MI: Man shot in leg while struggling to get gun away from a robber: "A man told police he was shot while trying to take a gun away from a teen who tried to rob him, according to police reports. The man was walking on Forest Hill Avenue around 10 p.m. Thursday when an 18-year-old male tried to rob him with a handgun, according to the report. The man grabbed the gun away and it went off, shooting him in the right leg. The teen then ran away from the scene. Driven to Hurley Medical Center by his girlfriend, the man was listed in good condition, according to police reports."
AL: Dothan police officer shoots, wounds adult son; said to be in self-defense: "On July 30, 2011 the Dothan Police Department responded to a firearm assault on Third Avenue. Police responded to the residence of a Dothan Police Officer who was involved in the shooting. The investigation into this shooting is in the earliest stage however a preliminary investigation has revealed there was a documented history of domestic violence in the home between the officer and the officers’ adult son. Investigators have learned the involved parties have had limited contact following a documented domestic situation which occurred earlier this month. The shooting which occurred today appears to involve self defense on behalf of the officer involved. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he is receiving treatment for a moderate injury. Police have not released names of involved parties at this time."
Saturday, July 30, 2011
NC: Quick Not guilty verdict: "Buckey Bolden’s first-degree murder trial lasted two weeks and ended Friday afternoon with two words: Not guilty. Bolden spent three and a half years in the Catawba County jail after a January 2008 shootout in the Randolph’s Billiards parking lot in Hickory left Ben Thompson dead, George Hill Jr., paralyzed and in a wheelchair and Elizabeth Brannon suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. During the trial, Bolden and his defense attorney never veered from their version of what happened the night on Jan. 11, 2008: Bolden acted in self-defense when he shot Thompson and Hill, but he never fired at Brannon. [The jury] may have been swayed by Myisha Hoyle’s testimony. She was standing beside Hill’s car with Bolden. She told the jury that she saw Hill flash a silver gun and fire warning shots at Bolden before Bolden pulled his own gun from his waistband and fired back. Hill testified that when Bolden saw Thompson sit up and reach toward the car’s console, Bolden shot and killed him."
TX: Robber run down by victim's car: "Harris County grand jury will decide if a business owner was in the right when he struck a would-be robber with his vehicle. Marcus Baturn, 29, was killed after robbing a 72-year-old man and his brother at gunpoint in the 7300 block of Northline, according to the Houston Police Department. After robbing both men, Baturn fled the scene on foot. The 72-year-old and his son got into their vehicles to track Baturn down. They managed to find Baturn at a parking lot in the 130 block of West Little York Road. Baturn pointed his gun at the victim and fired a single shot, investigators said. The victim drove into Baturn in response. The victim’s son also struck Baturn with his vehicle. Baturn was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was not injured in the incident."
TX: Robber run down by victim's car: "Harris County grand jury will decide if a business owner was in the right when he struck a would-be robber with his vehicle. Marcus Baturn, 29, was killed after robbing a 72-year-old man and his brother at gunpoint in the 7300 block of Northline, according to the Houston Police Department. After robbing both men, Baturn fled the scene on foot. The 72-year-old and his son got into their vehicles to track Baturn down. They managed to find Baturn at a parking lot in the 130 block of West Little York Road. Baturn pointed his gun at the victim and fired a single shot, investigators said. The victim drove into Baturn in response. The victim’s son also struck Baturn with his vehicle. Baturn was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was not injured in the incident."
Friday, July 29, 2011
FL: Protecting his home from intruders: "Four men are accused of holding Jackie Bracey at gunpoint. But Ronald Bracey didn't hesitate to protect his wife. He grabbed his gun, firing eight rounds at the intruders -- hitting one in the shoulder -- and chased them off. Three of the men were caught and arrested."
IL: Guard stops fatal bank robbery: "Earl Coleman was calm as he described in court Thursday a gun battle that unfolded when three masked robbers stormed the Chatham neighborhood bank where he worked as a security guard in May 2007. "As soon as I stepped from behind that partition, they started firing," Coleman said on the witness stand in U.S. District Judge Joan Gottschall's courtroom. Coleman, a veteran of more than a decade at the Illinois Service Federal Savings and Loan at 87th Street and King Drive, testified he dropped to the floor as one robber leaped over a teller counter and brandished a .357 Smith & Wesson. With both hands on his weapon, Coleman said, he fired six shots at the robbers before they fled the bank with only a teller drawer containing $6,875. A teller, Tramaine Gibson, 23, was killed, while Coleman and a customer, Dorothy Sanders, a retired teacher, were wounded."
IL: Guard stops fatal bank robbery: "Earl Coleman was calm as he described in court Thursday a gun battle that unfolded when three masked robbers stormed the Chatham neighborhood bank where he worked as a security guard in May 2007. "As soon as I stepped from behind that partition, they started firing," Coleman said on the witness stand in U.S. District Judge Joan Gottschall's courtroom. Coleman, a veteran of more than a decade at the Illinois Service Federal Savings and Loan at 87th Street and King Drive, testified he dropped to the floor as one robber leaped over a teller counter and brandished a .357 Smith & Wesson. With both hands on his weapon, Coleman said, he fired six shots at the robbers before they fled the bank with only a teller drawer containing $6,875. A teller, Tramaine Gibson, 23, was killed, while Coleman and a customer, Dorothy Sanders, a retired teacher, were wounded."
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Obama admin intimidating witnesses in ATF gun probe
The Obama administration sought to intimidate witnesses into not testifying to Congress on Tuesday about whether ATF knowingly allowed weapons, including assault rifles, to be “walked” into Mexico, the chairman of a House committee investigating the program said in an interview Monday.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa, California Republican, said at least two scheduled witnesses expected to be asked about a controversial weapons investigation known as “Fast and Furious”received warning letters from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to limit their testimony.
Mr. Issa's committee is set to hear testimony from six current or former ATF employees, including agents and attaches assigned to the bureau’s offices in Mexico, about the operation — in which, federal agents say, they were told to stand down and watch as guns flowed from U.S. dealers in Arizona to violent criminals and drug cartels in Mexico.
The six-term lawmaker aired his concerns about the program in a wide-ranging interview with reporters and editors at The Washington Times on Monday.
Among other questions, the agents are likely to be asked about a large volume of guns showing up in Mexico that were traced back to the Fast and Furious program; whether ATF officials in that country expressed concerns about the weapons to agency officials in the U.S., only to be brushed aside; and whether ATF officials in Arizona denied ATF personnel in Mexico access to information about the operation.
Nearly 50 weapons linked to the Fast and Furious program have been recovered to date in Mexico. Committee investigators said Mexican authorities also were denied information about the operation.
Mr. Issa also said he is certain the Fast and Furious operation was known by most top officials at the Justice Department and that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. either knew and misled Congress, or was so out of the loop that he’s guilty of mismanagement.
“How is it that the No. 2, 3, 4 at Justice all knew about this program, but the No. 1 didn’t?,” Mr. Issa said. “Is it because he said ‘don’t tell me’? Is it because they knew what they were doing is wrong, and they were protecting their boss? Or is it that Eric Holder is just so disconnected … ?
“Whichever it is — he knew and he’s lied to Congress, or he didn’t know, and he’s so detached that he wasn’t doing his job — that really probably is for the administration to make a decision on, sooner not later,” Mr. Issa said.
Those scheduled to testify are William McMahon, ATF deputy assistant director for field operations in Phoenix and Mexico; William Newell, former ATF special agent in charge at the Phoenix field division; Carlos Canino, ATF acting attache to Mexico; Darren Gil, former ATF attache to Mexico; Jose Wall, ATF senior agent in Tijuana, Mexico; and Lorren Leadmon, ATF intelligence operations specialist.
But after receiving subpoenas, at least two of the agents got letters from ATF Associate Chief Counsel Barry S. Orlow warning them to keep certain areas off-limits, including those still under investigation. Neither of the targeted agents was identified.
Mr. Issa said at least one witness wanted to back out of testifying to his committee after receiving the letter, but the chairman declined that request. Instead he fired a letter back to William J. Hoover, deputy director of ATF, saying the “timing and content of this letter strongly suggest that ATF is obstructing and interfering with the congressional investigation.”
ATF, in a statement, said letters sent to agents subpoenaed to testify before Congress are “essentially the same as the standard document provided to ATF witnesses subpoenaed to testify in court.” It said the witnesses are “encouraged to answer fully and candidly all questions concerning matters within his personal knowledge,” but provide “guidance” about revealing statutorily prohibited information.
More here
NY: Store owner brings a gun to a Taser fight: "The owner of the Collectors Emporium on George Urban Boulevard got the shock of his life this morning, literally! Two black males and a light skinned female burst into the store around 10:45a Tuesday morning and shot the owner in the chest with a Taser gun. Unfortunately for the shooter, only one of the Tasers prongs penetrated the owners chest. As the partially working Taser stunned the store owner, he reached for his pistol--sending the three would-be robbers fleeing."
UT: Man threatens attacking dogs with gun: "The gunman actually had to be treated by a doctor after the dogs knocked him to the ground and bit his leg and face, said Cottonwood Heights police detective Ryan Shosped. "The guy was attacked by the dogs and feared for his own safety," he said. "He was walking past the dog owner and the dogs jumped on his back and knocked him down," he said. The man had a bruise on his knee consistent with being knocked over. Shopshed said the bite on his leg was also "significant" and part of his finger tip was bitten off. The man, in his late 60s to early 70s, was an Army veteran and had a concealed weapons permit. He pulled out a handgun and told the dog owner to get his dogs off him or he would shoot them, Shopshed said. He later told police it was the first time he had ever pulled his concealed weapon out. The case with the gun will now be reviewed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. But Shopshed said it has all the appearances of a case of self-defense. "Ultimately, the guy was legally carrying a gun and he was in fear for his safety," he said.
Florida robbers surprised by gunfire: "Deputies say Fidel Marrero-Rodriguez, Pedro Herrera, Yadier Gonzalez-Rodriguez, and at least one other person wore police hats as they forced a homeowner into her house by gunpoint. The Miami men were instead faced with the barrel of her husband's gun. His quick trigger finger left one of the men with a bullet wound to his shoulder. The suspect is still in the hospital. All three men are being charged with impersonating a police officer and robbery with a firearm. They are being held on $550,000 bond."
The Obama administration sought to intimidate witnesses into not testifying to Congress on Tuesday about whether ATF knowingly allowed weapons, including assault rifles, to be “walked” into Mexico, the chairman of a House committee investigating the program said in an interview Monday.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa, California Republican, said at least two scheduled witnesses expected to be asked about a controversial weapons investigation known as “Fast and Furious”received warning letters from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to limit their testimony.
Mr. Issa's committee is set to hear testimony from six current or former ATF employees, including agents and attaches assigned to the bureau’s offices in Mexico, about the operation — in which, federal agents say, they were told to stand down and watch as guns flowed from U.S. dealers in Arizona to violent criminals and drug cartels in Mexico.
The six-term lawmaker aired his concerns about the program in a wide-ranging interview with reporters and editors at The Washington Times on Monday.
Among other questions, the agents are likely to be asked about a large volume of guns showing up in Mexico that were traced back to the Fast and Furious program; whether ATF officials in that country expressed concerns about the weapons to agency officials in the U.S., only to be brushed aside; and whether ATF officials in Arizona denied ATF personnel in Mexico access to information about the operation.
Nearly 50 weapons linked to the Fast and Furious program have been recovered to date in Mexico. Committee investigators said Mexican authorities also were denied information about the operation.
Mr. Issa also said he is certain the Fast and Furious operation was known by most top officials at the Justice Department and that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. either knew and misled Congress, or was so out of the loop that he’s guilty of mismanagement.
“How is it that the No. 2, 3, 4 at Justice all knew about this program, but the No. 1 didn’t?,” Mr. Issa said. “Is it because he said ‘don’t tell me’? Is it because they knew what they were doing is wrong, and they were protecting their boss? Or is it that Eric Holder is just so disconnected … ?
“Whichever it is — he knew and he’s lied to Congress, or he didn’t know, and he’s so detached that he wasn’t doing his job — that really probably is for the administration to make a decision on, sooner not later,” Mr. Issa said.
Those scheduled to testify are William McMahon, ATF deputy assistant director for field operations in Phoenix and Mexico; William Newell, former ATF special agent in charge at the Phoenix field division; Carlos Canino, ATF acting attache to Mexico; Darren Gil, former ATF attache to Mexico; Jose Wall, ATF senior agent in Tijuana, Mexico; and Lorren Leadmon, ATF intelligence operations specialist.
But after receiving subpoenas, at least two of the agents got letters from ATF Associate Chief Counsel Barry S. Orlow warning them to keep certain areas off-limits, including those still under investigation. Neither of the targeted agents was identified.
Mr. Issa said at least one witness wanted to back out of testifying to his committee after receiving the letter, but the chairman declined that request. Instead he fired a letter back to William J. Hoover, deputy director of ATF, saying the “timing and content of this letter strongly suggest that ATF is obstructing and interfering with the congressional investigation.”
ATF, in a statement, said letters sent to agents subpoenaed to testify before Congress are “essentially the same as the standard document provided to ATF witnesses subpoenaed to testify in court.” It said the witnesses are “encouraged to answer fully and candidly all questions concerning matters within his personal knowledge,” but provide “guidance” about revealing statutorily prohibited information.
More here
NY: Store owner brings a gun to a Taser fight: "The owner of the Collectors Emporium on George Urban Boulevard got the shock of his life this morning, literally! Two black males and a light skinned female burst into the store around 10:45a Tuesday morning and shot the owner in the chest with a Taser gun. Unfortunately for the shooter, only one of the Tasers prongs penetrated the owners chest. As the partially working Taser stunned the store owner, he reached for his pistol--sending the three would-be robbers fleeing."
UT: Man threatens attacking dogs with gun: "The gunman actually had to be treated by a doctor after the dogs knocked him to the ground and bit his leg and face, said Cottonwood Heights police detective Ryan Shosped. "The guy was attacked by the dogs and feared for his own safety," he said. "He was walking past the dog owner and the dogs jumped on his back and knocked him down," he said. The man had a bruise on his knee consistent with being knocked over. Shopshed said the bite on his leg was also "significant" and part of his finger tip was bitten off. The man, in his late 60s to early 70s, was an Army veteran and had a concealed weapons permit. He pulled out a handgun and told the dog owner to get his dogs off him or he would shoot them, Shopshed said. He later told police it was the first time he had ever pulled his concealed weapon out. The case with the gun will now be reviewed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. But Shopshed said it has all the appearances of a case of self-defense. "Ultimately, the guy was legally carrying a gun and he was in fear for his safety," he said.
Florida robbers surprised by gunfire: "Deputies say Fidel Marrero-Rodriguez, Pedro Herrera, Yadier Gonzalez-Rodriguez, and at least one other person wore police hats as they forced a homeowner into her house by gunpoint. The Miami men were instead faced with the barrel of her husband's gun. His quick trigger finger left one of the men with a bullet wound to his shoulder. The suspect is still in the hospital. All three men are being charged with impersonating a police officer and robbery with a firearm. They are being held on $550,000 bond."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Norway's gun laws directly to blame for high death toll on Island
To own a gun in Norway, one must document a use for the gun. By far, the most common grounds for civilian ownership are hunting and sports shooting, in that order. Other needs can include special guard duties or self defence, but the first is rare unless the person shows identification confirming that he or she is a trained guard or member of a law-enforcement agency and the second (self defense) is practically never accepted as a reason for gun ownership.
In contrast there is no permit required to purchase a shotgun, rifle or hand gun in Florida. There is no registration or licencing of hand guns either. There is, however, a permit required to carry a concealed hand gun in the state of Florida. On the other hand, it is unlawful for any convicted felon to have in his or her possession any firearm or to carry a concealed weapon unless his civil rights have been restored. It is also unlawful for the following persons to own, possess or use any firearm - drug addicts, alcoholics, mental incompetents, and vagrants.
The contrast here could NOT be more clear. Florida regulates its gun usage in the most practical fashion imaginable. They allow the "good guys" to carry and protect themselves and their families while prohibiting the likely "bad guys" from gun usage. Norway on the other hand assumes that EVERYONE is a "bad guy".
More here
CA: Casino employee whips out gun, shoots boy in robbery defense: "A 13-year-old boy who police say tried to rob a casino employee in Gilroy on Tuesday instead ended up with a bullet in his hand and charges that could land him in juvenile hall. An employee of the Garlic City Club at Monterey Road and Hornlein Court in downtown Gilroy was sitting in his car at 2:25 a.m. when three people -- including two armed with handguns -- approached him and demanded money, police said. But then the casino employee whipped out a loaded firearm of his own from inside the vehicle and fired at the robbers, striking at least one of them, police said. The man in the car escaped unscathed as people in the area heard the shots and called 911. A Santa Clara County sheriff's deputy aiding the manhunt found on nearby Forest Street a 13-year-old Gilroy boy who had been shot in the hand. He was taken to St. Louise Hospital and released. Gilroy detectives interviewed the boy and determined he was one of the suspected robbers. They arrested him on attempted robbery charges and released him to his mother. The casino employee was not arrested.
SC: Big black robber shot and killed by much smaller female clerk: "Deputies say a man is dead after the motel clerk he tried to sexually assault and rob early Monday morning fought back and killed him. Investigators say 43-year-old Vincent Carson of Orangeburg entered a Days Inn motel at 133 sometime before 6:00 a.m. As the female clerk went into the breakfast room to prepare breakfast, she found Carson waiting inside. The victim said Carson held a knife to her throat and said, "This is a robbery." Investigators said when her attacker slipped the knife into his pants pocket to begin tying her up with plastic ties, the woman pulled a handgun from under her shirt, turned, and fired into the man's chest at point blank range. Deputies say the victim was about 100 pounds lighter than Carson and stood at least a foot shorter than him. When deputies got to the scene, they found the suspect unresponsive on the floor. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Carson died from a single gunshot to the chest."
NC: Robbers shot at poker game: "Two men who police believe were trying to rob people at a high-stakes poker game in Raleigh late Monday were shot during a struggle, and one died, police said Tuesday. Officers responding to a reported robbery at 4809 Sweetbriar Drive, off East Millbrook Road, shortly after 11 p.m. found Brandon Dwain Shelton, 28, dead inside the house, and Brian Matthew Onley, 23, lying on the lawn with a gunshot wound in the arm. Witnesses told investigators that two men burst into the home wearing masks and carrying guns in an attempt to rob several poker players. A struggle ensued, and the two intruders were shot, police said. "Both of them had hoods on and ski masks on," a man who called 911 told a dispatcher. "(One) was shot with his own gun."
To own a gun in Norway, one must document a use for the gun. By far, the most common grounds for civilian ownership are hunting and sports shooting, in that order. Other needs can include special guard duties or self defence, but the first is rare unless the person shows identification confirming that he or she is a trained guard or member of a law-enforcement agency and the second (self defense) is practically never accepted as a reason for gun ownership.
In contrast there is no permit required to purchase a shotgun, rifle or hand gun in Florida. There is no registration or licencing of hand guns either. There is, however, a permit required to carry a concealed hand gun in the state of Florida. On the other hand, it is unlawful for any convicted felon to have in his or her possession any firearm or to carry a concealed weapon unless his civil rights have been restored. It is also unlawful for the following persons to own, possess or use any firearm - drug addicts, alcoholics, mental incompetents, and vagrants.
The contrast here could NOT be more clear. Florida regulates its gun usage in the most practical fashion imaginable. They allow the "good guys" to carry and protect themselves and their families while prohibiting the likely "bad guys" from gun usage. Norway on the other hand assumes that EVERYONE is a "bad guy".
More here
CA: Casino employee whips out gun, shoots boy in robbery defense: "A 13-year-old boy who police say tried to rob a casino employee in Gilroy on Tuesday instead ended up with a bullet in his hand and charges that could land him in juvenile hall. An employee of the Garlic City Club at Monterey Road and Hornlein Court in downtown Gilroy was sitting in his car at 2:25 a.m. when three people -- including two armed with handguns -- approached him and demanded money, police said. But then the casino employee whipped out a loaded firearm of his own from inside the vehicle and fired at the robbers, striking at least one of them, police said. The man in the car escaped unscathed as people in the area heard the shots and called 911. A Santa Clara County sheriff's deputy aiding the manhunt found on nearby Forest Street a 13-year-old Gilroy boy who had been shot in the hand. He was taken to St. Louise Hospital and released. Gilroy detectives interviewed the boy and determined he was one of the suspected robbers. They arrested him on attempted robbery charges and released him to his mother. The casino employee was not arrested.
SC: Big black robber shot and killed by much smaller female clerk: "Deputies say a man is dead after the motel clerk he tried to sexually assault and rob early Monday morning fought back and killed him. Investigators say 43-year-old Vincent Carson of Orangeburg entered a Days Inn motel at 133 sometime before 6:00 a.m. As the female clerk went into the breakfast room to prepare breakfast, she found Carson waiting inside. The victim said Carson held a knife to her throat and said, "This is a robbery." Investigators said when her attacker slipped the knife into his pants pocket to begin tying her up with plastic ties, the woman pulled a handgun from under her shirt, turned, and fired into the man's chest at point blank range. Deputies say the victim was about 100 pounds lighter than Carson and stood at least a foot shorter than him. When deputies got to the scene, they found the suspect unresponsive on the floor. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Carson died from a single gunshot to the chest."
NC: Robbers shot at poker game: "Two men who police believe were trying to rob people at a high-stakes poker game in Raleigh late Monday were shot during a struggle, and one died, police said Tuesday. Officers responding to a reported robbery at 4809 Sweetbriar Drive, off East Millbrook Road, shortly after 11 p.m. found Brandon Dwain Shelton, 28, dead inside the house, and Brian Matthew Onley, 23, lying on the lawn with a gunshot wound in the arm. Witnesses told investigators that two men burst into the home wearing masks and carrying guns in an attempt to rob several poker players. A struggle ensued, and the two intruders were shot, police said. "Both of them had hoods on and ski masks on," a man who called 911 told a dispatcher. "(One) was shot with his own gun."
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Ind.: Witness claims man shot to death in self defense: "Greenwood Police and the people who knew Hans Lanham said he was a career criminal burglar and thief who would resist law enforcement. was paranoid on drugs, and would fight. It was a battle with another man Sunday night that cost Lanham his life. Lanham arrived unannounced at the Cedarbrook Apartments on West Smith Valley Road and attacked a man over a previous dispute a witness told Fox 59 News. Lanham was armed with a pair of beer bottles and threatened to stab the man when a friend stepped in. "He grabbed him and threw him to the ground and was on top of him. He was told several times to leave. One shot was fired and I think it hit him in the stomach." Police say the resident who fired the shot is cooperating with investigators and was not arrested."
NRA Sues D.C. Over Guns in Public Housing: "Current District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) rules forbid law-abiding residents from owning a firearm for any lawful purpose. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is supporting and financing a lawsuit to challenge this policy. The case is Scott v. District of Columbia Housing Authority. DCHA residents, just like all Americans, have a fundamental, individual right to keep firearms in their homes for self-defense. This right, affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark Heller and McDonald decisions, is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Denying anyone a basic right based on their zip code or tax bracket is unacceptable."
NRA Sues D.C. Over Guns in Public Housing: "Current District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) rules forbid law-abiding residents from owning a firearm for any lawful purpose. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is supporting and financing a lawsuit to challenge this policy. The case is Scott v. District of Columbia Housing Authority. DCHA residents, just like all Americans, have a fundamental, individual right to keep firearms in their homes for self-defense. This right, affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark Heller and McDonald decisions, is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Denying anyone a basic right based on their zip code or tax bracket is unacceptable."
Monday, July 25, 2011
WV: Oldster chases off robbers: "Frazier says the three men walked back by his house with guns they'd stolen from his son's house, saw that he'd freed himself, and started firing, leaving a total of 9 bullet holes on Frazier's walls. "When they started shooting into my house, that's when I started firing back," he said. Frazier says when he started shooting, the men ran back to their truck and took off. He then got another gun and made sure they got the point. "I ran out on the porch with an 11-hundred automatic and emptied it as they drove across the creek down here," he said. "I did my best to kill everyone of them." He says he hit the truck at least once on the rear-side window. He scared off the crooks and saved his own life"
Even Imaginary Guns Save Lives: "The situation could have gone either way: I could end up beaten or dead, or we could all go our separate ways. All I could think to do was to get to my backpack and find my phone. As I fumbled for the phone, I heard one of them say, “Does he have a gun?” So I kept my hand in my backpack, allowing them to wonder whether I was reaching for a gun. Then a couple of them started to run away, and the others soon followed. I got back on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could out of there. I’ve thought a lot about the turning point of the situation — the fact that one of them thought that I might have a gun. None of them said, “There’s a law against antigay hate crimes!” That wasn’t the deterrent. It was the possibility that I might have had a gun that saved my life Friday night."
Even Imaginary Guns Save Lives: "The situation could have gone either way: I could end up beaten or dead, or we could all go our separate ways. All I could think to do was to get to my backpack and find my phone. As I fumbled for the phone, I heard one of them say, “Does he have a gun?” So I kept my hand in my backpack, allowing them to wonder whether I was reaching for a gun. Then a couple of them started to run away, and the others soon followed. I got back on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could out of there. I’ve thought a lot about the turning point of the situation — the fact that one of them thought that I might have a gun. None of them said, “There’s a law against antigay hate crimes!” That wasn’t the deterrent. It was the possibility that I might have had a gun that saved my life Friday night."
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Shootout in Delaware Parking Lot: "Police in Smyrna are searching for five suspects after an armed robbery ended with a shootout in the parking lot of the Fairways Inn Saturday morning. Delaware State Police say the male victim was walking to his car carrying the night's proceeds from the business when a male suspect fired a shot at him. Police say the victim dropped the money while pulling his own gun and ran for cover behind several parked cars in the lot. They said the victim began shooting back at the male suspect. It was then, police say, that five other male suspects, all with hoods covering their heads, also began shooting at the victim. As this was occurring the first suspect picked up the money that the victim had dropped. All five suspects then fled on foot and were last seen running northbound on Rt. 13. No one was injured in the gunfire"
Colleges should not be 'defense-free' zones: "The issue of concealed carry on campus centers on the conflict between those who believe that firearms have no place in academic areas and those who believe that individuals who have the ability to defend themselves everywhere else should have the same ability on university campuses. The University of Virginia, like most public universities, maintains an open campus, meaning members of the public can come and go as they please. However, current university policy states that no person other than a law enforcement officer may possess or store a firearm or other weapon on campus. At first glance, this may appear to be a sensible policy, unless one examines its enforceability. On an open campus, there are no security checkpoints controlling who enters and exits — and no means of preventing weapons from entering the campus. Therefore, under such a policy, the only people who would be prevented from possessing weapons are those with no intention of committing crimes in the first place."
Colleges should not be 'defense-free' zones: "The issue of concealed carry on campus centers on the conflict between those who believe that firearms have no place in academic areas and those who believe that individuals who have the ability to defend themselves everywhere else should have the same ability on university campuses. The University of Virginia, like most public universities, maintains an open campus, meaning members of the public can come and go as they please. However, current university policy states that no person other than a law enforcement officer may possess or store a firearm or other weapon on campus. At first glance, this may appear to be a sensible policy, unless one examines its enforceability. On an open campus, there are no security checkpoints controlling who enters and exits — and no means of preventing weapons from entering the campus. Therefore, under such a policy, the only people who would be prevented from possessing weapons are those with no intention of committing crimes in the first place."
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Empire Strikes Back
Oliver North
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. -- "Will your Boykin hunt?" asked the young man, admiring the little red spaniel at my side. "Casey" wagged her tail and sat, patiently waiting for me to check out of the local farmers market with a basket of fresh peaches, corn and tomatoes.
"She's not yet a year old, but she already works well into the wind, can kick up a bird and if I shoot right and retrieves to hand," I replied with no small amount of hubris. The conversation abruptly shifted to international politics -- but not in the direction I expected. "What are you going to do with her once 'The Empire' bans your shotguns?" he asked.
For a moment, I was lost. "The Empire?" "Yeah," he said, "the U.N. -- the global imperial government in New York. 'The Empire' wants to control who can buy or keep a shotgun."
I'm used to strangers approaching me on topics such as hunting, the war, our troops serving in harm's way, the national debt, taxes and the endless list of presidential candidates. But it's unusual for an interlocutor to shift instantly from hunting to the United Nations. So I asked, "Why do you think that could happen while we still have a Second Amendment in our Constitution? The American people wouldn't stand for it."
"Do you really think 'We the People' are paying attention to what the U.N. is doing while we're distracted with everything else that's going on?"
It was a reasonable question -- and I concluded: "No, most people probably aren't engaged on this issue. But some of us are, and there are more than 80 million U.S. gun owners. I'm on the board of the National Rifle Association, and we're paying attention."
"Good," the young man replied with a smile, "because I helped elect you. I'm a life member of the NRA."
After paying for our produce, we spoke for a few more minutes in the parking lot. I again assured him that the NRA and organizations such as Freedom Alliance are doing their best to preserve Americans' individual liberties and protect U.S. sovereignty and security -- even though it often appears to be an uphill fight. I then went home to dig into what the globalists at the U.N. are preparing for us. As usual, it isn't good.
For five years now, various committees of the United Nations purport to have been drafting "an internationally acceptable Arms Trade Treaty" that "will make the world safer." If the U.N.'s "Open-Ended Working Group on an ATT" completes its "work" on time, the treaty will be voted on next year. The Obama administration is on record supporting the measure, claiming, "The United States is committed to actively pursuing a strong and robust treaty that contains the highest possible, legally binding standards for the international transfer of conventional weapons."
Earlier this month, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, went to the big blue building in New York to tell the America haters of the "Working Group," in unequivocal terms, why the current draft of the treaty is unacceptable: "The right to keep and bear arms in defense of self, family and country is ultimately self-evident and is part of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. Reduced to its core, it is about fundamental individual freedom, human worth and self-destiny." He noted that among the many flaws of the ATT, "a manufacturer of civilian shotguns would have to comply with the same regulatory process as a manufacturer of military attack helicopters."
Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon, who wrote the book on how the U.N. usurps U.S. sovereignty, "Diplomatic Divorce," says we shouldn't be surprised at the international forum's end run on the U.S. Constitution. "The U.N. is a global-leftist organization that uses multilateral treaties like the ATT to enforce their will upon all humankind. It's the ultimate power play. To them, the U.S. Constitution and the sovereign rights of American citizens are irrelevant. If they have their way, they will create a vast new international bureaucracy to document, regulate, track, supervise, inspect and maintain surveillance over every firearm ever made. Such a regime ought to be completely unacceptable to every American."
LaPierre and Kilgannon make clear that including civilian firearms in the ATT is unacceptable to the NRA and Freedom Alliance. Whether that will be sufficient to convince the Obama administration remains to be seen. But there is some good news in all of this.
As we parted ways at the local farmers market, my inquisitor stuck out his hand and said: "You served in the Marines. I was in the Army. We both took an oath to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States.' I hope that still matters." When he got into his truck, I noticed his license plate: Massachusetts. Home of Paul Revere, John Adams, John Hancock. When an empire struck at Americans in 1775, they knew what to do. Let's hope we still do.
SOURCE
OH: Robbery suspects' plan backfires when shot by victim: "Police arrested two men Friday morning after they attempted to rob a scrap yard on Quincy Avenue. Two pair tried to rob Advanced Iron & Metal in the 7000 block of Quincy Avenue about 11 a.m. They fired guns several times at an employee, grazing his stomach. The injured man returned fire, hitting one suspect twice in the leg, according to a news release for the Cleveland Police Department. The men fled on foot. Police arrested the injured suspect at the corner of Quincy and East 69th Street. He was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. The second suspect was arrested near the scrap yard."
Oliver North
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. -- "Will your Boykin hunt?" asked the young man, admiring the little red spaniel at my side. "Casey" wagged her tail and sat, patiently waiting for me to check out of the local farmers market with a basket of fresh peaches, corn and tomatoes.
"She's not yet a year old, but she already works well into the wind, can kick up a bird and if I shoot right and retrieves to hand," I replied with no small amount of hubris. The conversation abruptly shifted to international politics -- but not in the direction I expected. "What are you going to do with her once 'The Empire' bans your shotguns?" he asked.
For a moment, I was lost. "The Empire?" "Yeah," he said, "the U.N. -- the global imperial government in New York. 'The Empire' wants to control who can buy or keep a shotgun."
I'm used to strangers approaching me on topics such as hunting, the war, our troops serving in harm's way, the national debt, taxes and the endless list of presidential candidates. But it's unusual for an interlocutor to shift instantly from hunting to the United Nations. So I asked, "Why do you think that could happen while we still have a Second Amendment in our Constitution? The American people wouldn't stand for it."
"Do you really think 'We the People' are paying attention to what the U.N. is doing while we're distracted with everything else that's going on?"
It was a reasonable question -- and I concluded: "No, most people probably aren't engaged on this issue. But some of us are, and there are more than 80 million U.S. gun owners. I'm on the board of the National Rifle Association, and we're paying attention."
"Good," the young man replied with a smile, "because I helped elect you. I'm a life member of the NRA."
After paying for our produce, we spoke for a few more minutes in the parking lot. I again assured him that the NRA and organizations such as Freedom Alliance are doing their best to preserve Americans' individual liberties and protect U.S. sovereignty and security -- even though it often appears to be an uphill fight. I then went home to dig into what the globalists at the U.N. are preparing for us. As usual, it isn't good.
For five years now, various committees of the United Nations purport to have been drafting "an internationally acceptable Arms Trade Treaty" that "will make the world safer." If the U.N.'s "Open-Ended Working Group on an ATT" completes its "work" on time, the treaty will be voted on next year. The Obama administration is on record supporting the measure, claiming, "The United States is committed to actively pursuing a strong and robust treaty that contains the highest possible, legally binding standards for the international transfer of conventional weapons."
Earlier this month, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, went to the big blue building in New York to tell the America haters of the "Working Group," in unequivocal terms, why the current draft of the treaty is unacceptable: "The right to keep and bear arms in defense of self, family and country is ultimately self-evident and is part of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. Reduced to its core, it is about fundamental individual freedom, human worth and self-destiny." He noted that among the many flaws of the ATT, "a manufacturer of civilian shotguns would have to comply with the same regulatory process as a manufacturer of military attack helicopters."
Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon, who wrote the book on how the U.N. usurps U.S. sovereignty, "Diplomatic Divorce," says we shouldn't be surprised at the international forum's end run on the U.S. Constitution. "The U.N. is a global-leftist organization that uses multilateral treaties like the ATT to enforce their will upon all humankind. It's the ultimate power play. To them, the U.S. Constitution and the sovereign rights of American citizens are irrelevant. If they have their way, they will create a vast new international bureaucracy to document, regulate, track, supervise, inspect and maintain surveillance over every firearm ever made. Such a regime ought to be completely unacceptable to every American."
LaPierre and Kilgannon make clear that including civilian firearms in the ATT is unacceptable to the NRA and Freedom Alliance. Whether that will be sufficient to convince the Obama administration remains to be seen. But there is some good news in all of this.
As we parted ways at the local farmers market, my inquisitor stuck out his hand and said: "You served in the Marines. I was in the Army. We both took an oath to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States.' I hope that still matters." When he got into his truck, I noticed his license plate: Massachusetts. Home of Paul Revere, John Adams, John Hancock. When an empire struck at Americans in 1775, they knew what to do. Let's hope we still do.
SOURCE
OH: Robbery suspects' plan backfires when shot by victim: "Police arrested two men Friday morning after they attempted to rob a scrap yard on Quincy Avenue. Two pair tried to rob Advanced Iron & Metal in the 7000 block of Quincy Avenue about 11 a.m. They fired guns several times at an employee, grazing his stomach. The injured man returned fire, hitting one suspect twice in the leg, according to a news release for the Cleveland Police Department. The men fled on foot. Police arrested the injured suspect at the corner of Quincy and East 69th Street. He was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. The second suspect was arrested near the scrap yard."
Friday, July 22, 2011
AZ: Employee and boss take on robbers: "Peyron, 21, is charged with murder in the death of his friend Noah Lopez, 18. He was charged under a law that makes someone culpable for murder if another dies during the commission of certain felonies, even if he did not kill the person. Montes told jurors he believes it was Stith who forced him at gunpoint into M&M Customs, 3040 N. Stone Ave. The Peyron brothers and Lopez forced his boss, Anthony Mendoza, inside, too, Montes said. As they got near the office door, Montes said he pushed Mendoza inside the office, knowing Mendoza had a shotgun there. As they yelled, Montes said Mendoza opened the door and fired one round from the shotgun. One of the men, later identified as Lopez, fled out the back door, and Montes said he grabbed his 9 mm handgun from a toolbox and took off after him. When he got outside, Lopez turned around and fired two shots at him, missing him both times, Montes said. He fired twice at Lopez. Deputy Pima County Attorney Mark Diebolt told jurors Lopez was found nearby, dead from a 9 mm gunshot wound."
La.: Armed clerk turns tables on would-be robbers: "The surveillance video shows two men bursting in, both armed. But the clerk behind the counter wasn't the only employee in the store. "Another worker, he was in the back of the store, he came out. When they hear him coming out they run to him," said store co-owner Amin Salah. Salah continued, explaining that the employee in the back of the store diverted attention away long enough to give Amin's little brother Fayez the moment he needed behind the counter to reach down and grab their 9-millimeter handgun. Fayez, known by customers by his nickname of 'Foo Foo' can be seen firing several rounds while still on his knees behind the counter. From their entry to exit those armed robbers were only in the store 12-seconds and were not hit by the unexpected gunfire that sent them scrambling out"
U.N. Arms Trade treaty: "It is apparent that small arms and ammunition will be included in the ATT final draft that will be hammered out at the month-long negotiating conference in July 2012. Small arms and ammunition have been the focus of much of the discussions by the delegates. While this was expected from many less developed states, the vehement and strident comments suggesting the scope of the proposed ATT be broadened by Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland and Norway were somewhat surprising."
La.: Armed clerk turns tables on would-be robbers: "The surveillance video shows two men bursting in, both armed. But the clerk behind the counter wasn't the only employee in the store. "Another worker, he was in the back of the store, he came out. When they hear him coming out they run to him," said store co-owner Amin Salah. Salah continued, explaining that the employee in the back of the store diverted attention away long enough to give Amin's little brother Fayez the moment he needed behind the counter to reach down and grab their 9-millimeter handgun. Fayez, known by customers by his nickname of 'Foo Foo' can be seen firing several rounds while still on his knees behind the counter. From their entry to exit those armed robbers were only in the store 12-seconds and were not hit by the unexpected gunfire that sent them scrambling out"
U.N. Arms Trade treaty: "It is apparent that small arms and ammunition will be included in the ATT final draft that will be hammered out at the month-long negotiating conference in July 2012. Small arms and ammunition have been the focus of much of the discussions by the delegates. While this was expected from many less developed states, the vehement and strident comments suggesting the scope of the proposed ATT be broadened by Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland and Norway were somewhat surprising."
Thursday, July 21, 2011
KY: Man Shoots Intruder In Self-Defense: "A Knott County man shoots his wife's brother and says he did it to defend his home and family. Paul Maggard says Caudill, his wife's brother, was upset over a family issue and came to his home threatening to burn it down. So he fired several warning shots, but that didn't deter Caudill. When Caudill continued to come after him, Maggard fired again, this time hitting him. "I thought I hit him in the arm or leg, he just turned around and said 'oh,' and took off and got in the car and left," said Maggard. According to police, Caudill was hit in the abdomen. When they found him down the road from the scene, he was taken to Hazard ARH for treatment. "He just lucky he's living," said Maggard. State Police are investigating, but say it appears Maggard was within his rights when he shot Caudill."
CA: IHOP shooter found not guilty on all counts: "Sutter County jurors on Wednesday found a Fresno man not guilty on all counts in the March shooting of Obadiah Samuel Mitchell at the Yuba City IHOP restaurant. Jessie Hipolito Pena, 44, was charged with attempting to murder Mitchell after confronting him inside the restaurant for using profanity. Pena said he saw a metal object in Mitchell's hand, telling police at first he thought it was a gun. Later, he said it might have been a knife or an antenna. He fired once, hitting Mitchell in the chest."
Oklahoma City man cleared in shooting of burglary suspects: "An Oklahoma City man who shot two teenage burglary suspects last week has been cleared of wrongdoing. Michael O. Gulley, 54, shot the two suspects July 13 after they pried aside burglar bars at his home, kicked in the front door and started to enter, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said. Gulley was inside his house at 201 NW 87. Both suspects, Anthony Ricks, 17, and Kristen Franklin, 15, survived and have been arrested. “Mr. Gilley was lawfully justified in the use of deadly force,” Prater wrote on a form after meeting with police Tuesday."
The (gun) law of unintended consequences: "I live in the South, where the Summer heat is the stuff of which legends are made. ... Now of course, nobody dies of heatstroke on purpose. But if you are sans cool air and afraid for your life and property to open a couple of windows or a door, (remember, the heat makes people do crazy things, and things get pretty crazy in the ‘hood, heat or not), you may have just signed your own death warrant. Damned if you do/damned if you don’t is no way to live. But for thousands of low-income citizens, that’s the choice they get to make, because gun laws won’t allow them to arm themselves to protect their own lives and property."
CA: IHOP shooter found not guilty on all counts: "Sutter County jurors on Wednesday found a Fresno man not guilty on all counts in the March shooting of Obadiah Samuel Mitchell at the Yuba City IHOP restaurant. Jessie Hipolito Pena, 44, was charged with attempting to murder Mitchell after confronting him inside the restaurant for using profanity. Pena said he saw a metal object in Mitchell's hand, telling police at first he thought it was a gun. Later, he said it might have been a knife or an antenna. He fired once, hitting Mitchell in the chest."
Oklahoma City man cleared in shooting of burglary suspects: "An Oklahoma City man who shot two teenage burglary suspects last week has been cleared of wrongdoing. Michael O. Gulley, 54, shot the two suspects July 13 after they pried aside burglar bars at his home, kicked in the front door and started to enter, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said. Gulley was inside his house at 201 NW 87. Both suspects, Anthony Ricks, 17, and Kristen Franklin, 15, survived and have been arrested. “Mr. Gilley was lawfully justified in the use of deadly force,” Prater wrote on a form after meeting with police Tuesday."
The (gun) law of unintended consequences: "I live in the South, where the Summer heat is the stuff of which legends are made. ... Now of course, nobody dies of heatstroke on purpose. But if you are sans cool air and afraid for your life and property to open a couple of windows or a door, (remember, the heat makes people do crazy things, and things get pretty crazy in the ‘hood, heat or not), you may have just signed your own death warrant. Damned if you do/damned if you don’t is no way to live. But for thousands of low-income citizens, that’s the choice they get to make, because gun laws won’t allow them to arm themselves to protect their own lives and property."
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
IA: Congressman, grandson fight off armed intruder: "An eight-term congressman from Iowa helped fight off an armed man who invaded his farm house in Decatur County and attacked his daughter .... after hearing his daughter's screams, the congressman 'entered the walkway of their house and immediately went for the guy's gun and was wrestling with him' .... While the two scuffled, Boswell's grandson Mitchell grabbed a loaded .12-gauge shotgun from a nearby room and confronted the intruder, who then fled into the surrounding field and reportedly was still on the run."
WA: Man not charged for death in Park shootings: "The man responsible for a death in a Lake Sammamish State Park shootout last July acted in self-defense and is shielded from prosecution under state law. King County prosecutors and investigators said a then-21-year-old Renton man gunned down Justin Cunningham, 30, amid the July 17, 2010, shootout. Investigators also determined that Cunningham shot and killed Yang Keovongphet, 33, before the Renton man killed Cunningham. Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff for King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, said investigators relied on forensic evidence from firearms used in the gun battle and bystanders’ interviews to re-create the chaotic moments in the park at about 9 p.m. on a Saturday, just after sunset. Investigators determined Cunningham pulled a gun as a disagreement between groups picnicking in the park escalated into a fistfight. Then, gunshots ruined the calm night. “When you’re getting shot at, or your friends or your group people are getting shot at, then you shoot back, it’s in self defense,” Goodhew said.
Cloudy self-defense rights in Canada: "As it now stands the private individual when taking action against what appears to be a threat to them or to their property stands a good chance of being charged with one or more crimes under the criminal code. Clearly there is a need to have this section of the criminal code revised. To do that, there is now an effort in Ottawa to reintroduce Bill C60, the Citizen's Arrest and Self Defense Act. The intent of this act is to ensure protection from prosecution for homeowners and those acting in self defence. It's long overdue. Until this or some other legislation that clarifies all this is put into law, as a firearm owner the question one is faced with is that when prowlers are detected on one's property, does one pick up a firearm before investigating?
WA: Man not charged for death in Park shootings: "The man responsible for a death in a Lake Sammamish State Park shootout last July acted in self-defense and is shielded from prosecution under state law. King County prosecutors and investigators said a then-21-year-old Renton man gunned down Justin Cunningham, 30, amid the July 17, 2010, shootout. Investigators also determined that Cunningham shot and killed Yang Keovongphet, 33, before the Renton man killed Cunningham. Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff for King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, said investigators relied on forensic evidence from firearms used in the gun battle and bystanders’ interviews to re-create the chaotic moments in the park at about 9 p.m. on a Saturday, just after sunset. Investigators determined Cunningham pulled a gun as a disagreement between groups picnicking in the park escalated into a fistfight. Then, gunshots ruined the calm night. “When you’re getting shot at, or your friends or your group people are getting shot at, then you shoot back, it’s in self defense,” Goodhew said.
Cloudy self-defense rights in Canada: "As it now stands the private individual when taking action against what appears to be a threat to them or to their property stands a good chance of being charged with one or more crimes under the criminal code. Clearly there is a need to have this section of the criminal code revised. To do that, there is now an effort in Ottawa to reintroduce Bill C60, the Citizen's Arrest and Self Defense Act. The intent of this act is to ensure protection from prosecution for homeowners and those acting in self defence. It's long overdue. Until this or some other legislation that clarifies all this is put into law, as a firearm owner the question one is faced with is that when prowlers are detected on one's property, does one pick up a firearm before investigating?
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Multiple wins for gun rights in Congress
The NRA-ILA is reporting on recent wins for gun rights in the U.S. Congress.
First was a House of Representatives Appropriations Committee amendment to the 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill to block an attempt by the Obama Justice Department to require firearms dealers in southern border states to report any person who purchased more than one semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This would have enabled the BATFE to create the first phase of a national gun registration database.
Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), sponsor of the amendment, noted: “For more than a decade, efforts to track rifle purchases and create a national gun registry have failed to gain support in Congress, so the ATF is working to implement these regulations using rules written by unelected bureaucrats.”
In addition to the infringement on Second Amendment rights, the affected firearms dealers worried about the increased workload and potential unintentional technical violations that could result in large fines or loss of their Federal Firearms License.
The Appropriations Committee also passed another amendment to kill a BATFE plan to prohibit the import of shotguns with "dangerous" features such as adjustable stocks and extended magazine tubes, features that are favored by sportsman and improve suitability for home defense.
Another win was the defeat of yet another attempt to deny gun ownership based soley on the FBI's "terrorist watch list." Not only has that list been proven arbitrary and too often mistaken, the U.S. Constitution does not allow any civil rights to be denied by bureaucratic order with no due process of law.
Also defeated was another attempt to overturn the Tiahrt Amendment, which is universally hated by gun control groups for prohibiting them access to the BATFE firearms trace database to be misused to further their gun control agenda.
Next, Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) teamed up with two other representatives to get an amendment passed to counter an Army Corps of Engineers regulation to ban firearms posession on 11 million acres of land and water managed by the Corp which would deny self defense rights to thousands of sportsman.
The NRA-ILA warned that these committee victories are not the final word on the matter as the anti-gun Obama administration will get the opportunity to try to prevail in the full House and recommends contacting your U.S. representatives to ensure freedom is protected.
Source
ATF chief: Response to gun-tracking inquiry a “disaster”: "he acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the Justice Department has been withholding key information from congressional officials and that the department sought to protect its political appointees from criticism over a failed anti-gun trafficking operation that allowed hundreds of weapons to be smuggled to Mexico."
Tax dollars for gun smugglers?: "Well, the other shoe has dropped. We’ve known for several months that the Obama Administration was turning a blind eye to — and even encouraged — suspected gun smugglers who were purchasing firearms from gun stores in the southwest. But now we know the rest of the story: Your tax money was probably being used to buy many of those guns that were later sent to Mexico"
The NRA-ILA is reporting on recent wins for gun rights in the U.S. Congress.
First was a House of Representatives Appropriations Committee amendment to the 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill to block an attempt by the Obama Justice Department to require firearms dealers in southern border states to report any person who purchased more than one semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This would have enabled the BATFE to create the first phase of a national gun registration database.
Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), sponsor of the amendment, noted: “For more than a decade, efforts to track rifle purchases and create a national gun registry have failed to gain support in Congress, so the ATF is working to implement these regulations using rules written by unelected bureaucrats.”
In addition to the infringement on Second Amendment rights, the affected firearms dealers worried about the increased workload and potential unintentional technical violations that could result in large fines or loss of their Federal Firearms License.
The Appropriations Committee also passed another amendment to kill a BATFE plan to prohibit the import of shotguns with "dangerous" features such as adjustable stocks and extended magazine tubes, features that are favored by sportsman and improve suitability for home defense.
Another win was the defeat of yet another attempt to deny gun ownership based soley on the FBI's "terrorist watch list." Not only has that list been proven arbitrary and too often mistaken, the U.S. Constitution does not allow any civil rights to be denied by bureaucratic order with no due process of law.
Also defeated was another attempt to overturn the Tiahrt Amendment, which is universally hated by gun control groups for prohibiting them access to the BATFE firearms trace database to be misused to further their gun control agenda.
Next, Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) teamed up with two other representatives to get an amendment passed to counter an Army Corps of Engineers regulation to ban firearms posession on 11 million acres of land and water managed by the Corp which would deny self defense rights to thousands of sportsman.
The NRA-ILA warned that these committee victories are not the final word on the matter as the anti-gun Obama administration will get the opportunity to try to prevail in the full House and recommends contacting your U.S. representatives to ensure freedom is protected.
Source
ATF chief: Response to gun-tracking inquiry a “disaster”: "he acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the Justice Department has been withholding key information from congressional officials and that the department sought to protect its political appointees from criticism over a failed anti-gun trafficking operation that allowed hundreds of weapons to be smuggled to Mexico."
Tax dollars for gun smugglers?: "Well, the other shoe has dropped. We’ve known for several months that the Obama Administration was turning a blind eye to — and even encouraged — suspected gun smugglers who were purchasing firearms from gun stores in the southwest. But now we know the rest of the story: Your tax money was probably being used to buy many of those guns that were later sent to Mexico"
Monday, July 18, 2011
NV: Homeowner shoots intruders: "He says it started when a man and woman showed up at his door asking for his roommate. David told them they could wait inside. When David wasn't looking, he says they snuck in two more men. "While the male distracted me, by asking me to get him a cup of water, the female let the other two in," he describes. That's when the group of four allegedly pulled out guns, and started beating-up David. David says he pretended he got knocked out, so the intruders left him in the kitchen, and started going through the apartment. Little did they know, David keeps a gun in the kitchen. "I was lucky enough where they stopped paying attention to me long enough where I could grab my gun," he says. "I came up and I fired at the one that was standing with a gun." The intruder who was hit by the bullet, managed to run out of the apartment with two of the others. But one armed man was still inside, and coming toward David. So David says he fired again, killing that last intruder."
NRA's Wayne LaPierre Addresses U.N. "Anti-Gun Elitists": "I just (7/15) delivered a message to those anti-gun elitists at the United Nations, who are meeting to discuss ways to craft an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that could go after your Right to Keep and Bear Arms. I want you to see for yourself the message that was delivered on behalf of America's gun owners.... "This present effort for an Arms Trade Treaty, or ATT, is now in its fifth year. We have closely monitored this process with increasing concern. We've watched, and read ... listened and monitored. Now, we must speak out. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms in defense of self, family and country is ultimately self-evident and is part of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. Reduced to its core, it is about fundamental individual freedom, human worth, and self-destiny. We reject the notion that American gun owners must accept any lesser amount of freedom in order to be accepted among the international community...."
NRA's Wayne LaPierre Addresses U.N. "Anti-Gun Elitists": "I just (7/15) delivered a message to those anti-gun elitists at the United Nations, who are meeting to discuss ways to craft an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that could go after your Right to Keep and Bear Arms. I want you to see for yourself the message that was delivered on behalf of America's gun owners.... "This present effort for an Arms Trade Treaty, or ATT, is now in its fifth year. We have closely monitored this process with increasing concern. We've watched, and read ... listened and monitored. Now, we must speak out. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms in defense of self, family and country is ultimately self-evident and is part of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. Reduced to its core, it is about fundamental individual freedom, human worth, and self-destiny. We reject the notion that American gun owners must accept any lesser amount of freedom in order to be accepted among the international community...."
Sunday, July 17, 2011
La.: Bullet casing exonerates man: "Within days, prosecutors are expected to drop murder charges against Gerald Needham, the man arrested in April's triple-murder at Norris Appliance Center in Bossier City. That development is thanks in large part to a bullet casing found in a robbery at Emerson's convenience store in Haughton that matched the casings from the murder scene. More than a month later, deputies arrested 32-year old Robert Clark in the hold-up. Since then, KSLA News 12 has confirmed that the gun used in the armed robbery was also used in the Bossier triple murder. It had been stolen from a car outside of Deja-vu strip club, where Clark worked. Authorities had already arrested 39-year old Gerald Needham, and charged him with three counts of first-degree murder. He was locked-up when the Emerson's hold-up took place. Bossier District Attorney Schuyler Marvin now confirms that Clark is a person of interest in the murders. He plans says he plans to drop the murder charges against Needham him early next week because there is too much reasonable doubt to continue."
TX: Car thieves stopped: "San Antonio police are looking for some carjacking suspects who took a man's car early Wednesday morning. The victim and a friend found the thieves and had a gun battle rolling down a west-side street, police said. At least two men took the victim's Cadillac, police said. He reportedly got a friend in a pickup truck to follow his stolen car. Investigators said the result was an exchange of gunfire. The suspects were firing with a .9mm handgun. The alleged victim had a 12-gauge shotgun. Police said the shootout ended in the 2200 block of Horal. The stolen car crashed near Rainbow Baptist Church. The victim and his friend stopped at Horal and Marbach." Police said the victim and his friend are not expected to face criminal charges because state law allows the use of deadly force during these kids of crimes."
TN: Man shoots stepson in self-defense: "A New Tazewell man shot his stepson in self-defense last week according to police reports. Sgt. Brindle reported that it was discovered through the course of the investigation that Edens had been arguing with his mother, at which time he began physically assaulting her. Mr. Bell was in his bedroom when the assault began and could hear his wife screaming. The report further states that Mr. Bell got into his wheelchair to go and see what was happening and entered the living room where he observed his wife being assaulted by Edens. Mr. Bell yelled for him to stop and at that point, Edens came toward him and struck him across the face and Mr. Bell attempted to push him away but the defendant came at him again and continued assaulting him. Mr. Bell pulled a .38 caliber revolver from under the seat of his wheelchair and fired a shot striking the defendant in the forearm.
TX: Car thieves stopped: "San Antonio police are looking for some carjacking suspects who took a man's car early Wednesday morning. The victim and a friend found the thieves and had a gun battle rolling down a west-side street, police said. At least two men took the victim's Cadillac, police said. He reportedly got a friend in a pickup truck to follow his stolen car. Investigators said the result was an exchange of gunfire. The suspects were firing with a .9mm handgun. The alleged victim had a 12-gauge shotgun. Police said the shootout ended in the 2200 block of Horal. The stolen car crashed near Rainbow Baptist Church. The victim and his friend stopped at Horal and Marbach." Police said the victim and his friend are not expected to face criminal charges because state law allows the use of deadly force during these kids of crimes."
TN: Man shoots stepson in self-defense: "A New Tazewell man shot his stepson in self-defense last week according to police reports. Sgt. Brindle reported that it was discovered through the course of the investigation that Edens had been arguing with his mother, at which time he began physically assaulting her. Mr. Bell was in his bedroom when the assault began and could hear his wife screaming. The report further states that Mr. Bell got into his wheelchair to go and see what was happening and entered the living room where he observed his wife being assaulted by Edens. Mr. Bell yelled for him to stop and at that point, Edens came toward him and struck him across the face and Mr. Bell attempted to push him away but the defendant came at him again and continued assaulting him. Mr. Bell pulled a .38 caliber revolver from under the seat of his wheelchair and fired a shot striking the defendant in the forearm.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
GA: Attempt to rob didn't reckon with off-duty officer: "Authorities say it was a failed robbery involving an off duty Atlantic County Corrections Officer that resulted in the shooting there just before 9:00 Thursday night. 25 year-old Sean Czerwinski was accompanying a family member, who had put headphones up for sale on craigslist, when he was asked to meet in Pleasantville to make a potential sale. "At some point, according to the facts we have now, at least one of the males who came walking down West Jersey Avenue (the men who were interested in buying the item) in discussing the sale, produced a handgun, pointed it at the fellow attempting to sell the headphones and demanded money," said Atlantic County Prosecutor, Ted Housel. Authorities say moments later, Czerwinski, a two-year veteran at the Atlantic County Jail, opened the door, and fired, killing 20 year-old Richard Roe of Atlantic City"
IL: Fatal shooting was self-defense, judge rules: "A Cook County judge ruled today that a South Side man acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man who accosted him and his daughters at a bus stop on Super Bowl Sunday last year. Elliot Mayfield, 53, looked back at his family in triumph and then dabbed at his eyes with a tissue after Judge Maura Slattery Boyle acquitted him of first- and second-degree murder in the Feb. 7, 2010, slaying of Samuel Fullilove, 33. According to testimony in the bench trial, Fullilove had been celebrating the Super Bowl victory by the New Orleans Saints and was extremely intoxicated when he approached Mayfield and his two daughters -- 15 and 11 -- and their young friend as they waited for a bus at 6114 S. King Dr. After Fullilove became aggressive, Mayfield showed him the gun and said, “I’ll use it.” Fullilove walked away but came back moments later and was captured on a city surveillance camera swinging his fists at Mayfield. Mayfield did not face weapons charges."
PA: Homeowner shoots at intruders: "The homeowner told officers that he was in bed sleeping when he was awakened around 3:40 a.m. by a noise outside his home. 'He noticed there was some activity outside the residence with several flashlights, and moments later, a male opened the door that had previously been damaged in the first burglary,' Mascellino said. The man told police he got a handgun and fired two shots at the man, who yelled toward at least one other person and then ran into some nearby woods."
MT: Gun activist takes aim at US regulatory power: "With a homemade .22-caliber rifle he calls the Montana Buckaroo, Gary Marbut dreams of taking down the federal regulatory state. He's not planning to fire his gun. Instead, he wants to sell it, free from federal laws requiring him to record transactions, pay license fees and open his business to government inspectors."
IL: Fatal shooting was self-defense, judge rules: "A Cook County judge ruled today that a South Side man acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man who accosted him and his daughters at a bus stop on Super Bowl Sunday last year. Elliot Mayfield, 53, looked back at his family in triumph and then dabbed at his eyes with a tissue after Judge Maura Slattery Boyle acquitted him of first- and second-degree murder in the Feb. 7, 2010, slaying of Samuel Fullilove, 33. According to testimony in the bench trial, Fullilove had been celebrating the Super Bowl victory by the New Orleans Saints and was extremely intoxicated when he approached Mayfield and his two daughters -- 15 and 11 -- and their young friend as they waited for a bus at 6114 S. King Dr. After Fullilove became aggressive, Mayfield showed him the gun and said, “I’ll use it.” Fullilove walked away but came back moments later and was captured on a city surveillance camera swinging his fists at Mayfield. Mayfield did not face weapons charges."
PA: Homeowner shoots at intruders: "The homeowner told officers that he was in bed sleeping when he was awakened around 3:40 a.m. by a noise outside his home. 'He noticed there was some activity outside the residence with several flashlights, and moments later, a male opened the door that had previously been damaged in the first burglary,' Mascellino said. The man told police he got a handgun and fired two shots at the man, who yelled toward at least one other person and then ran into some nearby woods."
MT: Gun activist takes aim at US regulatory power: "With a homemade .22-caliber rifle he calls the Montana Buckaroo, Gary Marbut dreams of taking down the federal regulatory state. He's not planning to fire his gun. Instead, he wants to sell it, free from federal laws requiring him to record transactions, pay license fees and open his business to government inspectors."
Friday, July 15, 2011
Chicago's long, hot summer of gun violence
Every day I click on the Chicago Tribune website and every day it seems I read a headline like this: "At least 11 wounded across city on steamy night" A headline from the day before indicated that 2 were dead and at least 11 wounded on Saturday night.
The city that has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation - and vigorously enforced - is a shooting gallery. Here are some of the latest victims:
* A 13-year-old boy told police that he was standing on the street in the 7200 block of South Campbell Avenue at about 12:25 a.m., when he heard gunshots and realized he'd been shot in the leg, police said.
The boy was taken Holy Cross, where he was being treated. Police couldn't offer a motive for the shooting, but Chicago Lawn District officers said the boy denied being in a street gang.
* Just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, a man and woman were sitting in the vehicle in the 7200 block of South Dobson Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood when police said a gunman inside a dark-colored vehicle pulled up alongside them and opened fire.
The man, 54, was struck in the eye, while the woman, 56, was struck in the head, said police, citing early reports. Despite the wounds, both victims were talking at the scene and were taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.
* At about 1:50 a.m. Monday, a 31-year-old man was with a group of friends getting into a car in the 5500 block of South Pulaski Road when his group began arguing with a man in another vehicle, police said.
The man got out, pulled a handgun and opened fire, striking the victim in the upper back and delivering a graze wound to his head, police said.
The victim's friends drove him to Holy Cross Hospital before he was transferred to Christ, where his condition was described as "guarded," police said.
No arrests were made in any of the shootings. No arrests - and no answers - for why Chicago has as many casualties on some nights as a city in a war zone.
Source
PA: Mugger shot: "One man was killed and another injured early Thursday morning in Aliquippa after gunfire broke out during a robbery attempt on the street. Jiwan Bailey, 19, of Penn Hills, was killed by a bullet to the chest, according to Aliquippa police Chief Ralph Pallante. The chief said Mr. Bailey and two others tried to rob Lucien Roberts, 26, and Brian Elmore Jr., 21, both of Aliquippa, around 2:14 a.m. in the 100 block of Fifth Avenue. When someone in the trio pulled a gun, Mr. Roberts drew his handgun. There was a tussle and Mr. Roberts' gun went off, striking Mr. Bailey in the chest, the chief said. After the shots went off, Mr. Bailey's companions ran away, and Mr. Roberts called 911. Chief Pallante said Mr. Roberts was cooperative and there were no plans to charge him."
HI: Charges not refiled against farmer who shot thief dead: "Whatever happened to the case against a Kahuku farmer who was charged with murder after fatally shooting a man who allegedly threatened him while trying to steal his crops in 2004? Answer: The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said it has closed the case against farmer Khamxath Baccam and will not refile criminal charges after a judge dismissed a second-degree murder charge in 2006. Baccam was accused of fatally shooting Marcelino Pacheco, 38, who was found dead on Malaekahana Road on Sept. 7, 2004, after Baccam walked into the Wahiawa District Police Station to report the incident. Baccam fired a shotgun in self-defense because he “faced a terrifying encounter and felt the need to protect himself,” his attorney, Todd Eddins, said at a Sept. 14, 2004, court hearing. Acting Circuit Judge Hilary Gangnes dismissed the second-degree murder charge on Nov. 8, 2006, because the prosecutor’s office took longer than 180 days to bring the case to trial, in violation of Hawaii’s speedy trial law."
D.C. wants to open gun shop in police facilities: "D.C. Mayor Vince Gray's administration is asking for a zoning change that would allow a gun dealer to set up shop in police headquarters and other police facilities. Zoning rules and a small gun market have left the city without a licensed federal arms dealers since April, making it impossible for District residents to legally buy guns. Earlier this week, D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson chose not to introduce a bill he wrote that would have created a city agency to play the role of gun dealer, because Mendelson said the Gray administration was close to finding a solution for the city's lone gun dealer. It appears the solution is to allow licensed dealers to sell their wares from inside police stations."
Every day I click on the Chicago Tribune website and every day it seems I read a headline like this: "At least 11 wounded across city on steamy night" A headline from the day before indicated that 2 were dead and at least 11 wounded on Saturday night.
The city that has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation - and vigorously enforced - is a shooting gallery. Here are some of the latest victims:
* A 13-year-old boy told police that he was standing on the street in the 7200 block of South Campbell Avenue at about 12:25 a.m., when he heard gunshots and realized he'd been shot in the leg, police said.
The boy was taken Holy Cross, where he was being treated. Police couldn't offer a motive for the shooting, but Chicago Lawn District officers said the boy denied being in a street gang.
* Just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, a man and woman were sitting in the vehicle in the 7200 block of South Dobson Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood when police said a gunman inside a dark-colored vehicle pulled up alongside them and opened fire.
The man, 54, was struck in the eye, while the woman, 56, was struck in the head, said police, citing early reports. Despite the wounds, both victims were talking at the scene and were taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.
* At about 1:50 a.m. Monday, a 31-year-old man was with a group of friends getting into a car in the 5500 block of South Pulaski Road when his group began arguing with a man in another vehicle, police said.
The man got out, pulled a handgun and opened fire, striking the victim in the upper back and delivering a graze wound to his head, police said.
The victim's friends drove him to Holy Cross Hospital before he was transferred to Christ, where his condition was described as "guarded," police said.
No arrests were made in any of the shootings. No arrests - and no answers - for why Chicago has as many casualties on some nights as a city in a war zone.
Source
PA: Mugger shot: "One man was killed and another injured early Thursday morning in Aliquippa after gunfire broke out during a robbery attempt on the street. Jiwan Bailey, 19, of Penn Hills, was killed by a bullet to the chest, according to Aliquippa police Chief Ralph Pallante. The chief said Mr. Bailey and two others tried to rob Lucien Roberts, 26, and Brian Elmore Jr., 21, both of Aliquippa, around 2:14 a.m. in the 100 block of Fifth Avenue. When someone in the trio pulled a gun, Mr. Roberts drew his handgun. There was a tussle and Mr. Roberts' gun went off, striking Mr. Bailey in the chest, the chief said. After the shots went off, Mr. Bailey's companions ran away, and Mr. Roberts called 911. Chief Pallante said Mr. Roberts was cooperative and there were no plans to charge him."
HI: Charges not refiled against farmer who shot thief dead: "Whatever happened to the case against a Kahuku farmer who was charged with murder after fatally shooting a man who allegedly threatened him while trying to steal his crops in 2004? Answer: The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said it has closed the case against farmer Khamxath Baccam and will not refile criminal charges after a judge dismissed a second-degree murder charge in 2006. Baccam was accused of fatally shooting Marcelino Pacheco, 38, who was found dead on Malaekahana Road on Sept. 7, 2004, after Baccam walked into the Wahiawa District Police Station to report the incident. Baccam fired a shotgun in self-defense because he “faced a terrifying encounter and felt the need to protect himself,” his attorney, Todd Eddins, said at a Sept. 14, 2004, court hearing. Acting Circuit Judge Hilary Gangnes dismissed the second-degree murder charge on Nov. 8, 2006, because the prosecutor’s office took longer than 180 days to bring the case to trial, in violation of Hawaii’s speedy trial law."
D.C. wants to open gun shop in police facilities: "D.C. Mayor Vince Gray's administration is asking for a zoning change that would allow a gun dealer to set up shop in police headquarters and other police facilities. Zoning rules and a small gun market have left the city without a licensed federal arms dealers since April, making it impossible for District residents to legally buy guns. Earlier this week, D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson chose not to introduce a bill he wrote that would have created a city agency to play the role of gun dealer, because Mendelson said the Gray administration was close to finding a solution for the city's lone gun dealer. It appears the solution is to allow licensed dealers to sell their wares from inside police stations."
Thursday, July 14, 2011
OKC Homeowner Shoots 2, Possibly 3 Home Invaders: "A homeowner shot at least two suspected home invaders late Wednesday night Oklahoma City Police reported. The shooting occurred at 201 N.W. 87th after 10:30 p.m. One suspect collapsed near the house and another suspect was found two blocks away. The homeowner told police she may have hit the third suspect as well. The incident began when the homeowner investigated when an alarm was triggered about 8:30 p.m. She confronted three suspects robbing her house who then fled. At about 10:30, the suspects returned. The homeowner open fire and hit at least two of them. Police were not sure if the suspects were inside or outside the residence when they were wounded, but they said it appeared the shooting was in self defense."
MO: KC man acquitted in 2006 murder at restaurant: "A Jackson County jury late Tuesday acquitted a Kansas City man of committing a 2006 murder that was captured by video surveillance cameras. Jurors found Anthony D. Sisco not guilty of killing Jacob Higgs, who was shot to death inside the Filling Station Restaurant and Lounge in south Kansas City. Defense attorney Pat Peters argued to the jury that Sisco acted in self-defense after Higgs and another man, who was wounded in the shooting incident, brandished an AR-15 rifle before Sisco and his brother fired at them. Sisco’s brother, Sylvester Sisco, was convicted by a different jury in 2009 and sentenced to life in prison."
Repeal of gun ban on army land: "Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) plans to offer an amendment this week protecting gun rights on land controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Currently, guns are prohibited on Corps land, even when gun possession is otherwise allowed by state law. Rep. Gosar’s legislation would simply remove federal restrictions and allow for the law of the states (in which such land is located) to govern firearms possession. The Gosar amendment, modeled after the Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act (H.R. 1865) introduced by pro-gun Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH), is similar to a 2009 law repealing the gun ban on National Park Service land. Army Corps of Engineers land was not part of that bill, something the Corps was quick to point out after that law took affect."
NH Gov. vetoes bill to expand deadly force: "New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch vetoed a bill Wednesday that would expand a person's right to use deadly force in self-defense without first attempting to retreat. The Democratic governor blocked a similar bill in 2006, but the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the current measure by enough votes that it could overturn the veto. Associations representing police chiefs and sheriffs urged the governor to veto the latest bill for many of the same reasons. In his veto message, Lynch cited opposition by law enforcement as a reason to reject the bill. "(The bill) would unleash the potential for increasing deadly violence in our communities," he said."
MO: KC man acquitted in 2006 murder at restaurant: "A Jackson County jury late Tuesday acquitted a Kansas City man of committing a 2006 murder that was captured by video surveillance cameras. Jurors found Anthony D. Sisco not guilty of killing Jacob Higgs, who was shot to death inside the Filling Station Restaurant and Lounge in south Kansas City. Defense attorney Pat Peters argued to the jury that Sisco acted in self-defense after Higgs and another man, who was wounded in the shooting incident, brandished an AR-15 rifle before Sisco and his brother fired at them. Sisco’s brother, Sylvester Sisco, was convicted by a different jury in 2009 and sentenced to life in prison."
Repeal of gun ban on army land: "Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) plans to offer an amendment this week protecting gun rights on land controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Currently, guns are prohibited on Corps land, even when gun possession is otherwise allowed by state law. Rep. Gosar’s legislation would simply remove federal restrictions and allow for the law of the states (in which such land is located) to govern firearms possession. The Gosar amendment, modeled after the Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act (H.R. 1865) introduced by pro-gun Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH), is similar to a 2009 law repealing the gun ban on National Park Service land. Army Corps of Engineers land was not part of that bill, something the Corps was quick to point out after that law took affect."
NH Gov. vetoes bill to expand deadly force: "New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch vetoed a bill Wednesday that would expand a person's right to use deadly force in self-defense without first attempting to retreat. The Democratic governor blocked a similar bill in 2006, but the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the current measure by enough votes that it could overturn the veto. Associations representing police chiefs and sheriffs urged the governor to veto the latest bill for many of the same reasons. In his veto message, Lynch cited opposition by law enforcement as a reason to reject the bill. "(The bill) would unleash the potential for increasing deadly violence in our communities," he said."
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Shooting in defense of a third party: "A neighbor heard the commotion and responded to the scene with a gun in hand. One of the criminals allegedly fired at the good samaritan neighbor, who then returned fire, killing one of the aggressors. The three others have been arrested and are charged with murder. Forgetting all the legalese for a minute, is this not what we as a society want from our fellow citizens? Such are the actions of heroes in movies. ... But life is not like the movies. In real life, we must now deal with the law."
Handguns for self-defense: "Handguns are very popular for self-defense in the United States. There are a variety of reasons for this, many of which have to do with convenience. While we all recognize that a 12-gauge shotgun is probably better at stopping an assailant, how easy is it to tote one around all day?In 2009 alone, more than 4.5 million handguns were manufactured and imported into the US. While many of these firearms were sold to collectors and shooters for various sports, I would argue that many, if not most, were sold to people for defensive use.There is a problem with handguns that many people don’t know about: they stink on ice for actually stopping an attacker."
Handguns for self-defense: "Handguns are very popular for self-defense in the United States. There are a variety of reasons for this, many of which have to do with convenience. While we all recognize that a 12-gauge shotgun is probably better at stopping an assailant, how easy is it to tote one around all day?In 2009 alone, more than 4.5 million handguns were manufactured and imported into the US. While many of these firearms were sold to collectors and shooters for various sports, I would argue that many, if not most, were sold to people for defensive use.There is a problem with handguns that many people don’t know about: they stink on ice for actually stopping an attacker."
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Gazette makes case for concealed weapons
by Don Surber
In an editorial today (not available online) the Charleston Gazette opined: “An enraged Michigan man went on a pistol murder spree, killing seven — including two ex-girlfriends and his own daughter — before finally killing himself. Will right-to-bear-arms zealots declare that he was entitled to carry concealed guns?”
Why wonder? The answer is no. Here is the rest of the story:
Rodrick Shonte Dantzler is a convicted felon. We all agree that he should not have had a gun. Michigan has one of the strictest gun laws in the nation: no person “shall not purchase, carry, or transport a pistol in this state without first having obtained a license for the pistol.”
And yet he broke the law and shot and killed seven people and wounded two others. Imagine that. From WZZM:
We have a violent man (who did three years in prison for firing five times at another driver in a fit of road rage) whose own mother sought court protection.
She should have sought a .38 instead of a court order. Paper does not stop bullets. Every one of those women should have been armed.
So I thank the Gazette editorial board for mocking the Second Amendment in its editorial today. By so doing, the Gazette unintentionally made the case for law-abiding people remaining armed.
Source
Australia: Intruder shot, leaves 50m blood trail on street before dying in gutter: "A man who bled to death on a Gold Coast street this morning is believed to have been one of four intruders at the home. Police were called to Silvereye Circuit in Gilston at 1.45am where they located the dead man, age 29, lying in the gutter. Acting Superintendent Detective Tim Trezise said the man had left a 50m blood trail. Sources say the homeowner returned to the house around 1.40am to be confronted by four masked men inside. One of the men was armed with a gun. A struggle has ensued, the gun has gone off and the dead man was hit in the leg. He has not yet been formally identified. The three other men are still on the loose. A 34-year-old man, believed to be an occupant of the house, has been taken into custody and is helping police with their inquiries. Investigations into the cause of death continue, but the incident is believed to be drug-related."
Ersland gets life for shooting punk: "A US pharmacist convicted of murder in the shooting death of a teenager who tried to rob the pharmacy where he worked has been sentenced to life in prison. Jerome Ersland, 59, was giving the life sentence with the possibility of parole yesterday in spite of his defence attorney and supporters' pleas that he be set free. Ersland showed no emotion as District Judge Ray Elliott imposed the sentence recommended by a 12-member jury that found him guilty of first-degree murder in the May 19, 2009, shooting death of 16-year-old Antwun Parker during an attempted robbery at the Reliable Discount Pharmacy in south Oklahoma City. Ersland claimed he was defending himself and two female co-workers when he shot Parker after he and a second teenager came into the pharmacy wearing ski masks and demanding money and drugs. Parker, who was unarmed, was struck in the head and knocked out. Prosecutors said Ersland was justified in firing the first shot but went too far when he grabbed a second gun and fired five more bullets into Parker" {Let's hope his sentence is commuted]
by Don Surber
In an editorial today (not available online) the Charleston Gazette opined: “An enraged Michigan man went on a pistol murder spree, killing seven — including two ex-girlfriends and his own daughter — before finally killing himself. Will right-to-bear-arms zealots declare that he was entitled to carry concealed guns?”
Why wonder? The answer is no. Here is the rest of the story:
Rodrick Shonte Dantzler is a convicted felon. We all agree that he should not have had a gun. Michigan has one of the strictest gun laws in the nation: no person “shall not purchase, carry, or transport a pistol in this state without first having obtained a license for the pistol.”
And yet he broke the law and shot and killed seven people and wounded two others. Imagine that. From WZZM:
Rodrick Shonte Dantzler’s streak of contacts with police ended Thursday evening when he took his own life, but it started long before he went on a murder spree killing seven people.
Court records show Dantzler’s criminal history includes breaking and entering, domestic assaults, trespassing, and lying to police.
Several women have received court protection from Dantzler since 1995 including a woman who told a judge he threatened to kill her, and her unborn child. Even Dantzler’s mother Victoria Dantzler asked for protection. Her personal protection order includes references to a problem Rodrick had controlling his anger.
We have a violent man (who did three years in prison for firing five times at another driver in a fit of road rage) whose own mother sought court protection.
She should have sought a .38 instead of a court order. Paper does not stop bullets. Every one of those women should have been armed.
So I thank the Gazette editorial board for mocking the Second Amendment in its editorial today. By so doing, the Gazette unintentionally made the case for law-abiding people remaining armed.
Source
Australia: Intruder shot, leaves 50m blood trail on street before dying in gutter: "A man who bled to death on a Gold Coast street this morning is believed to have been one of four intruders at the home. Police were called to Silvereye Circuit in Gilston at 1.45am where they located the dead man, age 29, lying in the gutter. Acting Superintendent Detective Tim Trezise said the man had left a 50m blood trail. Sources say the homeowner returned to the house around 1.40am to be confronted by four masked men inside. One of the men was armed with a gun. A struggle has ensued, the gun has gone off and the dead man was hit in the leg. He has not yet been formally identified. The three other men are still on the loose. A 34-year-old man, believed to be an occupant of the house, has been taken into custody and is helping police with their inquiries. Investigations into the cause of death continue, but the incident is believed to be drug-related."
Ersland gets life for shooting punk: "A US pharmacist convicted of murder in the shooting death of a teenager who tried to rob the pharmacy where he worked has been sentenced to life in prison. Jerome Ersland, 59, was giving the life sentence with the possibility of parole yesterday in spite of his defence attorney and supporters' pleas that he be set free. Ersland showed no emotion as District Judge Ray Elliott imposed the sentence recommended by a 12-member jury that found him guilty of first-degree murder in the May 19, 2009, shooting death of 16-year-old Antwun Parker during an attempted robbery at the Reliable Discount Pharmacy in south Oklahoma City. Ersland claimed he was defending himself and two female co-workers when he shot Parker after he and a second teenager came into the pharmacy wearing ski masks and demanding money and drugs. Parker, who was unarmed, was struck in the head and knocked out. Prosecutors said Ersland was justified in firing the first shot but went too far when he grabbed a second gun and fired five more bullets into Parker" {Let's hope his sentence is commuted]
Monday, July 11, 2011
CA: Man acquitted of concealed weapon charge on 'necessity' defense: "A jury acquitted a man of carrying a concealed weapon after hearing that he had borrowed the gun for protection in the Sunnydale neighborhood, according to the San Francisco Public Defenders Office. Stone was arrested Sept. 9, 2009, while visiting family members in the Sunnydale housing projects. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Arial Boyce-Smith, said that he had borrowed the gun for a trip to the car to retrieve baby food and diapers for his crying niece, after hearing gunshots in the area earlier that day. Stone testified during the trial that he had been robbed on a previous visit to the area and that a cousin had been shot on the same block. "The defense was one of necessity," Boyce-Smith said. "It was clear Mr. Stone took the gun solely for protection."
Wisconsin’s Walker signs must-issue carry permits into law: "On Friday, Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that made Wisconsin the 49th state to allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms. Walker had tried to get the bill passed for years while a state legislator, but his Democratic predecessor, Jim Doyle, and Democrats in the legislature had stymied those efforts. This time the bill passed with bipartisan support and allows Wisconsin residents to get permits on a must-issue basis — meaning that the state cannot deny a permit application without justifiable cause, such as a felony record"
Wisconsin’s Walker signs must-issue carry permits into law: "On Friday, Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that made Wisconsin the 49th state to allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms. Walker had tried to get the bill passed for years while a state legislator, but his Democratic predecessor, Jim Doyle, and Democrats in the legislature had stymied those efforts. This time the bill passed with bipartisan support and allows Wisconsin residents to get permits on a must-issue basis — meaning that the state cannot deny a permit application without justifiable cause, such as a felony record"
Sunday, July 10, 2011
MD store-owner not charged for killing fleeing robber: "With his hand shoved in the right pocket of his black Columbia jacket, Josue Angel walked into a gas station-doughnut shop early one morning last December and demanded cash. He had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it, the El Salvadoran immigrant told the owner of the Laurel store. To punctuate the threat, he punched the owner in the stomach. At first, Mapher Ibrahimi, a 48-year-old married father of two, complied - he opened the register and let Angel fill his pockets. But as Angel turned toward the door, Ibrahimi unzipped his black winter coat, pulled a .40 caliber Heckner & Koch semi-automatic from the holster on his hip and followed him outside. Outside, Ibrahimi yelled for Angel to stop. According to police reports, Ibrahimi said Angel then turned in a "scary way." The store owner opened fire - releasing a volley of six hollow-point bullets into the cold winter air. It didn't matter that Angel - an illegal immigrant with only traffic crimes on his record in Maryland - was trying to run away at the time of the shooting, Roessler said. Under his reading of state law, a store owner is allowed to pursue a thief and try to reclaim his property."
TN: Teacher acquitted of killing her husband: "It was a case that shook Maury County: a first grade teacher accused of killing her husband, a recent Iraq Veteran. His family claims it was murder; she says it was self-defense and late this week a jury agreed. Since the moment Armstrong called 911 on February 20th 2010, she stuck to her story. That she shot and killed her husband Maury Armstrong in self-defense. In the call she told operators, "He pulled in behind me and wouldn't let me leave and I showed him I had a gun and he came and attacked me and pushed me to the ground." Colley believed that his client was left with no choice after Armstrong was cornered while shooting at a target range on her parent's property. An eyewitness and the 911 call reveal she'd been attacked. The divorcing couple had a history of prior abuse, but this time she felt her own life was on the line."
TN: Teacher acquitted of killing her husband: "It was a case that shook Maury County: a first grade teacher accused of killing her husband, a recent Iraq Veteran. His family claims it was murder; she says it was self-defense and late this week a jury agreed. Since the moment Armstrong called 911 on February 20th 2010, she stuck to her story. That she shot and killed her husband Maury Armstrong in self-defense. In the call she told operators, "He pulled in behind me and wouldn't let me leave and I showed him I had a gun and he came and attacked me and pushed me to the ground." Colley believed that his client was left with no choice after Armstrong was cornered while shooting at a target range on her parent's property. An eyewitness and the 911 call reveal she'd been attacked. The divorcing couple had a history of prior abuse, but this time she felt her own life was on the line."
Saturday, July 09, 2011
"Fast and Furious" Blows Sky-High
This morning, there was a stunning development in Congress’s investigation of the Justice Department’s “Fast and Furious” gun-running program: it was revealed that on July 4, Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Obama administration’s intended fall guy in the scandal, broke ranks with his superiors. Without their knowledge, he gave an interview to Darrell Issa’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, accompanied only by his personal attorney. While a transcript of that interview is not yet public, it is clear that he blew the whistle on senior officials in the Justice Department.
This morning, there was a stunning development in Congress’s investigation of the Justice Department’s “Fast and Furious” gun-running program: it was revealed that on July 4, Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Obama administration’s intended fall guy in the scandal, broke ranks with his superiors. Without their knowledge, he gave an interview to Darrell Issa’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, accompanied only by his personal attorney. While a transcript of that interview is not yet public, it is clear that he blew the whistle on senior officials in the Justice Department.
This morning, Issa and Senator Charles Grassley released a letter that they sent yesterday to Attorney General Eric Holder. It is explosive, to say the least. You should read it in its entirety; here are some excerpts:
Yesterday, Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson participated in a transcribed interview regarding Operation Fast and Furious and related matters with both Republican and Democratic staff. He appeared with his personal counsel, Richard Cullen of McGuire Woods LLP. His interview had originally been scheduled through the Justice Department to occur on July 13 in the presence of DOJ and ATF counsel. As you know, however, under our agreement Department witnesses who choose to attend a voluntary interview with their own lawyer are free to exercise that right rather than participate with counsel representing the Department’s interests.
After being made aware of that provision of our agreement, Acting Director Melson chose to exercise that right and appeared with his own lawyer. We are disappointed that no one had previously informed him of that provision of the agreement. Instead, Justice Department officials sought to limit and control his communications with Congress.
DOJ’s effort to cover up the Fast and Furious scandal is one of the letter’s themes.
According to Mr. Melson, it was not until after the public controversy that he personally reviewed hundreds of documents relating to the case, including wiretap applications and Reports of Investigation (ROIs). By his account, he was sick to his stomach when he obtained those documents and learned the full story.
More on the DOJ’s attempt to hide the scandal from Congress:
Mr. Melson said that he told the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) at the end of March that the Department needed to reexamine how it was responding to the requests for information from Congress.
According to Mr. Melson, he and ATF’s senior leadership team moved to reassign every manager involved in Fast and Furious, from the Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations down to the Group Supervisor, after learning the facts in those documents. Mr. Melson also said he was not allowed to communicate to Congress the reasons for the reassignments. He claimed that ATF’s senior leadership would have preferred to be more cooperative with our inquiry much earlier in the process. However, he said that Justice Department officials directed them not to respond and took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress. The result is that Congress only got the parts of the story that the Department wanted us to hear.
Issa’s committee has learned that other federal agencies, including the FBI and DEA, were involved in Fast and Furious, and that there was a failure to share information that was known to those other agencies:
When confronted with information about serious issues involving lack of information sharing by other agencies, which Committee staff had originally learned from other witnesses, Mr. Melson’s responses tended to corroborate what others had said. Specifically, we have very real indications from several sources that some of the gun trafficking “higher-ups” that the ATF sought to identify were already known to other agencies and may even have been paid as informants. The Acting Director said that ATF was kept in the dark about certain activities of other agencies, including DEA and FBI.
The evidence gathered by Issa’s oversight committee suggests that the Obama administration may actually have financed the purchases of firearms by known criminals, which then wound up in the hands of Mexican gangs and were involved in murders, including the murder of an American border patrol agent:
The evidence we have gathered raises the disturbing possibility that the Justice Department not only allowed criminals to smuggle weapons but that taxpayer dollars from other agencies may have financed those engaging in such activities. While this is preliminary information, we must find out if there is any truth to it. According to Acting Director Melson, he became aware of this startling possibility only after the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and the indictments of the straw purchasers, which we now know were substantially delayed by the u.s. Attorney’s Office and Main Justice.
Issa and Grassley link the Obama administration’s effort to slide Melson out of his position, making him the fall guy for the Fast and Furious operation, with Melson’s complaints to Deputy Attorney General James Cole, the number two official in the Department of Justice, about DOJ’s failure to respond adequately to Congress’s requests for information about Fast and Furious:
However, two days after he told Acting Deputy Attorney General Cole about serious issues involving lack of information sharing, the Wall Street Journal reported that unnamed sources said that Melson was about to be ousted.
The full transcript of Melson’s testimony, when released, will be a fascinating document. In the meantime, it appears clear that the Fast and Furious scandal reaches to the very top of Barack Obama’s Department of Justice.
Source
AZ: Jury acquits shooter of neighbor: "As Eaton walked down the easement that morning, he taunted Johns with the gun on his hip. Feeling threatened, Johns grabbed his shotgun and shot one .44-caliber Magnum, a bullet not typically fired from a shotgun. Johns’ son had given him seven of those bullets earlier and Johns had decided to use them, Bernays said. The first shot missed, but Eaton fell to the ground in shock, his back to Johns. Bernays then argued Eaton got up on his hands and knees and reached for his gun again. Johns shot once more, hitting Eaton in the back of the head. But this did not keep Eaton down. As he squirmed on the ground for his pistol, Johns, out of ammunition, walked over and clubbed him on the back of the head, breaking the stock of the shotgun. If Johns had missed with that final bullet, Eaton would have gotten his pistol unholstered and fired."
NC: Man killed by woman in home invasion: "The shooting happened on Finchley Drive near Eastway Drive at about 9:36 a.m. The woman living there told police two men entered her home, so she pulled out her gun. Police say two armed men approached the woman’s boyfriend, who was sitting in a car outside the house. They forced the man inside the home and beat him. Police say the woman heard the commotion, opened fire on those two suspects. She killed one of them. The other got away, but he could be injured as well. “She was pretty sure she shot the other one," said Bailey. There is no word yet on if the woman will be charged or if it was self defense. Her boyfriend was pistol whipped by the suspects and was beaten pretty badly. Police say he will be ok."
Detroit: Attempted Barber Shop Robbery Turns Deadly: "Two guys walked in to a very busy Gents Barbershop at about 5:30 p.m. Friday on Whittier at Stratman on Detroit's east side. One with a gun said, "You know what time it is." What the two bad guys didn't know was two customers were legally carrying handguns. A man in a chair getting a cut took advantage of pulling his gun under the cover of the smock. When one bad guy said, "Why you stalling? Empty your pockets," he then fired a shot into the floor of the barber shop. That's when the customer in the chair opened fire and emptied his automatic clip containing multiple rounds. The end result was that none of the customers or children were hurt. One bad guy was killed and the other ran off during the shooting. Police say the deceased has a long rap sheet."
Friday, July 08, 2011
GA: Homeowner spoils teens’ attempted robbery: "Amid the commotion, the male homeowner's 8 1/2-month pregnant wife was knocked to the ground, police said, though she wasn't injured. As the suspects were fleeing toward their vehicle, the homeowner said he saw what appeared to be one of the teens brandishing a gun, so he fired his own pistol at them, striking Morris, the police report said."
SAF Wins Injunction v. Chicago Gun Range Ban: "In a 3-0 ruling issued this morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has reversed a lower court ruling and ordered that court to issue a preliminary injunction against the City of Chicago on behalf of the Second Amendment Foundation that prevents the city from banning gun ranges inside city limits. “The court is making it clear that cities cannot adopt firearms ordinances that are so deliberately restrictive that they make it impossible for citizens to exercise their rights under the Second Amendment.”... Immediately after last year’s landmark SAF victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago, the city adopted a handgun ordinance that required special permits and mandated range training, but banned gun ranges inside city limits."
ATF: DoJ obstructing “Fast and Furious” probe: "The Justice Department is obstructing the congressional investigation of a U.S. law enforcement operation intended to crack down on major weapons traffickers on the Southwest border, according to the embattled leader of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives."
SAF Wins Injunction v. Chicago Gun Range Ban: "In a 3-0 ruling issued this morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has reversed a lower court ruling and ordered that court to issue a preliminary injunction against the City of Chicago on behalf of the Second Amendment Foundation that prevents the city from banning gun ranges inside city limits. “The court is making it clear that cities cannot adopt firearms ordinances that are so deliberately restrictive that they make it impossible for citizens to exercise their rights under the Second Amendment.”... Immediately after last year’s landmark SAF victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago, the city adopted a handgun ordinance that required special permits and mandated range training, but banned gun ranges inside city limits."
ATF: DoJ obstructing “Fast and Furious” probe: "The Justice Department is obstructing the congressional investigation of a U.S. law enforcement operation intended to crack down on major weapons traffickers on the Southwest border, according to the embattled leader of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives."
Thursday, July 07, 2011
GA: Alleged victim was the robber: "Officers said Said was the person doing the robbing, and Fannin is the real victim. Fannin said he was the one who met Said at the QuikTrip to sell an iPhone 4. He said that's when Said snatched the phone and drove off with another man. Fannin gave chase. He said the second man jumped out and ran, police said. Then he caught up with Said and pointed this an AR-15 rifle at him. "Basically, kind of gave him some encouragement to return my phone," Fannin said. Fannin said he went home and called police. Said said he remained at the scene because the gunman took his keys. All Fannin would say was that he wanted Said to remain at the scene until police arrived. And he wanted to teach him a lesson. Fannin said he has a concealed carry permit, and police say he did nothing illegal"
WA: Homeowner who shot burglar gets 5 years in prison: "Brady shot and killed Thomas McKenzie in the middle of the night April 19, 2010. Police said McKenzie and his wife came to rob the house. Brady had been robbed repeatedly prior to the shooting. That night he waited in his garage with a loaded rifle and when the McKenzies came up his driveway, Brady began shooting. He shot at their car first, and when the couple pointed flashlights at Brady, he shot and killed McKenzie. Jonathan Meyer, Lewis County's prosecuting attorney said had the couple been in the act of stealing something, or had they been in Brady's garage, Brady likely would not have been charged with a crime. Brady's attorney said his client was acting in self-defense. "Rob really believed they had weapons and he was about to be killed," said defense attorney Don Blair."
AL: Fatal shooting deemed self defense: "A capital murder charge was dropped today against Brandon Edwards of Birmingham after evidence backed his claim that he killed a Fairfield man in self defense on June 24, Edwards' lawyer said. Edwards, 23, was arrested June 25 and charged with fatally shooting Patrick Dewayne Peoples, 22, at the Alemeda Terrace Apartments the prior afternoon. At the time, police said Peoples and a woman had just pulled into the parking lot when multiple shots were fired, killing Peoples. Edwards was charged with a capital crime because Peoples was in a vehicle when he was killed. But continued investigation, including evidence found in Peoples' car, backed Edwards' claim that Peoples tried to rob Edwards and fired a shot at him before Edwards returned fire, said his lawyer, John Lentine."
Chicago Anti-Gun Nut To Head ATF: "Project Gunrunner” is the perfect storm for Obama. First, he’ll get to act like the good guy when he kicks Melson to the curb. Then, while everyone is cheering that Melson is gone, he will sneak Andrew Traver in as Director of the ATF. They’ll at least have two things in common - Chicago-style politics and Chicago-style radicalism. There is no excuse for Obama to use an unthinkable tragedy/bizarre scandal to push yet another one of his far-left nominations. He is DELIBERATELY nominating Andrew Traver – a man who has demonstrated over and over again that he is anti-gun, anti-self-defense and anti-freedom. Obama even fired project Gunrunner whistleblower Vince Cefalu! When does it end?"
WA: Homeowner who shot burglar gets 5 years in prison: "Brady shot and killed Thomas McKenzie in the middle of the night April 19, 2010. Police said McKenzie and his wife came to rob the house. Brady had been robbed repeatedly prior to the shooting. That night he waited in his garage with a loaded rifle and when the McKenzies came up his driveway, Brady began shooting. He shot at their car first, and when the couple pointed flashlights at Brady, he shot and killed McKenzie. Jonathan Meyer, Lewis County's prosecuting attorney said had the couple been in the act of stealing something, or had they been in Brady's garage, Brady likely would not have been charged with a crime. Brady's attorney said his client was acting in self-defense. "Rob really believed they had weapons and he was about to be killed," said defense attorney Don Blair."
AL: Fatal shooting deemed self defense: "A capital murder charge was dropped today against Brandon Edwards of Birmingham after evidence backed his claim that he killed a Fairfield man in self defense on June 24, Edwards' lawyer said. Edwards, 23, was arrested June 25 and charged with fatally shooting Patrick Dewayne Peoples, 22, at the Alemeda Terrace Apartments the prior afternoon. At the time, police said Peoples and a woman had just pulled into the parking lot when multiple shots were fired, killing Peoples. Edwards was charged with a capital crime because Peoples was in a vehicle when he was killed. But continued investigation, including evidence found in Peoples' car, backed Edwards' claim that Peoples tried to rob Edwards and fired a shot at him before Edwards returned fire, said his lawyer, John Lentine."
Chicago Anti-Gun Nut To Head ATF: "Project Gunrunner” is the perfect storm for Obama. First, he’ll get to act like the good guy when he kicks Melson to the curb. Then, while everyone is cheering that Melson is gone, he will sneak Andrew Traver in as Director of the ATF. They’ll at least have two things in common - Chicago-style politics and Chicago-style radicalism. There is no excuse for Obama to use an unthinkable tragedy/bizarre scandal to push yet another one of his far-left nominations. He is DELIBERATELY nominating Andrew Traver – a man who has demonstrated over and over again that he is anti-gun, anti-self-defense and anti-freedom. Obama even fired project Gunrunner whistleblower Vince Cefalu! When does it end?"
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
KY: Police rule shooting as self-defense: "Kentucky State Police Detective Scott Skaggs said Jennifer Forsythe of Morgantown was acting in self-defense Sunday when she shot her husband, Bobby Forsythe, in the upper left thigh. Bobby Forsythe was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where he was treated and released. The couple’s 5-year-old child was also struck in the thigh by a projectile and was treated at The Medical Center at Bowling Green and released, according to a release from the Kentucky State Police. The sheriff’s office told KSP that deputies had been called to a domestic disturbance between the couple earlier that night at a party down the road, Skaggs said. Jennifer Forsythe had fresh bruises on her, Skaggs said."
The Demand For Concealed Weapons In Michigan is being driven by women: "Most women would not have thought to carry a gun even five years ago, said Andrea Durhal. When she became a National Rifle Association certified instructor eight years ago, her classes were mostly men. Recently, women have started to fill her classes. It took a few years for women to get over a fear of guns and take responsibility for their protection, she said. “We’re being victimized; we’re being raped. The crimes are getting higher and the police departments are less and less,” she said. “People are realizing now that they need to be their own security.”
A hidden victory for gun rights: "A significant gun-rights victory in the U.S. Supreme Court is being interpreted almost exclusively as a free-speech victory. Actually, Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association is both, and the mistake is understandable. But it would be a shame to deny encouragement to Second Amendment advocates. Brown revolved around California’s 2005 ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to anyone under 18."
Virginia Attorney General says UVA cannot ban gun carry: "On the heels of his recent opinion holding that "self-defense" is "good and sufficient reason" to carry a gun to church, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli now says that state colleges like the University of Virginia cannot ban the carriage of concealed handguns by proper license holders. The opinion was written in response to a question by Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon). Cuccinelli reasoned that concealed handgun permit holders were explicilty entitled by law to carry concealed handguns throughout the Commonwealth except where prohibited "by law," and therefore state agencies like UVA could not ban concealed carry even in campus buildings and medical facilities by mere "policy. State universities could however go through the Commonwealth's formal rule making process and publish a regulation in the Virginia Administrative Code."
The Demand For Concealed Weapons In Michigan is being driven by women: "Most women would not have thought to carry a gun even five years ago, said Andrea Durhal. When she became a National Rifle Association certified instructor eight years ago, her classes were mostly men. Recently, women have started to fill her classes. It took a few years for women to get over a fear of guns and take responsibility for their protection, she said. “We’re being victimized; we’re being raped. The crimes are getting higher and the police departments are less and less,” she said. “People are realizing now that they need to be their own security.”
A hidden victory for gun rights: "A significant gun-rights victory in the U.S. Supreme Court is being interpreted almost exclusively as a free-speech victory. Actually, Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association is both, and the mistake is understandable. But it would be a shame to deny encouragement to Second Amendment advocates. Brown revolved around California’s 2005 ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to anyone under 18."
Virginia Attorney General says UVA cannot ban gun carry: "On the heels of his recent opinion holding that "self-defense" is "good and sufficient reason" to carry a gun to church, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli now says that state colleges like the University of Virginia cannot ban the carriage of concealed handguns by proper license holders. The opinion was written in response to a question by Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon). Cuccinelli reasoned that concealed handgun permit holders were explicilty entitled by law to carry concealed handguns throughout the Commonwealth except where prohibited "by law," and therefore state agencies like UVA could not ban concealed carry even in campus buildings and medical facilities by mere "policy. State universities could however go through the Commonwealth's formal rule making process and publish a regulation in the Virginia Administrative Code."
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
WA: Man lost shoots knife-wielding burglary suspect: "According to police, the suspect fled the home and began yelling at a man in a car, who happened to be lost and pulled over on the road to use his GPS device. The driver also happened to be armed with a gun, which police said he was legally allowed to posses. Police said the suspect moved closed to the vehicle, and the driver fired three rounds, hitting the suspect. When officers arrived, they found the driver detaining the suspect, who was bleeding on the ground. The suspect suffered non life-threatening wounds, but underwent surgery at the hospital. Officers said the man who shot the suspect will not be charged because he acted in self defense."
United Nations gun grabbers at it again: "The despots, thugs, scoundrels, punks and various crooks at the United Nations have it all wrong again. Imagine that. Though the details have yet to be released, the U.N. wants to try to force strict small-arms control on the world under the pretense (lie) that such restrictions will make it tougher for terrorists and other assorted subhuman scum to get their hands on guns. How is that working in Mexico, boys and girls? If the U.N. had a clue or truly cared about preventing terrorists and other human garbage from wreaking havoc, it would admit to the facts and propose making it easier for law-abiding citizens to get their hands on guns so that they would have the means to cause said human vermin to assume room temperature. But instead of promoting freedom and the right to self-defense, the U.N. punks want to force unarmed helplessness on people across the planet by advocating an international agreement on guns."
United Nations gun grabbers at it again: "The despots, thugs, scoundrels, punks and various crooks at the United Nations have it all wrong again. Imagine that. Though the details have yet to be released, the U.N. wants to try to force strict small-arms control on the world under the pretense (lie) that such restrictions will make it tougher for terrorists and other assorted subhuman scum to get their hands on guns. How is that working in Mexico, boys and girls? If the U.N. had a clue or truly cared about preventing terrorists and other human garbage from wreaking havoc, it would admit to the facts and propose making it easier for law-abiding citizens to get their hands on guns so that they would have the means to cause said human vermin to assume room temperature. But instead of promoting freedom and the right to self-defense, the U.N. punks want to force unarmed helplessness on people across the planet by advocating an international agreement on guns."
Monday, July 04, 2011
CA: Man fatally shoots former employee who drove pickup into his residence: "The Clearlake Police Department said 51-year-old Kevin Quinn of Clearlake died shortly after he was shot multiple times by 67-year-old James Mitchell. Hobbs' report on the incident explained that at 2 a.m. Sunday Mitchell was asleep in his residence in the 14200 block of Olympic Drive when Quinn allegedly drove a 1994 Chevrolet Silverado pickup into the front of Mitchell's home. Hobbs said Mitchell armed himself with a handgun and went to the area of his residence where he heard the crash. When Mitchell went into the room he reportedly was confronted by Quinn, who had gotten out of the pickup. Quinn allegedly advanced toward Mitchell in a threatening manner while making threats to kill him, Hobbs said. Mitchell fired his handgun at Quinn and struck him multiple times before going outside of the residence to notify police, according to Hobbs' report."
NC: 77-Year-Old Man Shoots Break-In Suspect: "The tables were turned on two robbery suspects, when an eldery man took out a gun and sent one of the criminals to the hospital. Albert Atkinson, 77, shot at two men that Pitt County deputies said broke into his home early Wednesday morning. One of those suspects was hit twice, and wound up in the emergency room before being put behind bars. Reginald Watson, 20, was hit in the chest and leg in the shootout. He was taken to Pitt County Memorial Hospital before being placed into custody and taken to the Pitt County Detention Center. Four people were home when reports say that two men -- one with a weapon -- kicked down their door and entered. That's when Atkinson managed to get to his gun in another room and confronted the suspects. Deputies said that Watson saw Atkinson's gun and raised his weapon. But Atkinson was quicker to pull the trigger"
NC: 77-Year-Old Man Shoots Break-In Suspect: "The tables were turned on two robbery suspects, when an eldery man took out a gun and sent one of the criminals to the hospital. Albert Atkinson, 77, shot at two men that Pitt County deputies said broke into his home early Wednesday morning. One of those suspects was hit twice, and wound up in the emergency room before being put behind bars. Reginald Watson, 20, was hit in the chest and leg in the shootout. He was taken to Pitt County Memorial Hospital before being placed into custody and taken to the Pitt County Detention Center. Four people were home when reports say that two men -- one with a weapon -- kicked down their door and entered. That's when Atkinson managed to get to his gun in another room and confronted the suspects. Deputies said that Watson saw Atkinson's gun and raised his weapon. But Atkinson was quicker to pull the trigger"
Sunday, July 03, 2011
ATF guns ending up at U.S. crime scenes
All Americans -- especially gun owners -- need to know what their government is up to. The government (the ATF) has been smuggling guns to Mexican drug cartels in a lame attempt to justify certain gun control schemes. As many as 2,000 firearms are missing -- and many are ending up at U.S. crime scenes.
Needless to say, these are unacceptable actions undertaken by the Obama administration. We do not have to stand for corruption within our federal or state governments.
If you happen to run into a federally-elected official this weekend at a parade or July 4th event, ask them to crank the pressure up on the ATF and the man they ultimately answer to: Attorney General Eric Holder
WA: Carjacker shot: "Police said an officer used his weapon at 6 a.m. Saturday morning to stop an attempted carjacking. Mount Rainier Police said an officer from their department was the carjacking victim, and used his service weapon in his own self-defense. The incident happened in Capitol Heights. Police said the officer fired and hit the carjacking suspect several times in the upper body. The suspect did not die in the shooting, and has been transported to an area hospital, the police said, for treatment. Mount Rainier police said the officer was also injured in the incident."
New Castle Doctrine law lauded: "Pennsylvania's new Castle Doctrine Law will go into effect in late August now that it has the governor's signature. Sen. Richard Kasunic, D-Fayette/Somerset, said the new law provides an additional layer of protection for law-abiding citizens and will help shield them from wrongful and overzealous prosecution. "One's life and safety is more important than adhering to some vague and chancy legal retreat standard," Kasunic said at the bill-signing ceremony in Gov. Tom Corbett's Reception Room. "This new law should also help deter prosecutors from prosecuting or suing law-abiding people who justifiably used deadly force to defend themselves." In addition, the new law grants civil immunity for their actions when people can justify the need to protect themselves against a perpetrator threatening them with death, serious bodily injury, rape or kidnapping, he said.
All Americans -- especially gun owners -- need to know what their government is up to. The government (the ATF) has been smuggling guns to Mexican drug cartels in a lame attempt to justify certain gun control schemes. As many as 2,000 firearms are missing -- and many are ending up at U.S. crime scenes.
Needless to say, these are unacceptable actions undertaken by the Obama administration. We do not have to stand for corruption within our federal or state governments.
If you happen to run into a federally-elected official this weekend at a parade or July 4th event, ask them to crank the pressure up on the ATF and the man they ultimately answer to: Attorney General Eric Holder
WA: Carjacker shot: "Police said an officer used his weapon at 6 a.m. Saturday morning to stop an attempted carjacking. Mount Rainier Police said an officer from their department was the carjacking victim, and used his service weapon in his own self-defense. The incident happened in Capitol Heights. Police said the officer fired and hit the carjacking suspect several times in the upper body. The suspect did not die in the shooting, and has been transported to an area hospital, the police said, for treatment. Mount Rainier police said the officer was also injured in the incident."
New Castle Doctrine law lauded: "Pennsylvania's new Castle Doctrine Law will go into effect in late August now that it has the governor's signature. Sen. Richard Kasunic, D-Fayette/Somerset, said the new law provides an additional layer of protection for law-abiding citizens and will help shield them from wrongful and overzealous prosecution. "One's life and safety is more important than adhering to some vague and chancy legal retreat standard," Kasunic said at the bill-signing ceremony in Gov. Tom Corbett's Reception Room. "This new law should also help deter prosecutors from prosecuting or suing law-abiding people who justifiably used deadly force to defend themselves." In addition, the new law grants civil immunity for their actions when people can justify the need to protect themselves against a perpetrator threatening them with death, serious bodily injury, rape or kidnapping, he said.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
SC: Armed robbery victim shoots alleged robber: "A suspect reportedly shot by the man he was allegedly trying to rob Thursday evening remains in the hospital, according to the Florence County Sheriff's Office. Capt. Mike Nunn, spokesman for the Florence County Sheriff's Office, said deputies received a report of a shooting in the parking lot of a the Dollar General store located at 2223 East Howe Springs Road around 6:35 p.m. Upon arrival, deputies learned the victim of an alleged armed robbery shot the alleged robber, who then fled the scene wounded. The suspect's gun was found at the scene. Nunn said the suspect went to an area hospital in a privately owned car, where he remains in an unknown condition. The victim is a holder of a Valid Concealed Weapons Permit and was uninjured in the attack."
FL: Two die in barroom shooting: "Junior Lodge, 35, and Vishna Beepot [above], 26, died after detectives say the two men argued about something early Thursday morning at the South Rock Lounge Bar and Grill. Authorities say Beepot pulled out a gun, which a security guard ordered him to drop. When Beepot refused, the security guard pulled his own weapon and both men fired, though it's unclear who shot first. Ten people were shot in the crossfire at the small bar with about 50 to 75 customers inside at the time. Many ducked for cover or ran outside. The unnamed security guard was uninjured. Detectives say it appears he may have fired his gun in self-defense."
Illinois idiocy: "A recent article published at HuffingtonPost.com contained the assertion, “Both Democrats and Republicans downstate have supported a concealed carry measure, but Chicago-area lawmakers have repeatedly said legalizing concealed carry could turn the Chicago area into the ‘wild wild West.’ ” Really? When every criminal in the “windy city” is already carrying a gun and is more than willing to demonstrate a willingness to use those firearms against their prey, it is logically incoherent to maintain that law-abiding citizens who pass extensive background checks will suddenly transmogrify into Al Capone simply by exercise the discreet carry of a concealed firearm. The consistent experience in states that have adopted legalized concealed carry has been a drop in violent crime."
FL: Two die in barroom shooting: "Junior Lodge, 35, and Vishna Beepot [above], 26, died after detectives say the two men argued about something early Thursday morning at the South Rock Lounge Bar and Grill. Authorities say Beepot pulled out a gun, which a security guard ordered him to drop. When Beepot refused, the security guard pulled his own weapon and both men fired, though it's unclear who shot first. Ten people were shot in the crossfire at the small bar with about 50 to 75 customers inside at the time. Many ducked for cover or ran outside. The unnamed security guard was uninjured. Detectives say it appears he may have fired his gun in self-defense."
Illinois idiocy: "A recent article published at HuffingtonPost.com contained the assertion, “Both Democrats and Republicans downstate have supported a concealed carry measure, but Chicago-area lawmakers have repeatedly said legalizing concealed carry could turn the Chicago area into the ‘wild wild West.’ ” Really? When every criminal in the “windy city” is already carrying a gun and is more than willing to demonstrate a willingness to use those firearms against their prey, it is logically incoherent to maintain that law-abiding citizens who pass extensive background checks will suddenly transmogrify into Al Capone simply by exercise the discreet carry of a concealed firearm. The consistent experience in states that have adopted legalized concealed carry has been a drop in violent crime."
Friday, July 01, 2011
NH man justified killing home invader: "A local man was justified in killing a man who pistol-whipped his girlfriend and put a gun in her mouth during a 2009 home invasion, according to New Hampshire Attorney General Michael A. Delaney. The intruders went to Burrill's home in search of drugs, money and a PlayStation. Burrill and Burns both denied they had any drugs and said they had little money. Burrill, seeing his girlfriend being pistol-whipped, told the attackers he had what they wanted in his closet. When he went into the closet, he grabbed his gun and chambered a round. Badillo tried to get the gun from him and the two men fought over it and tumbled onto the bed where Burrill was able to get a hand free and shoot Badillo. After Burrill shot Badillo, Stringfield let go of Burns and went to the kitchen. Burrill followed Stringfield, who still had a gun, and fired a shot at him, hitting him in the back. Stringfield ran out of the kitchen and fell to the ground just outside the door. He was dead."
Ja Rule goes to prison; Bloomberg remains at large: "So, what heinous crime landed Mr. Rule is prison? In 2007, Rule was pulled over in his Maybach sports car after a concert at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre. Police found a loaded .40 caliber handgun in the back seat, which turned out not to be registered in accordance with New York state law. He was not using the gun in the commission of a crime, mind you -- the gun was the crime. And in Michael Bloomberg country, there is no greater offense."
Ja Rule goes to prison; Bloomberg remains at large: "So, what heinous crime landed Mr. Rule is prison? In 2007, Rule was pulled over in his Maybach sports car after a concert at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre. Police found a loaded .40 caliber handgun in the back seat, which turned out not to be registered in accordance with New York state law. He was not using the gun in the commission of a crime, mind you -- the gun was the crime. And in Michael Bloomberg country, there is no greater offense."