & Famous is an upcoming CBS reality show in which Estrada, Wee Man, Stratus, La Toya Jackson and Jack Osbourne become gun-carrying Muncie cops.

CBS publicist Kelli Raftery issued a statement Monday night confirming that Armed & Famous has been paying some people to sign the waiver, officially known as a "likeness release."

"This release form has no effect or impact on the arrest or the bond," Raftery wrote. "A nominal fee in exchange for a likeness release is not typical, but is certainly not unprecedented."

Woods, who lives on the city's north side, said she believes Armed & Famous is spending a disproportionate amount of time in black and poor neighborhoods on the city's south side.

From the beginning of the project, however, Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle has said the celebrities would be placed in districts throughout the entire city.

Winkle denied any perception that the show was taking advantage of low-income residents, and said his department was not involved in the waiver process.

"We are just going where we get called and policing like we would any other time," Winkle said. "If you don't want to be on TV, say 'No.'"

Police arrested Walker at a gas station at Madison and Wysor streets, near downtown, after at least one officer apparently recognized him as being wanted.

A part-time baker at a restaurant, Walker failed to pay $381 in court fees in connection with a February misdemeanor conviction for carrying a handgun without a license, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest in May.

Police also reported finding marijuana on Walker.

Walker initially denied requests to sign the waiver while he was sitting handcuffed in a police cruiser, he said.

But when a producer offered him $150 and reportedly told him he would appear on television anyway, Walker said he tried to make the best of a bad situation.

"That way it wouldn't be all on my family," Walker said, referring to the $630 in fees and bail bond that he needed to get out of jail.

In retrospect, Walker said on Monday he wished he hadn't signed the waiver.

Other reports of financial coercion have surfaced since the celebs took to the streets last week.

Delaware County's day shift emergency dispatch supervisor Harold Mason reported receiving a phone call Monday morning from a woman who was recently pulled over by a celebrity cop and wanted to know where to get her $100.

"I referred her to the chief's office," he said.

Philip Vore, 36, 1505 N. Granville Ave., has accused city police of holding him under arrest in an empty room at the Delaware County Jail, where he said they refused to officially book him until he signed the waiver, Vore's attorney Michael Quirk said.

Winkle denied the allegation.

Vore eventually agreed to sign the waiver in exchange for $400 -- money he has yet to see, his attorney said.

They initially offered the man a T-shirt that said "I got arrested by a celebrity and all I got is this lousy T-shirt," Quirk said.

"I think he thought it was kind of insulting," Quirk said.

Quirk also alleged that police and producers continued to question Vore after he asked for an attorney and that the producers refused to leave his property upon request.

"I think the City of Muncie has set themselves up for embarrassment and lawsuits and all kinds of problems," Quirk said.

Vore was wanted on a warrant out of Delaware Circuit Court 1 for testing positive for marijuana in several drug screens, a violation of the terms of his pre-trial home detention.

Vore is awaiting trial on charges of forgery.

Quirk said the positive screens are the result of marijuana his client smoked before his placement on detention, and that test results showed the levels of THC were declining.

On Monday Vore tested negative for THC and Vorhees released the man from jail, Quirk said.

Source: The Star Press, 12/12/06

Shocker. CBS had announced the "Armed & Famous" will premiere in January.

From the Futon Critic: www.thefutoncritic.com

CELEBRITY COPS HIT THE STREETS

Released by CBS

[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CELEBRITY COPS HIT THE STREETS

"ARMED & FAMOUS," A New Reality Series, Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 10 on the CBS Television Network

Erik Estrada, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne, Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna and Trish Stratus Star In A New Series Which Follows Celebrities As They Become Working Police Officers in Muncie, Indiana

ARMED & FAMOUS, a new reality series that turns celebrities into crime fighters, will follow five brave stars through the Police Academy and onto patrol in Muncie, Indiana. ARMED & FAMOUS will premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) followed by a special original broadcast on Thursday, Jan. 11 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. ARMED & FAMOUS moves to its regular time period, Wednesdays (8:00 - 9:00 PM, ET/PT) on Jan. 17.

ARMED & FAMOUS features actor Erik Estrada ("CHiPs"), singer and author La Toya Jackson, television personality Jack Osbourne ("The Osbournes"), professional skateboarder Jason "Wee-Man" Acua ("Jackass") and former WWE champion wrestler, Trish Stratus.

The series follows the five stars as they become sworn police officers in the Midwestern town of Muncie, Indiana -- a city of nearly 70,000 residents located 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis. It's also home to Ball State University.

Done with the full cooperation of the Muncie Police Department, the celebrities will undergo police training to become reserve police officers in the Muncie Police Department. They'll learn everything from firearms to hand-to-hand combat, and even learn what it's like to be on the receiving end of a taser shock as a part of the process to be certified to carry stun guns. Upon completion of their training, they'll be issued badges and guns, partnered with veteran officers and immediately hit the streets of Muncie. The five celebrities will protect and serve on the busiest shift of the night, 6 PM to 2 AM, responding to emergency calls, helping victims and making arrests.

ARMED & FAMOUS is produced by Emmy Award winner Tom Forman ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"), Jeffrey Kramer ("Ally McBeal") and Michael Braverman ("Jesse Ventura's America") for Tom Forman Prods. and Good TV, Inc.

Edited December 14, 200619 yr by crc

I'M SO EXCITED! I thought we'd have to wait until March or the Summer for this to air! Hopefully this can get Toy's damn cd released!

I just saw a promo for this on CBS!

Edited January 2, 200718 yr by Kenny

Kenny, will I be seeing you on this show? LOL!

LMAO....this show gonna be just too ridiculous! Saw a promo for it the other day and laughed....La Toya is searching someone that they arrested and says something like..."Oh my, this is crack."