No matter what anyone tells you, everyone farts. In fact, if the average person farts 14 times a day, there are 365 days in a year, and the average lifespan is approximately 80 years, then you will fart over 400,000 times in your life. Not only human beings fart, though. All kinds of animals, including cats and dogs, do, too. This is because any animal with the right diet as well as a certain type of gut bacteria is able to generate gas in its digestive system.^[1] In nature, some animals use their farts for strategic advantages. On the other hand, as is the case in this article, some farts result in situations that leave a person facing the strong arm of the law. This list will review ten times that intervention by law enforcement was ultimately required just because someone broke wind.

10 Times Farts: When Flatulence Meets the Law

10 The Fart Joke That Landed A Man In Prison

Farts can clear a room as swiftly as a fake bomb threat can. Back in 2012, Harold Wayne Hadley was hitting the books at Jones County Junior College’s Terrell Tisdale Library in Mississippi when he made a quick pit‑stop to the restroom. While there, he decided to scribble a joke about his own flatulence on a scrap of toilet paper, referring to his own emission as a “bomb” because of his rural upbringing.

The prank‑note didn’t stay hidden for long. A fellow student discovered the paper, and a nearby teacher quickly identified Hadley as the author. Within minutes, eleven emergency response agencies swarmed the campus, fearing an actual explosive device. The ensuing panic proved unfounded, but the damage was done: Hadley was arrested and posted a $20,000 bond.

At the time of the incident, Hadley was a straight‑A student on the cusp of graduation. The whole episode serves as a cautionary tale about how a harmless joke about gas can spiral into serious legal trouble.

9 Farts That Led To Brawls

Most people don’t appreciate being hit with a surprise gust of air. In 2016, Deborah Ann Burns of Immokalee, Florida, was watching TV with her boyfriend, Willie Butler, when he deliberately let one rip directly in her face. Burns demanded he stop; Butler retorted with a curt “shut up,” and the argument escalated quickly.

In a fit of fury, Burns grabbed a kitchen knife and thrust it toward Butler’s stomach, then seized a stick to strike him. The confrontation ended when she fled the scene, leaving a bewildered boyfriend behind. Police arrived and charged Burns with aggravated battery using a deadly weapon, setting her bail at $50,000.

The same year, another Florida incident unfolded at Sloppy Joe’s bar in Key West. A stray fart sparked a heated exchange between two couples, which spiraled into a full‑blown fistfight. One patron suffered a dislocated shoulder. Law enforcement intervened, but the injured party chose not to press charges, illustrating how a simple toot can ignite physical conflict.

8 The Creation Of Cow Fart Laws

California’s Governor Jerry Brown has long championed legislation aimed at slashing greenhouse‑gas emissions, targeting everything from dairy farms to landfills. In 2016, Brown signed Senate Bill 1383, a sweeping law that tackles black carbon, methane, and other harmful gases.

Among the chief culprits of methane are dairy farms, where manure and the very act of cows belching and farting release significant quantities of the gas. SB 1383 mandates that dairy producers cut methane output to 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030.

To help farms meet these stringent targets, California set up a fund for purchasing anaerobic digesters—large machines that capture methane from cow flatulence and manure and convert it into electricity. However, funding fell short of covering every operation, meaning many cows continue to emit unabated methane, highlighting the challenges of regulating even the most natural of emissions.

7 Berlin Upholds The Right To Fart

One of Berlin’s most eyebrow‑raising scandals didn’t involve violence at all—it involved flatulence. In February 2016, police stopped a man who had been out partying to check his identification. During the exchange, the man let out not one, but two audible farts.

Authorities claimed the man had intentionally directed his emissions at an officer, resulting in a €900 fine. The man refused to pay, forcing a court appearance in September 2017. The judge dismissed the case in under ten minutes, deeming the alleged offense frivolous.

The episode sparked a media frenzy, with the press dubbing it the “Irrer‑Pups Prozess” (the “Crazy Toot Trial”). It underscored how even a simple bodily function can become a costly legal battle when authorities get involved.

6 Farts That Grounded Planes

Flatulence can do more than clear a room; it can even force a plane to the ground. In 2018, an elderly passenger’s relentless gas on a flight from Dubai to Amsterdam provoked enough outrage among fellow travelers that the pilot was compelled to make an unscheduled landing.

Passengers repeatedly asked the gassy traveler to cease, but he ignored the pleas. The captain personally ordered him to stop, to no avail. The tension escalated into a physical altercation between two nearby passengers, prompting the crew to divert the aircraft for safety.

After touchdown, law enforcement boarded the plane, removed the two combatants and two nearby women, but no arrests followed. Similar incidents have occurred: a 2017 American Airlines flight was evacuated due to a foul odor later traced to a mechanical fault, and in 2006, bomb‑sniffing dogs were deployed after a passenger attempted to mask her flatulence by lighting matches.

5 The Fart Exorcist Lawsuit

Legal disputes over flatulence can take some truly odd turns. In 2013, a lawyer from Pitești, Romania, filed a lawsuit against an Orthodox bishop and four priests, accusing them of failing to exorcise “flatulent demons” that plagued his home.

The plaintiff claimed his residence reeked of a foul, persistent odor he attributed to malevolent, gas‑producing spirits. After the clergy attempted a series of exorcisms without success, the lawyer alleged fraud, stating the demons manifested as crows, flicked his television on and off, and caused relentless headaches.

Both a lower Romanian court and the nation’s high court dismissed the claims. Undeterred, the lawyer appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, hoping to argue a violation of his rights, though the case ultimately failed to gain traction.

4 Fired For Farting On The Job

Excessive flatulence can not only irritate coworkers but also cost a person their livelihood. In 2014, Richard Clem was dismissed from his role as comptroller at the Case Pork Roll Company in New Jersey after his persistent gas became a workplace nuisance.

Clem asserted that his severe flatulence—and accompanying uncontrollable diarrhea—stemmed from a gastric‑bypass surgery he underwent in 2010. By 2013, his symptoms had intensified, disrupting daily operations and prompting complaints from staff.

The company’s president reportedly told Clem he could no longer work on‑site, citing statements such as “We cannot run an office with visitors if the odor is present” and “Tell Richard we are receiving complaints about the smells.” Clem’s wife filed a lawsuit alleging the termination violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, arguing his obesity‑related condition was protected. The case was ultimately dismissed, and Clem’s claim that his flatulence was “the sexy part of the story” did not sway the courts.

3 Farts That Led To Fires

When a prank meets a kitchen, the results can be disastrous. In 2018, Joel Cruz of Yakima, Washington, let lingering resentment over a decade‑old sibling incident drive him to vengeance. He placed a pot of vegetable oil on the stove, cranked up the heat, and abandoned the house. The unattended oil ignited, engulfing his parents’ home in flames. Police arrested Cruz on arson charges, and after he claimed to hear voices, a mental‑health evaluation deemed him a danger to himself and others, preventing placement in a state hospital.

Flatulence has sparked other fires as well. In 2016, a woman undergoing surgery at Tokyo Medical University Hospital inadvertently ignited a surgical laser with a burst of gas, causing a blaze that scorched most of her torso, waist, and legs, necessitating additional operations. Medical staff confirmed no other flammable materials were present, pointing to the unexpected ignition source.

2 Revenge Farts

Using flatulence as a tool for revenge is ill‑advised, as a 2016 case in Sweden illustrates. After a man and woman in Laholm agreed to spend the night together, the woman changed her mind. Angered, the man let loose a deliberately timed fart and fled the premises. The woman reported the incident to police, claiming it disturbed her peace of mind. Swedish authorities opened an investigation but ultimately declined to prosecute, finding insufficient evidence that the fart was a purposeful act of harassment.

Flatulence can even disrupt police interrogations. In 2017, Kansas City, Missouri, police questioned Sean Sykes Jr. on drug and firearm charges. During the interview, Sykes leaned to one side and emitted a loud fart, followed by continued flatulence. The detective, perturbed by the odor, terminated the interview early. Sykes still faced the original charges despite the brief encounter.

1 Farts That Led To Death

Flatulence can have deadly consequences. In 2012, Ohio teenager Shaakira Dorsey got into a heated argument after she teased another girl for passing gas. The taunt escalated into a physical confrontation that ended with Dorsey’s death. The accused farter faced a murder charge.

A historical parallel dates back to the first century AD in Jerusalem. According to historian Josephus, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a Roman soldier dropped his pants, bent over, and let out a massive fart. The act inflamed the crowd, sparking a riot that claimed roughly 10,000 lives.

These grim episodes underscore that a simple bodily function, when mishandled or misinterpreted, can spiral into violent, even fatal, outcomes.

The top 10 law agencies of the ancient world show that, despite vast cultural differences, societies everywhere faced the same timeless challenges of crime and order. From the bustling streets of Babylon to the rugged highlands of the Andes, each civilization devised its own brand of watchmen, investigators, and enforcers. Below, we count down ten remarkable law‑enforcement bodies that once patrolled the ancient world.

top 10 law: Ancient Policing Highlights

10 The Paqudu of Babylon

The Mesopotamian kingdom of Babylon is famed for the Code of Hammurabi, the earliest known catalog of crimes and punishments, etched onto stone pillars in the tenth century BC. As the city grew wealthy in the sixth century BC, its capacity to uphold order expanded, giving rise to a cadre of local officers called the paqudu. These men, appointed from the community, were tasked with safeguarding the town, though their duties were far from glamorous.

Temple archives paint a vivid picture of the paqudu’s daily grind: they responded to noisy tavern brawls, chased down unpaid taxes, and arrested looters who vandalized sacred temple property. In one quirky case, a prized cow vanished from its stable, prompting the paqudu to sniff out a stash of suspiciously fresh beef in a neighbor’s yard. The detectives seized the contraband and delivered it to the court as evidence, illustrating the hands‑on, sometimes culinary, nature of Babylonian policing.

9 The Medjay and Temple Priests of Egypt

Ancient Egypt prized harmony, or Ma’at, and while most citizens lived peacefully, the state still needed a force to preserve that balance. Early Egyptian watchmen patrolled streets armed with wooden clubs, trained attack dogs, and—occasionally—monkey assistants. As the Middle Kingdom expanded, Nubian warriors known as the Medjay joined the ranks, eventually becoming the backbone of Egypt’s police corps. Their influence was such that chiefs of police were titled “Chief of the Medjay,” even after native Egyptians reclaimed the role.

During the New Kingdom, a special division of temple priests took on policing duties within sacred precincts. These priest‑police ensured that festivals proceeded without disorder and, when crimes touched temple property, they conducted full investigations, blending religious authority with law‑enforcement responsibilities.

8 The Krypteia of Sparta

The word “krypteia” derives from the Greek for “hidden,” and it aptly describes Sparta’s covert police force. Unlike the heavily armored hoplites of the era, krypteia operatives carried concealed knives, perfect for stealthy assassinations. Trained in austere mountain camps with minimal rations, they emerged as elite warriors adept at silent, lethal action.

Their primary adversary was the helot class—Spartan serfs who periodically rebelled against their bondage. The krypteia’s mission was to terrorize these populations, suppressing uprisings by ambushing helots under cover of darkness. They specifically targeted robust men who might evolve into future threats, effectively keeping the subjugated class in perpetual fear.

Historical accounts, such as those by Thucydides, recount a grim episode where Spartans promised freedom to veteran helots, only to eliminate them discreetly. The krypteia likely carried out these covert killings, underscoring their role as Sparta’s shadowy enforcers.

7 The Scythian Archers of Athens

Athens, the birthplace of democracy, faced a paradox: citizens could not simply arrest each other without violating egalitarian ideals. To resolve this, the city-state hired 300 Scythian archers as public slaves, effectively creating a neutral police force that could act without political bias.

Our knowledge of these Scythian guards comes chiefly from Aristophanes’ comedies, where they appear as bumbling, comedic figures. In Lysistrata, they attempt to detain the heroine only to be thwarted by an angry mob of women. Another play depicts a prisoner outwitting his Scythian captor with the help of a seductive dancer. These theatrical portrayals suggest the archers were more symbolic than lethal.

Archaeological finds, such as a burial site in Cerameicus containing 80 arrowheads, hint that a Scythian police chief may have died in the line of duty. Nevertheless, the moniker “archer” likely stemmed from the common Greek stereotype of Scythians as master bowmen rather than indicating they arrested people with arrows.

6 The Mauryan Gops

India’s inaugural empire, the Mauryan dynasty (321–185 BC), boasted a sophisticated civil‑service system that rivaled any contemporary power. Each town featured a nagarik, the chief of police, who oversaw a cadre of officers known as gops. Though appointed by the emperor, these officials operated under the watchful eye of local elites called gramini.

Beyond ordinary patrols, the gops acted as pervasive state spies. Every entrant into a city was meticulously logged, and neighborhoods were regularly canvassed to ensure citizens’ activities remained visible to authorities. Even innocent‑looking individuals could be detained pre‑emptively to nullify any potential crime, reflecting a proactive, if heavy‑handed, approach to public safety.

5 Judaean Shoterim

In ancient Judea, a rigorous court system placed public safety at its core. Each town employed a judge and two shoterim—court officers charged with executing judicial orders. Their responsibilities spanned checking market weights and measures, setting price controls, inspecting property boundaries, and even dispensing charitable aid, all funded through local taxation.

The Judean code imposed a plethora of safety regulations: dogs had to be leashed, pits covered, and weapon sales tightly regulated. Property owners received thirty‑day notices to remedy unsafe structures or trees, and any passerby witnessing a neighbor in mortal danger bore a legal duty to intervene, illustrating the community‑wide emphasis on protection.

4 The Cadi of the Songhai Empire

The vast Songhai Empire of West Africa required an efficient judiciary, embodied by the cadi—civil servants appointed directly by the king. These officials evaluated local grievances, convened tribunals, and rendered punishments, while town criers broadcast verdicts across market squares.

As royal agents, cadis vigilantly guarded against treason. Political offenses attracted the severest penalties; one recorded case describes a low‑ranking minister being sewn into a bull’s hide and burned alive, a stark reminder of the empire’s unforgiving stance on dissent.

3 Incan Tokrikoq

The Incan empire, spanning the Andean coast, maintained a meticulous legal framework. When a subject faced accusation, the case had to be heard by a higher‑ranking official, namely the tokrikoq—literally “he who sees all.” This official not only administered justice but also oversaw censuses, land allocation, and the upkeep of roads and bridges.

Incan penalties were severe and public. Capital crimes such as murder, rebellion, adultery, drunkenness, and laziness could result in execution by stoning, hanging, or being hurled off cliffs. Lesser offenses attracted public scolding, ensuring that all punishments served as deterrents visible to the entire community.

2 Ancient Roman Vigiles

The Roman Empire experimented with numerous law‑enforcement bodies over its extensive reign. While the Praetorian Guard protected the emperor and the Cohortes Urbanae defended the city, ordinary crimes and fires fell to the vigiles.

In 21 BC, Senator Marcus Egnatious Rufus earned acclaim for ordering his slaves to respond to fires throughout Rome, not solely the affluent’s homes. Augustus, eager to outshine his predecessor, established a public firefighting corps, the first of its kind, to safeguard all citizens.

Because the vigiles already patrolled at night seeking blazes, they naturally assumed policing duties as well. Their remit included apprehending thieves, recapturing runaway slaves, and guarding public baths. Equipped with light armor, whips or staffs, and firefighting gear, they served as Rome’s versatile night‑watch.

1 Igbo Okonko

The Igbo people of present‑day southern Nigeria administered justice at the village level. While most crimes were handled by the family head, the gravest offenses—those threatening divine wrath—required the culprit’s dedication to lifelong religious service.

In many Igbo communities, the secret society Okonko gathered the elite men of a village. Boys entered the society as children, but only adults learned its deepest secrets. Members faced death for any lie or disgrace, creating a safe haven for abused women who could seek counsel without fear.

Okonko meetings covered every facet of village governance, from crime prevention to dispute resolution. Courts sometimes convened within these gatherings, and land conflicts were settled by placing the society’s sacred palm frond over the contested area until a verdict emerged, highlighting the intertwining of ritual and law.

When the police get in the news these days it’s almost never for a good reason. Over 1,000 people per year are shot by police. There’s also evidence police have seized nearly $70 billion since the year 2000 from ordinary citizens through the process of civil asset forfeiture whether the people are criminals or not. If that weren’t enough, there’s also evidence that the police will on occasion, fabricate or plant evidence in order to frame innocent people for crimes or to cover their own mistakes. 

10. The FBI Framed 4 Men for Murder

Law enforcement rely on informants for information. Often these are criminals themselves who are in and around other criminals and are willing to share information with law enforcement in exchange for money or leniency when it comes to being punished for their own crimes. But just how valuable should an informant be? 

Joseph Salvati was imprisoned for 29 years because the FBI framed him for a murder he didn’t commit. They did this to protect the real culprit, a man named Jimmy “the Bear” Flemmi. Flemmi was an FBI mob informant, and they didn’t want to risk losing the information he provided to them so when Edward Deegan was killed in 1965,the FBI had Flemmi and others gives false testimony to convict Salvati and several others for the crime. 

Two of the convicted men died in prison, and a third was released in 2001. The convictions were overturned after a journalist discovered secret FBI memos that had never been revealed during the trial. They revealed that Flemmi was the true killer and an informant and that a key witness, another hitman, was lying but helping them on other cases so they let it slide.

The government awarded Salvati and the others $101.8 million for the frame job. The FBI’s lawyers argued they were working at a federal level and the trial was state so they had no obligation to share information and the convictions weren’t their fault. The judge disagreed. 

9. Sheriff Joe Arpaio Framed a Man for Attempted Murder

Infamous Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio made news for years as a result of his PR stunts which included making inmates in his jails wear pink, eat horrible food, work in chain gangs and more. His office was also known to botch serious criminal investigations included child abuse and sexual assaults. For all of his dozens of controversial acts it’s maybe no wonder that framing people for crimes was among them.

James Saville spent four years in prison for trying to build a bomb to kill Arpaio. A jury found that he had been entrapped by Arpaio and his sheriffs who arranged the entire thing as a PR stunt. The man who showed Saville how to build the bomb was a cop who not only paid for all the parts, he drove Saville to stores to pick them up.  The media was waiting when he drove Saville to where he was ultimately arrested. Basically, they arranged the entire scheme and made Saville the fall guy.

Saville sued, and the county settled for just over one million dollars.

8. James Dennis Was Sent to Death Row After Being Framed

James Dennis was sentenced to death for the murder of a high school student back in 1991. After 25 years in jail he was finally exonerated after courts determined Dennis had not committed the crime but had instead been framed by the police. 

The conviction was vacated in 2013 and affirmed on appeals in 2016. It was determined that police and the prosecution had withheld key evidence during his trial to secure their conviction. That includes confessions from witnesses laying the blame on someone else as well as hiding some witnesses and coercing others. Witnesses claimed three men had committed the crime and Dennis didn’t match the description of any of them. A man actually confessed and gave details about the crime and his accomplices, but the police never shared this information with the defense.

Dennis went on to sue the two detectives who framed him, plus the city. The defense offered by the police was that they didn’t do anything wrong but, even if they did, how were they to know that hiding some evidence was a violation of Dennis’ rights? 

7. Jamal Trulove was Framed for Murder and Got 50 Years

Jamal Trulove was convicted of a 2007 murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was retried in 2015 and then acquitted for the crime, after which he sued the city of San Francisco, the result of which was a stunning $13.1 million settlement thanks to just how badly the police handled the case.

Police had coerced a witness to testify that Trulove was the killer while also hiding other evidence that proved he was innocent. The detectives on the case showed witnesses photos of Trulove but no one else. This only came to light because, when the police were telling the witness that it was Trulove, another suspect for a different crime was in the room and overheard. The cops would then pay the woman $63,000 to help her move. They had also learned of other suspects and didn’t bother following up on them. In the end, though Trulove won the settlement, the cops just retired, and no one was punished.

6. Cops Beat a Murder Confession Out of an Armenian Man

Armenian Armen Poghosyan spent five and a half years in prison on a 15 year conviction for the rape and murder of a child. He was released only when the actual murderer was caught. Initially, Poghosyan confessed to the crime after being subject to abuse from officers during their questioning. Official documents state that he was beaten and at one point an officer boxed his ears so forcefully his eardrum exploded. They forced him to sit on a glass bottle and made him listen as they beat his brother in another room. 

After his conviction was overturned, he was awarded 6.2 million Armenian dollars in compensation which works out to about $15,000.

5. Cops Planted a Rifle Shell to Convict Arthur Allan Thomas of Murder

Some people are so committed to lies they’ll do anything to support them and that was the unfortunate case with the frame job of Arthur Allan Thomas, a man who spent 9 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He was even convicted twice for the crime.

Thomas was convicted of a double homicide in 1970. This conviction was thrown out after it was revealed police had taken a shell from Thoma’s rifle and planted it in the garden of the victim to tie him to the crime scene. Forensics had been unable to rule Thoma’s rifle out, but nor could they confirm his weapon was used, so the police put a shell in the garden weeks later, after having custody of the rifle, and then discovered it to clinch their arrest. 

It was the shell casing in specific that helped get Thomas released as the police had searched the garden in August but the shell was found in October just one week after police got custody of the rifle. Despite the conviction being tossed out and Thomas getting a one million dollar settlement, none of the police involved were ever held accountable.  

4. Police in New Orleans Planted a Gun on Shooting Victims

Six days after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, police got into what they claimed was a shootout on the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans. Two civilians died and four more were injured. Police long claimed the killings were justified because they were returning fire and defending themselves from attack. That turned out to be untrue. In reality, the police fired unprovoked at their victims who weren’t even armed and then engaged in a conspiracy to cover it up after the fact, framing the dead men as attackers.

Officers agreed to falsify documents and witness statements after the shooting because they knew it wasn’t justified. Later, a gun was planted on the scene and tied to one of the victims to support the lie and an entire fake witness was made up to corroborate the police story. This led to two officers being charged and pleading guilty later on. 

3. Atlanta Cops Killed a Grandmother Then Planted Drugs on Her

You would hope that, if the police are going to raid a home to catch criminals, they would do their due diligence to ensure they’re raiding the right home. Far too often that turns out to not necessarily be the case, but sometimes it can get even worse. 

In 2006, Atlanta police raided the home of a 92-year-old woman in what was meant to be a drug raid. They shot Kathryn Johnston five times, and she died. There were, of course, no drugs. Cops did plant marijuana on the scene, however, and submitted cocaine afterwards as evidence of drugs they’d bought in the house prior to the raid.

Evidence after the fact showed that documents had been falsified to suggest drugs were on the site. Other court documents claimed that police in the city had made a habit of lying to obtain warrants in addition to fabricating evidence of drug deals. 

Three officers ended up going to jail for their part in the death and coverup, though they only got between five and ten years in total.

2. Police Doctored Witness Statements to Convict a New Zealand Man

Alan Hall spent 19 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit in New Zealand. Witnesses saw a man at the scene who looked nothing like Hall. They claimed the man had been Maori, but police removed that part because Hall was white. Other witnesses also claimed the man had dark skin, was much taller than Hall, was right-handed while Hall was a lefty, and was muscular while Hall was thin. He didn’t match a single part of the description. Police also noted that they believed Hall might have had an intellectual disability but continued questioning him anyway without a lawyer. Years later it was determined that Hall is autistic. 

 He was convicted in 1986 and the prosecution had been aware since 1988 that police had doctored the witness statement but did nothing about it. It was not until 2022 that the Supreme Court finally tossed out the conviction and eliminated any hope of appealing the decision that Hall and his family finally got to end their fight. 

1. A Florida Police Chief Arrested Innocent People To Boost His Arrest Stats

People often accuse police of writing traffic tickets to meet quotas and that’s not entirely incorrect. Cops also like to clear a certain percentage of arrests to make them look efficient and in Biscayne Park, Florida police were willing to frame innocent people to keep their stats perfect. 

A 16-year-old boy was framed for multiple burglaries by the police chief and his officers who arrested and charged the boy with four crimes despite there being no evidence he was involved. 

The chief would later say he was just under too much pressure and wanted to impress other officials by having a perfect arrest record. So they just started arresting whoever they felt like and blaming them for crimes. This means blaming black people for crimes in white neighborhoods. The 16-year-old was just one of several. He even bragged about how good his department was doing publicly.

After he was caught, the chief was sentenced to three years in prison. Charges against the boy were dropped.