Not clever to pull gun on cop: "Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney David Stengel said Darren Pickerill pulled a gun on retired Jeffersontown Police officer Richard Koenig during an altercation in a parking lot June 3, leaving Koenig with little choice but to shoot Pickerill in self-defense. Stengel, who recommended to a grand jury that they not indict Koenig on any charges today, said lab testing on Pickerill’s weapon, which was later found in the console between the two front seats, showed blood splatter on both sides. “That backed up the Koenig’s story that he (Pickerill) … had the gun up in a threatening manner,” Stengel told reporters minutes after Koenig was cleared by a grand jury. “There’s no evidence whatsoever to say Koenig pulled his (weapon) first.” Stengel said Pickerill, according to the evidence, ran a stop sign at a four-way stop in the parking lot of the Kroger at Hurstbourne Parkway and Taylorsville Road, blocking Koenig and leaving the vehicles just inches apart. The men exchanged words, Stengel said, before Pickerill pulled his weapon. “I’m certain Mr. Pickerill brought that gun up for some reason,” Stengel said. “Logic tells me it was to scare somebody. From there on the reaction of Koenig was completely within the law.” Pickerill’s gun was not fired. A Jefferson County grand jury returned a “no true bill,” declining to indict Koenig on any charges, including one count of first-degree assault and two count of wanton endangerment for putting two women at risk who said bullets passed by their windshield. As for why Koenig continued firing, between six and eight shots, Stengel said police officers are taught to “fire until it’s over.” The grand jury’s decision ends the case for police and prosecutors."


New York Pizzeria owner fires shot, thwarting two robbers: "The 78-year-old owner of a Clinton Street pizzeria averted a robbery Monday night when he fired a single warning shot, prompting two robbers to run away, police reported. The attempted robbery took place inside Bocce Club Pizzeria, 630 Clinton, at about 7:40 p.m. when two men entered his business and one pointed a handgun at the owner, according to Ferry-Fillmore District Police. The owner retaliated by pulling out his own gun and firing a single shot through the pizzeria's plexiglass, which scared off the thieves, police said. This is the second time this month that robbers have targeted this pizzeria."


Lead-free bullets!: "Massachusetts legislators seek to remove toxic chemicals from ammo. Too deadly. Have all the liberals gone stupid or just the ones in Massachusetts? The NRA reported that Democratic State Representative Jay Kaufman and Democratic State Senator Steven Tolman introduced “The Safer Alternatives Proposals” legislation which will curtail the use of 10 chemicals. This upsets the NRA. “On the top of the list of targeted substances is lead, the common element used to make virtually all bullets. As proposed, this legislation could virtually shut down all shooting ranges as well as ban the sale and use of lead ammunition for self-defense, hunting and target practice in Massachusetts. Non-lead alternatives exist for ammunition but are significantly more expensive and, in many instances, have sub-standard performance characteristics. Shooting ranges already fall under federal EPA regulations concerning environmental impact and recent science and EPA guidelines show that lead ammunition on shooting ranges can be managed without detrimentally affecting the environment. Predictably, this legislation does not account for the serious impacts on shooting ranges and the sportsmen and gun owners who use them,” the NRA reported."