BRITISH PARANOIA

A police chief has urged parents not to buy their children toy guns for Christmas. Michael Todd, chief constable of Greater Manchester, said hundreds of hours of police time were wasted on complaints involving imitation and toy guns each year. He said armed units have been called out unnecessarily - at taxpayers' expense - because officers have been unsure whether a gun was real or fake.

Parents should think twice before buying presents such as toy or ball-bearing guns, toy knives and mini-motorbikes which could lead to anti-social behaviour, he added. Research earlier this year by Greater Manchester Police revealed that ball-bearing guns now account for 30 per cent of gun crime. The weapons, which fire tiny plastic pellets, are popular with children because they are readily available on the Internet and cost as little as �14.99. But because they are modelled on real guns, such as Smith & Wesson or Kalashnikov rifles, it is often difficult for police to immediately distinguish them from genuine weapons.

"Presents are traditionally seen as a reward to young people for being good over the preceding year but, in some cases, they can be the source of anti-social behaviour," said Mr Todd. "I would urge parents to look carefully at what young people are asking for and refuse to let them have potentially anti-social and dangerous presents this Christmas." A spokesman for the Greater Manchester force added: "Dozens of young people perceived to be engaging in threatening behaviour with imitation firearms and ball-bearing guns have been reported to the police who, in some instances, have no alternative but to call in police specialist firearms units to ensure they are not real weapons." He refused to give any details about the amount of time officers have wasted dealing with toy gun incidents.

Last night critics warned that Mr Todd's comments could cause "unnecessary panic". David Hawtin, director-general of the British Toy and Hobby Association, said children had played cops and robbers for generations. "The police are introducing unnecessary panic about traditional toy guns," he added. "They are perfectly harmless."

Under current law, it is not illegal for someone to buy or sell toy guns. Toy guns can, however, be classed as "imitation firearms". Police have the power to arrest anyone seen brandishing one in public. There have been several recent high-profile cases of people being stopped by police for having toy guns. In April, a father was jailed for waving a bright orange toy gun belonging to his six-year-old son at two youths who had been harassing his family.

Richard Bottley, 37, from Oxford, was sent to prison for six months for threatening the 14 and 15-year-old boys after a campaign of terror in which they threw eggs and flour at his home, smashed windows, shouted abuse and turned up on his doorstep with baseball bats.

In July, eleven-year-old Earl Crump was arrested after two officers spotted him playing with a toy gun in his school playground, in Sheerness, Kent. The youngster was eventually released without charge.

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South Africa: Gun owners in for shock: "Owners of firearms are set for a rude awakening early next year. According to the Central Firearms Register those who fail to comply with the act on the control of firearms will be arrested, their weapons confiscated and they'll have to appear in court. Statistics have shown that are more than 500,000 firearms licences countrywide need to be renewed before December 31. ... Van Tonder said gun owners had to fill in numerous forms and make statements. These include SAP 517 and SAP 517E forms. They also had to make statements and write motivations. They had to hand in four colour-identity photographs and a number of certified copies of, among others, their identity document, arms licence and proficiency certificate. 'The paper war is just too much for the older gun owners in particular,' he said. ... Director Phuti Setati, national police spokesperson, said gun owners who refused to renew their licences, could be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison."

POSSIBLE HIATUS

I go into hospital for a rather large surgical procedure today. It is however day surgery so I hope to be back home by the evening and blogging away as usual. If that proves too optimistic, however, this blog may not be updated for a day or so.




CHICAGO'S WAR ON SELF DEFENCE CONTINUES

Nothing in their present policies will affect illegally acquired firearms

The Illinois State Police have teamed up to make good on Mayor Daley's pledge that, if it were up to him, nobody would have a gun. Daley and his elite "CAGE" unit are apparently taking advantage of gun privacy loopholes to pinpoint certain individuals for inclusion in the confiscation program.

The ISRA is following up on leads in one case that has disturbing implications. An elderly first-generation Chicago resident was recently paid a visit by an Illinois State Police trooper. After asking to come inside the man's home, the trooper asked if the man owned a gun - to which he replied yes. The trooper then directed the individual to surrender the firearm. The man complied with the officer's demand and the trooper left with the gun. And the story gets better...

The gun in question was purchased legally by the man in the 1970s shortly after he became a U.S. citizen. When Chicago's infamous gun registration scheme went into effect in the early 1980s, the man registered the firearm as per the requirement. However, over the years, the fellow apparently forgot to re-register the firearm, and forgot to renew his Illinois FOID Card.

So...what does this all mean?

In the last edition of The Illinois Shooter, we reported on the activities of a shady taskforce known as the Chicago Anti Gun Enforcement (CAGE) unit. This elite squad, operated jointly by the Illinois State Police, the Chicago Police Department, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, supposedly exists to identify illegal gunrunners. However, information gained by the ISRA makes it clear that the CAGE unit is targeting law-abiding citizens, not criminal gunrunners.

Thanks to a ruling by a liberal federal judge, the CAGE unit now has the name of every single person in the United States who, since 1992, lawfully purchased more than one handgun in the period of a week. The CAGE unit also has all the makes, models and serial numbers of those guns. In essence, the Chicago Police Department is now registering guns and gun owners nationwide.

The ISRA has also learned that the CAGE unit has compiled a list of families where more than one person in that family holds a FOID card. Acting on that information, the CAGE unit is now contacting gun shops where those families have shopped, and is illegally registering all guns purchased by those families.

Now, it appears that the CAGE unit is scrubbing Chicago's gun registration list against the list of FOID card holders. Indications are that folks who have let their registrations and FOIDs lapse will have their guns confiscated. We have to wonder how long it will be until state troopers show up at the doors to confiscate the guns of non-Chicago residents who have let their FOIDs expire.

Source




Texas: Homeowner fatally shoots intruder: "Police said a couple was sitting inside their home when someone broke into the home on Lacy Street at Detering Street in the Rice Military area at about 9 p.m. 'He came in armed with a bat, went through a side door, shattered the glass to make his way into the residence,' Houston Police Department Homicide Detective Mike Walker said. The husband told the intruder he had a gun and to leave, but police said the intruder persisted up the stairs, forcing the homeowner to shoot him. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene."

Indiana: Homeowner's brother shoots teenage intruder: "A teenager who apparently broke into a Glen Park home Monday afternoon was seriously wounded when the resident's brother fired at him with a shotgun, police said later. ... The homeowner's brother, Johnny Yarbrough, 34, told police he shot Walker after the teen broke into the house, pointed a gun at his sister and demanded money."



SAF sues to stop victim disarmament in San Francisco: "Despite opposition from police, media organizations and various organizations to an ill-advised ban on handguns and the sale of firearms and ammunition, Proposition H passed in San Francisco Tuesday, and today, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is joining in a lawsuit to challenge this measure in court. 'If you ban firearms, criminals will not obey the law and only law-abiding citizens will be victimized, first by the ordinance, which we believe violates state statute, and then by the outlaws,' said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb."

Arkansas: Woman shoots intruding ex-husband: "A Little Rock man continues to recover after Police say his ex-wife took a gun and shot him in self-defense. The incident happened Monday morning at 7105 Fourche Dam Pike in Little Rock. Police say 50 year old Judy Melton shot her 50 year old ex-husband Eddie Melton. According to Little Rock Police, Melton showed up at the residence, got very angry because his ex-wife wouldn't let him in, and then he proceeded to kick in the door, and she shot him. ... Judy Melton is not facing charges at this time, but the case will be reviewed by the prosecutor."


Spain: Belgian arrested for shooting burglars: "Following a shooting in a villa in V�lez-M�laga police arrested a Belgian and four Romanians. The Belgian (C. H.) is accused of shooting two burglars who had broken into his neighbours' house. After being detained, 47 year old C.H. gave his version of events. Apparently, he saw a small moving light on the second floor of his neighbours' house and as they had gone on holiday a few days before, he became suspicious. He approached the house yielding a gun and found the gate open and everything ransacked inside. When he was in the living room, he heard footsteps behind him and when he turned around, he supposedly started pullling the trigger. ... According to the inquiry, the two Romanians lived together and supposedly had broken into the house on Monday November 7th. The following day, police went to the villa in the carretera de Bentomiz, and found the door open. They checked that there was no-one inside and in the living room, discovered blood stains and bullet marks in the furniture. Police then found out that the owners of the villa had gone to Belgium a few days previously leaving the care of the house in the hands of a relative, also Belgian, who lived closeby."

New Mexico: Woman recounts attack: "Melissa O'Connell will be the first to tell you she's the exception, not the rule. Among women who become victims of violent crime she is an anomaly. Three years after waking up around midnight with a masked male intruder on top of her, shining a flashlight in her eyes and holding a gun and preparing to rape her, O'Connell is alive to talk about it. The serial rapist, who had gained entry into her house that July evening through a window or the sliding glass door, is dead. He's dead because O'Connell managed to wrestle his gun away and shoot him at least twice. O'Connell survived to tell her story many times to many people, including a national television audience when she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to accept a 'Chutzpah award,' given to women who show extraordinary amounts of bravery and courage in threatening situations. O'Connell told her story again to the Women Against Crime (WAC) class Monday evening."


West Virginia: Bluff fails: "Police are searching for a robbery suspect who attempted to rob a local business Wednesday morning but abandoned his plan when an employee said he too had a gun. Parkersburg police Capt. Steve Flinn said the attempted robbery of the Owl's Nest at 1217 Garfield Ave. occurred at 7:12 a.m. "A man walked in wearing a ski mask and had his hands in his pockets claiming to have a gun," Flinn said. "At that time the employee on duty said, 'I have one, too.'" Flinn said the suspect turned and fled the establishment on foot after the employee showed his firearm. Nothing was taken and the suspect has not been apprehended, Flinn said. A description of the suspect was unavailable.

Canadians blame singer instead of their own disarming of law-abiding citizens: "Bad-boy rapper 50 Cent is not welcome in Canada, says a lawmaker representing Toronto, the country's biggest city, which has been gripped by a recent wave of gun violence. MP Dan McTeague called on officials to prevent 50 Cent, who has a criminal record, from entering the country because he allegedly promotes gun violence. "Toronto has witnessed unprecedented violence on its streets and deaths as a result of gang warfare, gang culture," McTeague told AFP. "This is not a question of censorship," he said. "This is a question of trying to protect impressionable young men in our communities who are being destroyed in the prime of their lives." Gang violence has claimed 49 lives in several incidents this year in Toronto, including the shooting death last week of a 17-year-old boy outside the funeral of his best friend, who had also been shot dead."


California: Car-thief picked the wrong Jeep: "An off-duty San Francisco police officer shot and wounded a man whom he found sitting inside his Jeep, police said. The 42-year-old man was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated, but his condition was unknown Tuesday night. Maria Oropeza said that when the officer saw the man in his car, a confrontation ensued that ended with the officer shooting the man once. Neither the officer nor the man who was shot was identified. Oropeza said she did not know if the man was armed. The officer might have been returning to his Jeep with a bag of take-out food when he saw the man in his car at about 8:30 p.m., Oropeza said. The officer was placed on administrative leave, as is routine during the investigation of officer-involved shootings".

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A POLICE SHARPSHOOTER

Special weapons and tactics, these are the police officers cops call, when they need help. And many times the calls play out without a shooting. But that was not the case on the night of Febuary 1, 2005. Murder suspect, Bobbie Miles is cornered by Tampa police. Sandra Soley, a mother of four, is being held hostage at gunpoint. Negotiators tried talking the suspect in to surrendering, but he would hear none of it. At the same time two snipers, Bennett and his partner, were taking position, waiting. But after two hours, things begin to deteriorate, a dangerous situation gets worse. Then the unthinkable happens.

John Bennet, Tampa Police sniper Captain:
"He chose to start a countdown to taking her life right in front of her family."

Reginald Roundtree, 10 News Anchor:
"How far did the countdown get?"

John Bennet, Tampa Police sniper Captain:
"Close enough for us to intercede."

For the first time Capt John Bennett talks publicly about having to take a life, to save a life.

"When I got on the gun I couldn't think about my family or about being in church. I had to think about what was happening right now. I can call it on or call it off in a matter of seconds, because I'm in control of the trigger."

Swat officers are a special breed. They are the best of the best. And they must endure hours of specialized training for that defining moment like Captain Bennett faced.

More here






Texas: Shooting a case of mistaken identity: "Around 5:30 a.m., a group of men riding in a late-model GMC Denali stopped in front of the tan wooden home and opened fire. In self-defense, the sole occupant inside the home rushed out armed with a shotgun and a 9 mm handgun and returned fire. It is unclear whether anyone was wounded in the shooting, the sheriff said. However, during the shootout, the man managed to shatter the vehicle's windshield and puncture its radiator, which left a visible trail of fluid as the SUV sped away, headed northbound on Stewart Road. ... Preliminary investigations showed insufficient evidence to prove the ranch home was a stash house or place where drugs were sold, the sheriff said. 'Usually there is a relationship between the occupant and the invaders, but there are times, the wrong place is identified and there are innocent victims,' Trevi�o said. 'This time, we believe there was a mistake.'"

Thank Goodness He Does Not Live in San Francisco

By Robin Mullins Boyd

I have a new hero. His name is Harry Carpenter and he is 83 years old. Mr. Carpenter suffers from chronic pulmonary disease and requires oxygen. He has been married to Jackie Carpenter for 57 years. On Wednesday November 16, 2005, Mr. Carpenter took on 2 young thugs and refused to be a victim.

According to a story by Bret Bell in the Savannah Morning News, the Carpenters were at home on Wednesday night when someone knocked on their door. Expecting a delivery of oxygen from the medical equipment company, Mr. Carpenter opened the door. It was not the medical equipment company � it was two hooded thugs armed with knives. Mr. Carpenter was forced to sit on the sofa at knifepoint while one of the intruders grabbed Jackie Carpenter while she was doing the dishes. It is a tragedy in the making.

Hold on. Mrs. Carpenter, who is 80 years old, faked a fainting spell while thug #1 ransacked the bedroom for cash. Thug #2 left Mr. Carpenter to see what the commotion was. Left alone, Mr. Carpenter got up from the sofa and retrieved his old bolt action shotgun. According to the Savannah Morning News article, Mr. Carpenter had this shotgun since he was a child. The gun was not loaded. Thug #2 appeared while Mr. Carpenter was trying to load the shells. Undeterred, Mr. Carpenter �slammed the bolt home and aimed the empty weapon at the intruder�. Both intruders high-tailed it out of the Carpenter home slowing only long enough to unlock the deadbolt.

Thank goodness Mr. Carpenter had the gun in his home. Even though it was not loaded, just the presence of the gun and the sickening thud of the bolt closing was enough to prevent an increase in the crime rate in Savannah. The quick thinking of Mrs. Carpenter, who certainly qualifies for an Academy Award, was just enough of a distraction for her husband to whip out the old �squirrel killer�. Thoughts of �what if� brings to mind carnage and suffering. Only the good Lord knows what would have happened if Mr. Carpenter did not have a gun in his home. The article in the Savannah paper could have been an obituary instead of a testament to self-defense.

Unlike San Francisco, Savannahians are still allowed to keep guns in their home. The PC police and the Brady Campaign have not infiltrated South Georgia with their 2nd Amendment violating actions. We may not be able to smoke in restaurants, but we can still have our guns. We are subjected to editorializing in �news stories� reported by the media but that is as far as it goes. Not one single gun in Savannah has jumped off the shelf, loaded itself with ammunition and hopped down the street spreading death and destruction.

Law abiding Americans have a right to protect themselves and their property. Imposing additional gun laws does not deter gun crimes. Those that commit crimes with guns have no concern about laws � they are criminals. Despite gun registration and waiting periods, thugs still have access to firearms. Instead of penalizing citizens that obey laws and are responsible gun owners, our judicial system rewards criminals with prison sentences that amount to nothing more than a slap on the wrist. We have laws � the punishment is what is lacking.

But Mr. Carpenter doesn�t live in San Francisco. He and his wife can continue to spend their twilight years together. Did Mr. Carpenter�s experience have an impact on his opinions on gun ownership and keeping guns in his home? It certainly did. Mr. Carpenter said that from now on he will �keep the damned thing loaded�. That is why Mr. Carpenter is my new hero.





Washington: Homeowner catches suspects: "Yakima Police were called to 84th and Summitview Avenues early Saturday morning. A homeowner had two burglary suspects held at gunpoint. Eighteen-year-old Tyler Walters and 20 year-old Rudy Delgado of Yakima, have been charged with theft, malicious mischief and possession of stolen property. Police say the two broke into a car. When the armed homeowner confronted them they tried to run him down with their own car. He fired a few shots at the car. No one was injured but one of the shots came close enough to cut through the shirt one of the suspects was wearing."

Connecticut: Suspect shot during home invasion: "One homeowner in New Britain says he took no chances when an intruder entered his home, and pulled the trigger. Angel Bennitez says he did what he had to do to defend his family and his home. 'I got my pistol and saw the guy outside,' says Bennitez. Wednesday night his wife was mopping the floor when a masked man came in. Bennitez says he pushed his wife as he came in. After hearing his wife scream for help, Angel came out with a 357 Magnum, and shot the gunman."

Georgia: Gun ordinance cast aside: "Houston County commissioners essentially killed a proposed firearms ordinance Tuesday after it had been gravely wounded in October when several residents took verbal shots at its restrictions. Staggering and stumbling from one commission meeting to another for more than a month, the proposal was finally cast aside Tuesday and allowed to die on the table when none of the five commissioners would make a motion to vote on it. 'The gun issue is dead,' said Chairman Ned Sanders. 'That was my major objective tonight -- was to make a decision up or down. So there's no plans to bring it back again anytime in the near future.' ... The ordinance initially included a 300-foot limit when shooting a gun near an occupied building anywhere in unincorporated Houston County and made no mention of protection from the law if a resident wanted to shoot a backyard nuisance."

Granny deserves self defense: "What chance would a 66-year old grandmother have against a bigger, stronger, man a third of her age? What chance would a 60-year old man have against two men, armed and in their 20s? And what chance would a 65-year old have against a man half his age? Without an equalizer, these individuals would have no chance. Because that equalizer was a firearm, all three are alive today. ... Americans over the age of 65 are now the most likely age group to be armed, according to the General Social Survey, part of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The reasons for this are almost as varied as the individuals who make up that demographic."


Girls, get your guns : "Issues like same-sex marriage, Hurricane Katrina, the price of gas and many other pressing questions are currently eclipsing gun rights. When the issue reassumes center stage, some will be surprised to see that it wears a somewhat different face -- a more feminine face. One thing is certain: The issue of gun rights will keep emerging not only because it has highly organized advocates and detractors, but also because the average person has become more concerned about personal safety in a post-Sept. 11 world. Recent events have heightened people's concern."

Even a picture of a gun is wrong in Ireland: "Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea has rejected criticism of his decision to pose for photographers while holding an automatic pistol. Mr O'Dea is pictured on the front of two national newspapers this morning looking down the sight of the gun with a smile on his face. The photographs were taken at a training exercise in the Curragh yesterday. Opposition politicians have accused the minister of engaging in a tasteless and insensitive publicity stunt at a time when gun crime is creating real fear on the streets. Mr O'Dea later said he was sorry if anyone was offended, but he accused the opposition of trying to make a big issue of something meaningless.


Britain's gun-control "success": "The number of offences involving firearms in England and Wales has been increasing each year since 1997, according to the Home Office. Firearms incidents recorded by the police have nearly trebled in eight years. Provisional figures released last month showed that firearms offences had increased by 5 per cent on last year, to a total of 11,160. There were 4,903 such offences in 1997. The possession of handguns was banned in Britain that year after the Dunblane massacre. Yet the illegal ownership of handguns is believed to be higher than it has ever been, with nearly 300,000 illegal guns estimated to be in circulation. The increase in gun crime is linked to gang activity and the illegal drugs trade".

Ohio: Thief can dish it out but can't take it: "A convenience store owner thwarted an attempted robbery Monday by firing a shot of his own, according to an Ashtabula Police Department report. ... 'The intruder reached under his jacket as if he had a gun,' Capt. Gerald Cornelius said. 'The owner fired a single blast from his gun.' The weapon was fired into the air, but it was enough to ward off the intruder, who is described as being a black male. He wore a mask and dark clothing. The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, said he couldn't take a chance. A man entered his store and demanded money. He did not get any money or merchandise from the store."


Indiana: Store owner pulls gun on robber: "A store owner thwarted an armed robbery Thursday with a gun of his own. Employees at Saleh's Market, 401 Middlebury St., told Cpl. Robert Perry that a man wearing a Halloween mask entered the store at about 6:35 p.m. Thursday, aimed a BB gun rifle at them and said, 'If you move, I will kill you.' The 64-year-old owner of the store then grabbed a gun of his own and pointed it at the robber, who dropped his gun and fled down Middlebury Street with the owner in pursuit, said Perry. The owner lost sight of the robber after a short chase, he said."

North Carolina: Store owner turns gun on would-be thief: "Donald Ray Britt says, when he had to choose between his life and that of a masked gunman, he began firing. 'I knew he came back to kill me, so I guess I started shooting,' said Britt, who said he had been pistol-whipped moments before. The 58-year-old store owner shot Michael Breeden three times, striking him in the back, side and hand, according to sheriff's Detective Neil Tyner. After the shooting, Britt held Breeden at gunpoint until sheriff's investigators arrived."


Tennessee: Clerk shoots and kills robber: "Memphis Police say the owner of the Citgo convenience store on Getwell and American Way shot and killed a robbery suspect minutes after he held up his store. The shooting happened around 8:30 Thursday night. Police say the robber entered the store, put a gun to the neck of the store owner, told him to get on the floor and then took around $300 in cash. Investigators say the store owner got up from the floor and pulled out .357 Magnum. Officer say when the robber ... pointed his weapon at the store owner the store owner fired one shot at the robber. The robbery suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say it appears the store owner acted responsibly and say if that's the case this is the 21st justified shooting this year."

Gun Rights as a Women's Cause: "When she moved from California to Arizona, Judy Dutko, had a short list of must-dos upon her arrival in her new home: obtain a driver's license, join a church and register for a gun. "I refuse to be a victim, so basically that's why I got interested," said Dutko who is in her 50s. "Most people will go through their life and never have a problem but if you're prepared, then you can take care of a situation." The retired history teacher is part of what appears to be a growing number of women who view carrying a weapon as an essential part of their safety, which has led the firearms industry to offer women only training classes, magazines and clothing for female gun owners. "We get calls from women who didn't grow up around firearms, yet they have an interest in their personal safety, and it kind of goes from there. We've seen such an increase in participation in our programs," said NRA spokesperson Kelly Hobbs. "It does seem to at least stem from that interest in protecting their families and themselves."



California: Win for a gun show: "A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit brought by gun show promoters Russ and Sally Nordyke can proceed and that they can argue that their free-speech rights are violated by an Alameda County ordinance that bans guns on county property. By banning firearms on County property the ordinance was designed to, and did, put the gun show out of business. In a tremendous victory for gun rights activists, on September 27, 2005 United States District Judge Martin Jenkins ruled that the gun show promoters, who had filed a lawsuit challenging the Alameda ordinance, could proceed with their case. The Nordykes promoted gun shows at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton from 1991 to 1999, when the county adopted an ordinance making illegal the possession of firearms on county property. The county had asked the judge to dismiss the Nordykes challenge, arguing that the gun ban is a public safety issue rather than a constitutional one. But Judge Jenkins ruled that the promoters had established both a claim under the equal protection clause and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."

Delaware: Homeowner shoots alleged intruder dead : "Police said Thomas Morganstern, 60, was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom of his Roselle home when two men entered his home early Thursday morning. Morganstern, who is an avid hunter, grabbed a handgun and chased the men downstairs. Police said the men fired on Morganstern in the living room area and he shot back. Morganstern was not injured and he called police and reported the home invasion and shooting. Police searched the area near the South Woodward Avenue home in New Castle County and found Cleveland Richardson, 28, of Wilmington, 100 feet away, behind a detached garage. Richardson was taken to Christiana Hospital with a gunshot to the abdomen area. Stephen Norwood, 26, whose last known address identified him as a Wilmington resident, was found around 8:45 a.m. across the street and hidden under bushes. He had died from his injuries."


New York: Fired professor gets gun collection back : "A fired Westchester Community College instructor waging a free-speech battle against college officials is no danger to them or anyone else and may have a gun license, a judge has ruled in White Plains. Patrick Munroe's gun collection was seized after a pair of arrests on trespassing and harassment charges at the college in early 2004. The county moved to revoke Munroe's pistol license, but Westchester County Judge Barbara Zambelli denied the motion last week and ordered the county to return his guns. 'Before this application was filed, he held a pistol license for more than 32 years without incident,' Zambelli wrote of Munroe, a former Sleepy Hollow village trustee. 'His writings provided to the Court by the County are primarily satirical, and any attempt to characterize them as threats must be based on misinterpretation.'"

THE SAN FRANCISCO FANTASY

It's not easy to do, but gun control advocates in San Francisco have come up with an anti-firearms measure that embarrasses even some gun control advocates. The red-faced ones may realize this one is not likely to work even if it is upheld in court, which it almost certainly will not be. But the pointlessness of the initiative didn't stop San Franciscans from approving it by a hefty majority.

Proposition H outlaws the sale, manufacture, transfer and ownership of handguns and ammunition in the city. Unlike other cities that enacted bans but allowed residents to keep weapons they already had, San Francisco included immediate confiscation in the deal: Anyone who now has a handgun must surrender it to the police by next April. The only people allowed to possess these firearms will be police, soldiers and security guards.

So what's wrong with this plan? Just about everything. Start with the fact that it appears to conflict with the state constitution, which gives the state sole jurisdiction over firearms regulation -- a defect that doomed San Francisco's last handgun ban, passed in 1982. University of California at Berkeley law professor Franklin Zimring, a staunch supporter of gun control, says the new ordinance is a "sure loser" in court.

More here





Power to the People: "The solution to Brazil's high murder rate seemed obvious to the Brazilian government, the media, and United Nations: Ban guns. They all went to great efforts to pass an initiative doing just that last month, but in the end almost two thirds of Brazil's voters rejected the proposal. It is hard for most Americans to imagine what Brazilians are facing. For the most recent detailed numbers, the U.S. murder rate was 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2004. For Brazil it was 28.3 in 2002. That's just a little less than three times the record U.S. murder rate at the height of prohibition in 1933. Brazilians have a right to be skeptical that yet more gun control is the solution. Strict licensing laws that have been in effect in Brazil since 1940 have not solved the problem. Since 1941 it has been illegal to bring a weapon outside one's house without authorization."



Indiana: Mother threatens burglar with gun: "A gun-carrying Merrillville mom didn't pull any punches when a man wearing a black ski mask tried to break into her house Wednesday night. She threatened to shoot him with the 40-caliber handgun she was holding and he backed off and ran away, police said. The woman, who lives in the 5300 block of Cleveland Street, told police she was changing her baby's diaper at about 7 p.m. when she heard a noise, Detective Lt. Don Toth said. She told police she went to the front of her house, opened the front door and observed a man in a black ski mask attempting to break in. The woman slammed her door shut and pushed back as the man continued to attempt to open the door with his shoulder, Toth said. She yelled she had a gun and would fire if he continued, and the man fled on foot."

South Carolina: Murder charges dropped: "York County prosecutors have dropped charges against a 51-year-old woman accused of shooting a man she said attacked her. Linda Diane Nelson was accused of shooting and killing 57-year-old James Jackson Massey on June 5th. York County Public Defender Harry Dest says his client acted in self-defense and had bruises on her legs and face from her encounter with Massey. Julia Patterson-Massey says her common-law husband had a history of alcoholism and depression but that she had never seen him act violently. She says her husband had just returned to the area in hopes of reconciling with Nelson, who was described as Massey's long-time friend and drinking buddy."


In defense of gun manufacturers: "When is federal legislation that LOOKS like special protective legislation NOT a mere prop for a 'special interest?' When A. The industry being defended is the industry as a whole, not any particular company; B. The threat to that industry comes from numerous local governments set out to abuse the tort system; C. The issue at hand directly relates to one of the Amendments to the Constitution in the Bill of Rights; and D. The law is a good example of a rare Constitutionally PROPER use of the 'Commerce Clause.' I'm talking about the 'Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,' which the House of Representatives passed 283 over 144, on October 20th. The bill puts the kabash on the growing number of lawsuits against gun manufacturers, for particular crimes committed with guns."


Are you connected? "The fact is, if you're a gun owner and you're not on the Internet, you are not informed, no matter how strong your opinions. You simply can't be. Even a magazine like this, as fine as it is, or your NRA membership magazine with its more politically-detailed content, can't change that. The words I write on this hot afternoon in July will not see print until autumn. If urgency exists to react to a proposed bill or to write a legislator, anyone relying on a periodical will arrive on the battlefield long after the smoke has cleared. You just can't get the information you need from any other source. Even so-called 'conservative talk radio' only occasionally mentions the Second Amendment, focusing most of its energies on politics, world affairs, and the cultural divide. The Internet, on the other hand, brings gun rights-specific information to you. ... The key to turning public opinion toward liberty at the birth of the Republic was information. Nothing about this basic truth has changed except for the superior means now at our disposal. We can exploit it to our advantage or ignore it at our peril."

BRITISH PEN-KNIFE OWNER EXONERATED

Post lifted from Nation of Riflemen

Longtime Readers may remember my wrath when a British lawyer was arrested for having a pen-knife and baton inside his locked briefcase, inside his car's trunk.

Well, he's been found not guilty, and several British cops are outraged-"one law for some, another law for others" seems to be the general feeling. A sample of the feeling can be found in the Comments section in David Copperfield's blog, along with some trenchant comments from Your Humble Narrator. (One cop's comment nearly caused me to have an aneurism:"A clear message needs to be sent that the carrying of all weapons is wrong..."-bloody fool.)

If ever there's a need for a national health treatment, this is it. Not only are the politicians a bunch of hoplophobes, but both police and people seem to be strangely quiescent in the face of such nonsense.....

I should make it clear that PC Copperfield himself is NOT representative of the Plods in his Comments section, as he is not only a good shot, but is also a member of the NRA and is probably more proficient with a gun than any other cop in Britain.






California: Suit challenges San Francisco gun grab: "Gun owners and advocates wasted little time Wednesday in challenging San Francisco's newly enacted prohibition on handgun possession by filing a lawsuit in the same court that tossed out a local handgun ban 23 years ago and vowing to, if necessary, use shotguns to protect themselves. The lawsuit argues that Proposition H, approved Tuesday by 58 percent of the city's voters, oversteps local government authority and intrudes into an area entirely regulated by the state."


Colorado: Homeowner shoots prowler: "A registered sex offender who was trying to break into a home was shot early Monday by the homeowner. The wounded would-be intruder fled, leaving a trail of blood for police to follow. Aaron Joseph Vigil, 37, was found in the backyard of a nearby home. He was taken to Swedish Medical Center and treated for a gunshot wound to the arm and released into police custody. The homeowner probably will face no charges because of Colorado's 'Make My Day' law, which says homeowners have the right to protect themselves in their homes, using deadly force if necessary."

Intruder gets off lightly: "A woman who wounded an intruder hiding in one of her closets says she shot his leg because she didn't want to kill him. Susan Gaylord Buxton, 66, said she's a good shot and could have killed the man because her gun instructors taught her well. Instead, she said, she aimed for his leg and fired a second shot to warn him as he hobbled off. Buxton has a permit to carry a handgun and will not be charged with a crime because she was defending herself, police said. "If I didn't have a gun to protect myself, I probably wouldn't be here," Buxton said. When Buxton let her dog out about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, she noticed a muddy footprint on her back porch. Buxton heard glass breaking and noticed that her cats were not in the room where they slept and that items in another room had been moved, police said. She told her 28-year-old granddaughter to call 911. Clutching her gun, Buxton checked several closets, eventually opening one near the front door. She said she pulled a coat away and saw a man, then told him to get on the floor or she'd shoot. He kept trying to grab the gun, but she fended him off, she said. He fumbled with the front door with one hand and reached for the gun with the other. She fired once, striking him in the leg."


San Francisco: Pistol owners open legal fire on victim disarmers: "San Franciscans have voted to outlaw private pistol packing with a ban that called for handgun owners to surrender their weapons to police. The politically powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) vowed on Wednesday to shoot down the ban with a lawsuit charging that it violates the Constitutional right of US citizens to bear arms. Gun control advocates lauded the San Francisco disarmament measure that won the support of 58 percent of voters in Tuesday's vote. The measure made it illegal for anyone other than police, military or licensed private security officers to own handguns. It also banned the manufacture and sale of all firearms and ammunition in the city."


Colorado: Man shot during robbery: "A suspected burglar was shot in the arm early Monday by a resident of the small hamlet of Bow Mar in Arapahoe County, 7News reported. ... 'The subject then fled the scene and went door-to-door trying to get help from people,' said Bret Cottrell, chief of the Columbine Valley Police Department. He was taken to Swedish Medical Center, where he was treated and then released. The man was arrested following his release and booked into the Arapahoe County Jail."

The loonies win in San Francisco (Surprise!): "Voters approved ballot measures to ban handguns in San Francisco and urge the city's public high schools and college campuses to keep out military recruiters Tuesday. With 100 percent of San Francisco precincts reporting, 58 percent of voters backed the proposed gun ban while 42 percent opposed it. Measure H prohibits the manufacture and sale of all firearms and ammunition in the city, and make it illegal for residents to keep handguns in their homes or businesses. Only two other major U.S. cities - Washington and Chicago - have implemented such sweeping handgun bans".


South Carolina: Gunman,victim killed in robbery: "Two people were shot and killed in a possible robbery attempt in Anderson County Monday morning. Deputies were called to the Cleanup Shop on South McDuffie Street shortly after 8 a.m. When they arrived, they found two people with gunshot wounds. Witnesses said a man walked into the shop and opened fire, hitting one man four times, then ran away. As the gunman ran, another man in the store picked up a gun and opened fire on him, hitting him at least once. Both men were transported to Anderson Area Medical Center, where both died a short time later."

Alabama: Mayor praises man for using gun: "Despite recent criticism, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright says he still recommends that citizens fight back against crime with guns. And it appears that at least one man is following the mayor's advice. Police say the man was moving his belongings from one vehicle to another Thursday night when two other men approached him. That's when the man went for his gun. Several shots were fired. And in the end, the man got shot twice in the thigh. But the mayor says by getting his gun, the man did the right thing. 'I want to thank him and encourage him and others to continue their fight for their protection and the protection of others,' Mayor Bright said."


Utah: Gun classes offer options to abuse victims: "Until Christmas Eve 1996, she had never contemplated carrying a gun. Then her husband beat her. The woman, of Salt Lake City, promptly got a divorce and a protective order -- and a 9mm Glock pistol. 'I was always terrified of guns. But my fear of my ex-husband became far greater than my fear of guns. I saw what he was capable of,' said the woman. ... She said protective orders alone are not enough to protect her and others like her. A piece of paper won't save them from an abuser hurtling toward them with a fist or a weapon. So they're taking up arms. And Clark Aposhian, manager of Totally Awesome Guns and Range in Kearns, is helping them do it. The certified firearms instructor offers a five-hour course on most Saturdays."

MORON POLICE CHIEF

Another cash-checking business in Monterey was robbed Friday morning. But this time, the victim, a woman, fought back, firing a gun at the robber, who was armed with two handguns, police said. However, the bullet fired by the business owner apparently did not strike the robber, who got away and was still being sought by law officers this morning.

It happened just before 9 a.m. Friday at the Hair Depot on W. Commercial Ave., the main street in Monterey. The hair salon also includes a cash-checking business which is used by many Perdue Farms employees, police said. Two women, the owner and her sister, were working in the business at the time, and a Hispanic man who is a regular customer was in the store getting his check cashed when a masked man with a pistol in each hand entered and demanded money, according to Putnam Sheriff's Detective Shane Higgenbotham.

The owner of the business was counting out the customer's cash and had just placed $404 on the counter when the robber walked in and shouted, "This is a robbery, this is a robbery," according to Higgenbotham, who interviewed the victims on Friday. The owner said the robber pointed one of his guns at her and one at her customer, and when she shoved the money on the counter toward him, he shouted, "I mean all the money," the detective's report says. The owner then reached down to a drawer under the counter as if to get more cash, but instead, pulled out her own pistol and pointed it at the robber, telling him, "Something is going to happen to one of us," the report says.

The robber, who did not appear to be afraid, told her, "Shoot me." But he did start backing up in the direction of the front door, while keeping his guns pointed at her. As he reached the front door, the owner fired her pistol "and then ducked down in case he returned fire," Higgenbotham said. And though she felt she had fired "right at the robber," the bullet apparently did not strike him, she told Detective Higgenbotham. "After she shot at him, she believes he stopped and she thought he was going to fall, but instead, he grabbed the door handle and exited the store," the report says.....

Leads and suspects have been developed in the current case, and Monterey Police patrol of the city's businesses has been stepped up, Police Chief Bruce Breedlove told the Herald-Citizen this morning. "This is the second robbery of a check cashing business within a month, and we are working on both cases and hope to make arrests," Chief Breedlove said. "We are also putting more patrol attention to all businesses."

He also noted that it is "not a good idea for victims to resist armed robbers." "I know that victims sometimes want to fight back, but it is much safer not to resist," Chief Breedlove said. [Yeah! Just let yourself get shot!]

More here




SOUND GUN USED

The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday. The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.

The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.

Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said. The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.

The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected. American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels. The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.

Source

Ship outruns guns: "Pirates armed with grenade launchers and machine guns tried to hijack a luxury cruise liner off the east African coast Saturday, but the ship outran them, officials said. Two boats full of pirates approached the Seabourn Spirit about 100 miles off the Somali coast and opened fire while the heavily armed bandits tried to get onboard, said Bruce Good, spokesman for the Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Carnival. The crew enabled the ship to escape by shifting to high speed and changing course. The 161-member crew gathered the passengers into a central lounge away from windows and decks during the attack, Good said. Norman Fisher, 55, a passenger, said the captain tried to ram one of the pirate boats in an attempt to capsize it and stop the pirates from getting aboard.... The attackers never got close enough to board the Spirit, but one crew member was injured by shrapnel, cruise line President Deborah Natansohn said.... The vessel's 151 passengers, mostly Americans with some Australians and Europeans, were unhurt. The Press Association, a British news agency, said passengers awoke to the sound of gunfire as two 25-foot inflatable boats approached.... "There were at least three rocket-propelled grenades that hit the ship, one in a stateroom," Laird wrote. "We had no idea that this ship could move as fast as it did and [the captain] did his best to run down the pirates.""


Georgia: Homeowner will not be charged in shooting: "Police will not charge a Macon man who shot a burglary suspect in the arm Friday night on Houston Avenue, Macon police said. Hubert O'Neal, 39, was shot twice in the arm and charged with burglary, according to a police report. He told police he was shot during a drive-by shooting, the report stated. The shooter, Robert Nichols, 60, told police that he saw a man in his fenced-in yard shortly before midnight Friday, the report said. Nichols told police that he followed the man to the side of the house and the man came at him, the report stated. Nichols said he shot six bullets at the man, who jumped the fence and ran away."

Alabama: 80-year-old goes down fighting: "'Brutal' and 'gruesome' are the adjectives Athens Police Chief Wayne Harper is using to describe the shooting and stabbing death of an 80-year-old Athens man who apparently fought with and shot his assailant. Police plan to get an arrest warrant charging a suspect, who is in serious condition at Huntsville Hospital, with capital murder. ... The victim, Charlie Newman of 611 North Hine St., was a retired contractor and builder who lived alone in his multi-story brick home. Neighbors said he was quiet and kept to himself. Someone encroached on Newman's solitude Halloween night, shot him once in the chest and stabbed him numerous times, Harper said. The chief did not know the number of stab wounds but said a preliminary autopsy indicates Newman died of massive blood loss. 'I would never in my life have thought Charlie would go down without a fight, so there is some consolation in that he shot the person who did this to him, which probably helped police find a suspect,' said Newman's minister, The Rev. Patrick Lawrence of Berea Baptist Church."


Louisiana: Homeowner shoots burglar: "Police said a couple arrived at their home about 6 a.m. today and found their home burglarized. They were in the house about two hours later when another burglary attempt occurred. 'They fired shots at this individual,' Police Department spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said. 'We believe the suspect was shot. We have a blood trail that's leading from the house.'"

Oklahoma: Intruder shot and killed : "The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says one of two men who allegedly broke into an Okmulgee home was shot and killed by someone inside the home. It happened late Sunday night. Investigators say the two men, who have not been identified, came through the front door and that shots were exchanged between them and 26-year-old Brian Currin, who was inside. One of the suspects was struck several times by the gunfire and died at the scene. The second suspect ran from the home and has not been arrested."

Ohio: Man, 83, discusses shooting at home: "Walter Swita used a German Luger 9 mm pistol he brought home from World War II to shoot an intruder he suspects robbed him a few weeks ago. The intruder, Benjamin Brooks, 44, of East Philadelphia Avenue, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Health Center. Swita shot him in the head and chest around 10:30 p.m. Friday. Brooks, whose record included robbery and breaking and entering, lived around the corner from Swita. 'Watch out for the blood on the rug,' Swita, 83, said as he welcomed a reporter into the living room of his South Avenue home Monday. 'That's his blood. I hit my head on the TV stand when we fell.'"

South Carolina: Police investigating shooting death : "An Anderson man was shot and killed early Sunday morning, authorities said. Vernon Honeycutt died around 2 a.m., roughly two hours after being shot on Sayre Street, said police. Honeycutt died at Anderson Area Medical Center. Police said a woman shot Honeycutt to stop him from beating her daughter."


Keep the canary alive : "Congress finally did something right, and we should all applaud. The Senate and the House passed a law that shields gun manufacturers from politically-motivated lawsuits. ... Machiavelli once remarked that the Swiss were the 'most armed and most free' people in Europe. When the day comes that your government tells you it is forbidden for you to own and keep a firearm, you will no longer be living in a free country. A government that is afraid of its own citizens is undemocratic and authoritarian. The Second Amendment is the canary that monitors our freedom. When it dies, freedom dies. Even if you don't wish to own a firearm, you should join the National Rifle Association and defend the Second Amendment against those who want the government to have a monopoly on force."



'Land of the Free' or Land of the Goons?: "It was something we never believed we would see in the United States: Armed police and National Guardsmen taking firearms from law-abiding citizens -- at gunpoint. This happened in New Orleans, beginning about 11 days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and other Gulf Coast areas. Not only did it happen, but the officers and soldiers weren't very gentle about it. For whatever reason, local officials decided that even lightly hit residential areas had to be evacuated, forcefully if necessary. Police entered the home of elderly Patricia Konie, who told them she did not want to leave her home and ordered them out of her house. She said she could protect her home and possessions with her gun, which police asked to see. Konie displayed a small pistol in her open palm and a big cop body-slammed her into a wall, took her gun and dragged her outside to be forcefully evacuated. This happened in America, 'Land of the Free.'"

Florida: Man dies after breaking into home : "A 44-year-old man who broke into a Mulberry Street house Sunday night, fought with its two residents and collapsed as police led him out in handcuffs died later at Halifax Medical Center, authorities said. Paul and Shelly Laughman were in their house on the 600 block of Mulberry Street about 6:30 p.m. when a man punched their front door. Shelly ran to lock it, but the man kicked in a plastic window and clawed his way into her home. 'He had a crazy look in his eyes,' Shelly said, 'and he mumbled something that sounded like I'm not here to hurt you.' Shelly, 36, screamed for her husband, who was sleeping in the other room. He dashed over and wrestled with the man in their living room. While the men were wrestling, Shelley called police and grabbed a shotgun from a closet. Paul, 52, pinned the man on the floor and Shelly aimed the shotgun at him, she said. Paul let the man up slowly and said to him, 'We've called the police. We've got a gun. Just go.' The man stared at them for a moment; the shotgun still aimed at him. The man then rushed at Paul again, the couple said. Shelly aimed the shotgun and pulled the trigger, but the safety was still on and the gun never fired. Eventually, Paul would need the help of a neighbor to subdue the man again."


New Hampshire: No license needed to openly carry gun: "'The streets are not running red with blood out here,' said Elbert I. Bicknell, who was in Arizona last week. He said he can walk into a store with his holstered gun on his hip and 'nobody even takes a second look at me.' Bicknell is from Northwood, a Republican state representative, a retired state trooper and president of Gun Owners of New Hampshire. ... New Hampshire allows most people -- convicted felons are excluded -- to carry a loaded pistol in plain sight in public or a concealed unloaded weapon. No license is required. Under law that dates back to 1923, a pistol license issued by local authorities in the community of residence is necessary only if the individual intends to carry the weapon concealed and loaded, or loaded in a motor vehicle."


Florida: Bill seeks to limit gun confiscation: "Police shouldn't be allowed to confiscate guns from hurricane victims as they reportedly did in New Orleans, said a state lawmaker who has introduced legislation to make sure that doesn't happen in Florida. The National Rifle Association supports the bill from state Rep. Mitch Needleman, R-Melbourne, but Gov. Jeb Bush questioned it Friday. ... The bill (HB 285) would amend a law that permits the governor to suspend the sale, dispensing or transportation of firearms. It would add that nothing in the law 'shall be construed to authorize the seizure, taking or confiscation of firearms that are lawfully possessed.' 'We have an opportunity to reassert the right to bear arms and avoid the clear violation that occurred in Louisiana,' Needleman said in a prepared statement."

Woman appointed as shotgun coach: "In late September, Leslie York was among a handful of women at the Tennessee Clay Target Complex in Nashville to become an NRA/USAS/CMP Appointed Shotgun Coaches. She became the state's first female Appointed Shotgun Coach. York, from White Pigeon, is a staunch advocate of women in the shooting sports and the Michigan State Coordinator of the Second Amendment sisters, a national women's advocacy group. She is also a Hunter Safety Instructor for the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources as well as a Shotgun Instructor in Women in the Outdoors events and 4-H Shotgun Instructor. In what has been a male-dominated sport for generations, women are making steps forward in sport shooting and proving themselves to be competitive and proficient in all aspects of the sports. These women have now pushed ahead into the professional realm of competitive shotgun shooting - Coaching".


Dreamers cannot admit it when they get it wrong: "Consider for example the firearms laws in Washington DC. While there are doubtless some politicians there who maintain that no one be permitted the means to self defense purely to acquire and assert their own power, I'd be willing to bet that the majority who favor such stringent gun control actually think they're doing the right thing. Their reasons are unassailable: They want to protect citizens, particularly children. Their methodology, however, will only work in a fantasy land where criminals obey laws. Since there is no such place, gun control in Washington (as well as New York City and Chicago) has succeeded only in disarming the law abiding and creating a haven for armed bad guys. The firearms laws in Washington (and anywhere else) that are causing the problem could be repealed tomorrow. But for that to happen, those who consistently vote for even more draconian gun control are going to have to admit that what they're doing isn't working, and that it never will. Unfortunately, instead of taking a look at the facts, their good intentions often override all else with thoughts of still more laws instead - which only stimulates a freedom-stealing monster that feeds on itself when those laws don't work any better than the existing laws do.


Australia: Lucky this guy was good with a sword: "A householder has fought back against two armed intruders, killing one with a sword he seized from his attackers, police said. A second intruder fled with cuts to his hands and legs after the attempted armed burglary in Melbourne's south-east early today. Police said two intruders armed with weapons including a gun and a sword, tied up and assaulted the two occupants of a home in Noble Park about 12.30am (AEDT), and demanded money. But one of the occupants, a man in his 30s known as Johnny, broke free and fought back, grabbing one of his attackers' weapons, police said. "While the intruders were in the house the man was able to get hold of a sword it is believed one of the intruders brought with them," a spokesman said. "One intruder was killed by the man at the house and the other intruder injured. Police are still seeking the second intruder."

Nevada: Man shoots would-be robber : "A 38-year-old man with a permit to carry a concealed firearm shot one of two men accused of trying to rob him at a car wash late Monday, Reno police said. Luis Alfredo Aguirre, 18, of Reno was booked into the Washoe County Jail on suspicion of attempted armed robbery. His cousin, Jorge Aguilar, 21, of Reno, was treated Tuesday at Washoe Medical Center for a bullet wound in his liver .... Police said the the cousins are known gang members."


Knife does the job: "The day after three hurricane evacuees were charged with capital murder in the death of an elderly Pasadena woman, a New Orleans evacuee was killed in Houston on Sunday by the owner of a pickup he tried to steal, police said. Stacy Joseph Johnson, 38, was fatally stabbed about 12:30 a.m. in a struggle that erupted during the carjacking in the 8100 block of Rockhill, police said. Police said the owner, 18, apparently stabbed Johnson when he tried to steal the pickup at knifepoint. After the confrontation, the owner ran to a nearby apartment complex where he called for help, police said. The pickup's owner and a friend were wounded in the altercation and treated at area hospitals".


Nutty Australian bureaucracy: "Western Queensland gun owners will face a safety audit to ensure their weapons are being stored correctly. The six-month state-wide audit will see police make appointments with randomly selected licenced weapon holders to inspect their storage facilities. Weapons licencing branch Inspector Mike Crowley says the move is all about positive re-inforcement. 'The legislation is very clear on how firearms are to be stored, and this is purely put in place to act as a safety guideline, for not only the individual but the community at large,' he said. 'It's very important that people who have firearms secure them so they do not fall into the hands of inappropriate people or those people not authorised to possess them.'"

Employers' new worry: Guns at work: "Employers are grappling with an emerging liability issue that combines workplace safety and employee rights: guns in the workplace. A bill recently introduced in Florida would allow employees to bring handguns to work, as long as the guns remain locked inside their vehicles. With 10 sponsors, the proposal is gaining momentum and should be decided in the next legislative session, which begins in March 2006. Utah introduced a bill last term that would challenge employers' rights to restrict guns on their property. It is expected to reappear in the upcoming term in January. These latest initiatives follow laws passed in 2004 in Oklahoma and Kentucky that go even further in prohibiting employers from outlawing guns in the workplace."


Legislation weakens gun rights: "Legislation providing relief from predatory lawsuits is long overdue. The same protection should be extended to all products, but firearms are the only ones singled out by lawsuits intended to bankrupt an entire industry. At least two companies have already gone under. ... Senate Bill 397 contained a provision that will require retail gun sellers to provide a gun lock of some kind with every handgun. The effect of this provision is to encourage handgun owners to lock up their safety -- something that criminals will never do. To prevent guns from being stolen, safes should be used. Otherwise, a gun intended for self-defense should not be encumbered by some device that only locks up one's safety."