Montana: Self-defense law leads to no charges in shooting: "No one will be charged in connection with the front-yard skirmish on the city's southwest side last month that ended with two men being shot. The Great Falls Police detective working the case, Brian Black, said the investigation was hampered by uncooperative witnesses and the state's self-defense law. None of the names of the people involved in the incident have been released by authorities. "The people who allegedly fired shots were already under attack and, in this situation, had the lawful authority to use force to defend themselves," Parker said. The root of the skirmish was a relationship between a girl in one family who was dating a boy in another family, Black said. One group went to the home at 624 4th Ave. S.W. on Dec. 9 for a confrontation with the other group. Guns and bats were believed to be involved, according to police. Black said it still is not clear exactly how many people were involved, but it's believed to be three to six. Investigators said the confrontation escalated, resulting in one man being shot in the leg and another man being shot in the leg and ear. The men were shot with one gun. Someone shouted that police were on their way and the groups scattered, according to police. Black said the shooter was the owner of the home. Parker said the two men who were shot attacked the shooter with a blunt instrument. Parker called the two men the "aggressors" in the incident."


CA: Man shot at scene of vandalism to be in court: "A 23-year-old man who officials said was smashing the windows of a parked car, and then was shot in the leg by a resident who tried to stop him, is expected to appear in court today. Ryan Ford was arrested after a vandal was seen smashing a car's windows in the 2200 block of Via Santa Maria on Monday night, said Lt. Mike Gavin of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. A neighbor yelled at the vandal to stop, Gavin said. The vandal ran toward the neighbor and tried to go inside his home while the man blocked the door, Gavin said. But the resident, who Gavin declined to identify because of the ongoing investigation, had brought down a handgun and set it by the door before he yelled at the vandal to stop. The two men struggled by the door while the vandal tried to get inside the house, Gavin said. At that point, the man grabbed the handgun and fired a shot through the door. The shot hit the vandal in the leg, and he walked away from the neighbor. When deputies responded, they took Ford into custody and he was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo to be treated for the wound. Deputies believe Ford was intoxicated, Gavin said. Ford was booked at Central Men's Jail, where he is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Ford is facing one charge of vandalism and two charges of unlawful entry into a noncommercial dwelling. Gavin said the resident is being considered a victim in the case, and believed to have fired the gun in self-defense."


CA: concealed gun bill shot down: "Assemblyman Steve Knight’s measure to allow law-abiding citizens to obtain concealed weapons permits was voted down Tuesday in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety. Assembly Bill 357 would have ensured law-abiding citizens are treated fairly when applying for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. There are 58 counties and even more local law enforcement agencies throughout California that each have separate interpretations of who they believe can lawfully carry a concealed weapon ... in California applicants must demonstrate “good cause,” which allows agencies to subjectively deny most, if not all, CCW permits, according to a Knight news release. California has one of the most stringent prerequisites to gain permission to carry a weapon for self defense, he said, including an extensive background check, firearm training, and in some cases face-to-face interviews. “This is a fairness issue — when all the requirements are met for a CCW the local jurisdiction should honor our Constitution,” said Knight, R-Palmdale. "The arbitrary system of issuing conceal carry permits needs to be changed, and I will not give up on this issue."


NH House Votes To Allow Gun Display As Warning: "Displaying a gun to warn a potential attacker away would not be considered a crime under a bill passed by the New Hampshire House. The bill approved Wednesday would make it legal to respond to a threat by displaying a gun. It is more limited than an earlier bill that would have expanded the use of deadly force, which was vetoed by Gov. John Lynch two years ago. That proposal would have allowed the use of deadly force in public whenever someone felt threatened. Current law requires people in public places to try to retreat to safety before resorting to deadly force in self defense. Deadly force is permitted to protect against certain crimes and when an intruder enters the person's home. The bill heads to the Senate."