Tuesday, January 31, 2012

NY: Teen mugger shot, killed: "In the third fatal shooting involving New York City police this month, an off-duty officer shot and killed a teenager who allegedly tried to rob him on a Brooklyn street, authorities said. The 50-year-old officer, whose name wasn't released, was walking to the subway on his way to work just before midnight Sunday when he was accosted by two teens on the Bushwick street, police said. One, a 15-year-old, gestured as if he had a gun in his pocket and grabbed the officer from behind. In the next instance, the officer was struck in the face with a wooden cane swung by 17-year-old Antawon White, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. Mr. White allegedly ordered the victim to empty his pockets and prepared to hit the officer again, Mr. Browne said. At that point, the officer pulled out his badge and a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson gun, yelled "police" and told Mr. White to drop the cane, Mr. Browne said on Monday. But Mr. White allegedly advanced on the 5-foot, 6-inch, 155-pound officer, who fired one shot that went through the teen's left arm and into his chest, killing him."


AL: Robbery suspect shot, faces charges: "The tables get turned on a suspected would-be robber. It happened early Monday morning. It was after 4 a.m when Eddie Richardson pulled up in front of his house on Center Street. But before he could get out of his car, he said two armed men were at his window with guns drawn. "What they said when they walked to the car; they said give it up," Richardson said. The robbers surprised Mr. Richardson, but he had a surprise of his own for them. "I took my pistol out, and I shot his (expletive)," Richardson said. One of the bandits was hit in the hand. He dropped his gun. "I shot him right here, cause I got out the car; and I started shooting right then. I shot him. He dropped his gun. It went right up under the tire. They got his gun," Richardson said." [Another account here]


WI: Customer shoots at robbery suspect: "Milwaukee police say that during an attempted armed robbery on N. 76th and Villard Ave., a suspect fired shots at the suspect. That suspect fled without taking any valuables from Aldi Store. Police say that neither the suspect, nor customer were injured during the attempted robbery. Meanwhile, authorities are interviewing a 20-year-old man who arrived at a local hospital, suffering from a gunshot wound. The injury is not life-threatening and police are investigating to determine if the north side robbery and this gun shot wound are connected."

Monday, January 30, 2012

U.S. Attorney General Ignites the Race Bomb over Gun Walker

When President Obama was campaigning for his office, he promised to bring the races together. However, his attorney general is deeply dividing America as Mr. Obama remains silent.

Eric Holder, the attorney general, was recently interviewed about the Operation Fast and Furious debacle, which has become one of the worst government scandals in many years.

His response to criticism of that scandal was to hurl a racist bomb, worse than the scandal itself!

Here is what the New York Times wrote Dec. 17, 2011, concerning an interview with the attorney general: “Mr. Holder contended that many of his … critics—not only elected Republicans but also a broader universe of conservative commentators and bloggers—were … playing ‘Washington gotcha’ games, portraying them as frequently ‘conflating things, conveniently leaving some stuff out, construing things to make it seem not quite what it was’ to paint him and other department figures in the worst possible light.

“Of that group of critics, Mr. Holder said he believed that a few—the ‘more extreme segment’—were motivated by animus against Mr. Obama and that he served as a stand-in for him. ‘This is a way to get at the president because of the way I can be identified with him,’ he said, ‘both due to the nature of our relationship and, you know, the fact that we’re both African-American’”.

He is viciously accusing some elected Republicans as being racists for investigating and criticizing this scandal of far-reaching magnitude. These Republicans are supposedly motivated to do this because Eric Holder and President Obama are African-Americans.

If Eric Holder has this warped racist view of some American political leaders, what does he think of many white Americans? The big issue is, what motivates the attorney general to make this racist charge?

Mr. Obama has expressed no disagreement with what the attorney general has said and done regarding Operation Fast and Furious. Mr. Obama is responsible and should be held accountable for what his attorney general does.

The president’s silence is deafening! And extremely dangerous! He must agree with what his attorney general said.

Does his silence also indicate that he and Eric Holder were both involved in the Operation Fast and Furious scandal? If not, why such a deadly racist reaction from his attorney general?

Racist charges against Republicans are doing frightening damage to our race relations. Unless stopped, it must lead to a racial explosion, perhaps worse than the damage of a nuclear bomb!

Of course, there is some racism in both blacks and whites, and we don’t take sides. But this is an extremely serious issue, and it’s coming from the highest officials in government! That makes it 10,000 times worse!

The president says nothing as his attorney general builds race hatred between whites and African-Americans.

Most of the media remain silent as well, especially about Mr. Holder’s racist remark to the New York Times. Apparently, it is because they agree or fear being labeled racist. So the president and attorney general feel confident they can get away with this outrage.

Republican racism has become the battle cry of the radical left—led by the president and his attorney general! Mostly that charge is untrue. But many people are going to believe it is true and act accordingly. As the economy gets worse and people’s emotions become more heated, violent race riots are going to burst on the scene in our large cities.

Do we think such hateful racist statements have no consequences? Like little children, the radical left makes these hateful statements and doesn’t even think of the consequences—which are going to be horrendous.

This is not President Obama bringing us together as he pledged to do in his presidential campaign. He is leading the way into violent divisions. And I do mean violent!

Let’s not forget that Eric Holder is the chief law officer of America.

He would not condemn or prosecute Black Panthers for intimidating voters in the presidential election. It was clearly a constitutional crime.

Again the president remained silent about Eric Holder’s decision to not prosecute racist crimes committed by black Americans.

Our attorney general condemns some Republican critics of his Fast and Furious scandal who are just doing their job, but he won’t condemn the Black Panthers’ crime against our constitution—the law of the land!

How do Eric Holder’s words and deeds influence blacks who lean toward the Black Panthers? Or whites who lean toward the Ku Klux Klan? The race hatred is building fast.

All we need is another Rodney King incident to set off race riots in our cities.

More here




Gun Owner ID Cards Soar In Chicago: "Significantly more Chicagoans are arming themselves with guns. As WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports, over the past two years, the city has seen a 16 percent spike in the number of people holding state Firearm Owner’s Identification Cards. About 122,000 people possessed FOID cards at the beginning of this year compared to 105,000 at the beginning of 2010, said Monique Bond, spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police. Illinois residents must possess a FOID card to buy guns in the state. Illinois State Police officials check an applicant’s identification and background before issuing a card. The uptick in FOID cards follows the City Council’s approval of a July 2010 ordinance lifting a 28-year-old ban on handguns in Chicago. That followed the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the McDonald v. Chicago case, which rendered the law unenforceable. The city ordinance requires gun owners to obtain a city gun permit, register their firearms with the Chicago Police Department and keep their guns in their homes."

Sunday, January 29, 2012

FL: Five years to prove self defense: "The final charge against a man who shot an attacker in self-defense five years ago in Key Largo was dismissed Thursday. Jorge Correa, 44, walked away from the Plantation Key Courthouse a free man after Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia granted a direct acquittal. Counts of attempted murder and discharging a firearm that were filed after the 2007 incident at the Key Largo Ocean Resort, a gated RV park near mile marker 95, were dropped in April 2011 under Florida's so-called Stand Your Ground law that allows self-defense. Correa, a Hialeah resident, told Monroe County Sheriff's Office investigators that in the 2007 incident, he was attacked and beaten by a fellow weekend resident who was nursing a grudge. Luis Figueroa was shot three times with a .32-caliber pistol but survived. Figueroa later admitted in court that he provoked the fight"


Own your own machine gun: "What sets the Knob Creek gun show apart, of course, is not the stray clothing item, but rather the number of exhibitors selling full auto weapons, parts, and accessories. Did you know that you can legally buy a machine gun? Not a problem, truly, if you've got the money, and are willing to jump through some bureaucratic hoops. You can't be legally disqualified from owning a gun generally, and your state has to allow machine gun ownership, which most do. There is a background check and some paperwork, including photos and fingerprints, to be filled out. Local law enforcement must sign the proposed transfer form, and it must be approved by ATF. You'll have to pay a $200 transfer tax. If the transfer is approved, as most are, the gun will be registered to you in a national database, and you'll be the proud owner of your very own machine gun. You don't need to have a dealer's license yourself. What you will need is money. Quite a bit, in fact. The cheapest, stamped-metal full auto weapons start at several thousand dollars."

Saturday, January 28, 2012

CA: Man Shoots, Kills Intruder: "A Dana Point man shot and killed an intruder in his home late Monday night, authorities said. A resident was asleep in his home on the 34000 block of Capistrano by the Sea when he was awakened by a noise shortly before 11 p.m. Monday. The resident opened his bedroom door, was confronted by a male intruder inside his house and fired multiple shots, hitting the man, Amormino said. Authorities believe the burglar escaped through the same window he used to enter the home and then died in the back yard. The would-be burglar was later identified as Ross Thomas Wells Mortensen, 26, of San Juan Capistrano.


TX: Intruder discovered and shot: "Lubbock County Sheriff's deputies said 69-year old Fred Melcher entered his home with his friend Edith Ayers when they surprised a burglar. Deputies said the burglar is a man they knew, 49-year-old Robert Holt. Sheriff Kelly Rowe said, "There was an exchange of gun fire between the burglar and the homeowner. The homeowner shot and killed the intruder." Deputies said both victims were able to speak briefly to investigators Friday. Melcher is still in critical condition and Ayers in serious.


Pa: Wife found not guilty in slaying of ex-cop: "A Conneautville-area woman won’t go to jail for the shotgun slaying of her husband, ex-Niagara Falls police officer Anthony Oliver, at their home more than 15 months ago. He was shot once in the chest with a single-barrel 12-gauge shotgun just before 10 a.m. Oct. 5, 2010, following a domestic argument about bills. Mrs. Oliver’s defense team argued the shooting was in self-defense. The defense argued Mrs. Oliver told both the Crawford County 911 Center dispatcher following the shooting and police investigators who interviewed her, that she was frightened as Mr. Oliver became enraged, calling her expletives and coming at her."


GA: Liquor Store Manager Fires at Armed Robber: "A Northlake liquor store manager scared away an armed robber Jan. 20 by grabbing his own handgun and firing at the intruder, DeKalb County police said. The robber walked into Northlake Liquor at 3900 Lavista Rd. and pointed a black handgun at the 60-year-old manager between 9:45 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., the police report said. "This is a holdup," the intruder said. The manager reached under the counter, grabbed a 9mm Beretta and fired at the suspect. The suspect ran out of the store empty-handed, heading west past the Wendy's to an unknown location. The suspect was described as a black male about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 150 pounds, wearing black clothing."

Friday, January 27, 2012



OK: Intruder (above) shot as he broke in: "The resident at a duplex in the 300 block of N Kendra Drive said he heard his dog growl then heard two hard kicks on his front door about 7:45 a.m. He grabbed a gun from his bedroom and confronted a man who broke in. The intruder was also armed with a handgun, Clabes said. The resident opened fire and hit the intruder once in the chest. The intruder, Reginald Keith Joseph Jr., 27, was taken to Midwest Regional Medical Center, where he died, Clabes said. The name of the resident who shot the intruder has not been released. Clabes said the man is afraid of retribution from those who might have known Joseph. Clabes said it appears the shooting was justifiable."




FL: Woman, 64, holds suspect in yard at gunpoint: "Daytona Beach police were looking for a stolen vehicle about 3 a.m. Tuesday when a Volusia County sheriff's deputy spotted an orange Dodge Charger traveling west on Sixth Street. The deputy tried to stop the vehicle, but a chase quickly ensued, according to a report from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. A sheriff's helicopter tracked the suspect to Redwood Street, where deputies say Willis ditched the vehicle in the driveway in front of Granville's home. Granville said she was up late because her cat had rousted her. She was watching the Bravo channel when she heard a sheriff's helicopter hovering above her house. Moments later, she said she saw Willis run into her backyard and try to scale her fence. Granville grabbed her .38 Special revolver and followed him. "My adrenaline was just flowing at 100 mph," she said. "I just said, 'Stop right there (expletive), or you're going to be dead where you stand." Granville held the man at gunpoint until police arrived."


Spend a $2 bill at Starbucks on Feb. 14: "As you may know, TTAG commentator Greg responded to a Valentine’s Day Starbucks boycott by the National Gun Victims Action Council by organizing a BUYcott. He’s asking gun owners to reward Starbucks for its letter-of-the-law firearms policy by buying a beverage or food item with a two dollar bill (a suggestion made by NukemJim, the bill representing the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms) on the 14th of Feb. "


Homicide drop while gun ownership rises shows anti-gunners wrong: "This week’s revelation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that homicide is no longer among the leading causes of death in the United States -- at a time when gun ownership is at an all-time high -- shows that the gun ban lobby has been wrong, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. 'The CDC’s report for 2010 that removes homicide from the top 15 leading causes of death in this country coincides with a period of record high gun ownership,' said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb."

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Pa.: Man shot attacking teens in self defense: "A 16-year-old boy is dead, another teenager is wounded and another was arrested after a shooting on a popular trail in Cumru Township. Wednesday night the Berks County District Attorney gave police the go ahead to release the man they say shot at the teens. Police say the teens knocked the man off his bicycle and onto the ground. They say two of the teens were assaulting the man when he pulled out a gun and shot them. The coroner says a 16-year-old Reading boy suffered a gun shot wound to the chest. Police say the other teen and the man were taken in for questioning. Afterwards, police say they spoke with District Attorney John Adams and decided to release the man and commit the uninjured teen to the Youth Detention Center."


MO: Woman scares off burglars: "Neighbors said three people forced their way into the woman's home in the 7600 block of Richmond Avenue. Police said the intruders were looking for the basement, where multiple firearms were stashed away in safes. Investigators said that while the intruders were trying to access the safes, the woman crept away to her bedroom and got another gun. Two of the men ran off and the victim held the remaining intruder at gunpoint and told him police were on the way. The woman eventually let the third person go. "What I'm shocked about is that she let him go," Porter said. "One of the guys sat on the couch and begged for his life for her to let him go, but you just broke in and could have killed her." No injuries were reported in the case. Because of Missouri's Castle Doctrine, which allows homeowners to use deadly force to protect themselves, the woman is not expected to face charges."


Do we need a law to make people think?: "The answers are obvious. Who says gun buyers are thoughtless and irresponsible? About 60 million Americans own roughly 270 million firearms, and 99.99 percent of them never hurt anyone. Firearms sales have jumped in the past couple of years, yet violent crime has plunged. Gun crimes in bars and restaurants fell after Virginia allowed permit holders to carry concealed guns into them. Firearm violence, while immensely regrettable, does not obviate the right to bear arms any more than media scandals obviate freedom of the press."



Virginia man acquitted in Philly self-defense shooting in 2010; Now sued by attacker: "One year ago, Gerald Ung was acquitted of attempted murder during a jury trial at Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. After a night out on the town in January 2010, he and a female companion got into an altercation in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood with Eddie DiDonato, Jr. and two of DiDonato’s buddies. The altercation ended with Ung pulling his legal handgun and firing a half-dozen times at DiDonato. The story seemed to be over – until now. On Dec. 30, prominent Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Robert Mongeluzzi filed a lawsuit on behalf of DiDonato. The defendants named in the civil action are Ung and a handful of drinking establishments that served alcohol to Ung on the night the shooting occurred. It’s anyone’s guess how things will turn out, but at this point, it appears the law is on DiDonato’s side. DiDonato is reportedly the son of prominent Philadelphia attorney Edward DiDonato, Sr., of the firm Fox Rothschild."

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

IN: Shooting leaves robber dead, one hurt: "One person is dead and another hurt in a shooting Tuesday evening on the city's near northwest side. Police say the shooting happened around 9:15 pm in the 18-hundred block of East Riverside Drive. When officers arrived they found one man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his chest and another suffering from a gunshot wound to his foot. Investigators believe the deceased may have been attempting to either rob or carjack the alleged victim. Detectives say a fight broke out between the two and several shots were fired. Both the suspect and the victim were struck by bullets. No word on the identity of the deceased. The robbery victim is being treated for non-life threatening injuries."


NV: Attempted Robber Shot: "One person has been hospitalized with a gunshot wound after a robbery near Gowan Road and Cliff Shadows Parkway. Police say four individuals agreed to meet with a man who was selling sneakers on Craigslist. They agreed to make the transaction at a park near Gowan and Cliff Shadows Monday night. Shortly after arriving, the parties moved to a nearby gas station. When the seller opened the trunk of his car to retrieve the sneakers, one of the suspects grabbed the sneakers. The four suspects jumped into their van and fled. The seller chased them in his car, but the van crashed. The seller grabbed his gun and fired warning shots at the suspects. One of the bullets struck one of the suspects in the arm. The suspect was transported to University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries."


Antigun lobby calls for Starbucks boycott: "An anti-gun group is attempting to organize a nationwide Valentine's Day boycott of Starbucks over the coffee chain's gun policy. Starbucks does not ban guns in its stores; rather, it defers to local laws. The National Gun Victim's Action Council (NGAC) says that amounts to a pro-gun policy that endangers customers."


Fast & Furious: Official pleads 5th Amendment versus congressional testimony: "As Arizona state officials open their own probe into Operation Fast and Furious, the head of the House panel investigating the gunrunning scandal is crying foul over a key player's move Tuesday to assert his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions. Patrick Cunningham, the chief of the criminal division of the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona, was excused from a deposition after refusing to give more than his name and title, Fox News has learned."

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MO: Homeowner was prepared: "William Whitfield, a 66-year-old retired Navy petty officer, came home one January morning in 2010 to find that burglars had ransacked his small brick bungalow. They took his tools, computer, flat-screen TV. But he figured they'd be back because they left bags stuffed with more of his belongings near a basement stairwell. Whitfield called police but armed himself with a 9mm pistol and slept in a chair in the front room. When three people broke in about 3 a.m., he shot and killed one of them. No charges were filed. "I was worried for my safety," Whitfield said. "I just figured if somebody breaks in, you have a right to defend yourself." Until passage of the castle doctrine, Missouri law didn't necessarily concur."


TX: Neighbor shoots burglar: "A spokesperson for the Converse Police Department says a woman ran to her neighbor's house for help around 4:20 p.m. Saturday after she arrived home and spotted a burglar inside her house on Anderson Court. As the neighbor came out of his house with a gun, the burglary suspect took off. Reportedly, the driver of the getaway car tried to run him over with a vehicle. Police say the neighbor fired shots at the vehicle, hitting one of the suspects in the left arm. Officers said they caught up with 18-year-old Robert Sedberry, Jr and 18-year-old Justin Leal, at Loop 1604 and Old Seguin Road. Leal was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to be all right. Police say he faces charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Burglary of a Habitation, while Sedberry, faces Burglary of a Habitation charges. Police are calling the shooting a case of self-defense."


SAF, ANJRPC will appeal New Jersey right-to-carry ruling: "Second Amendment Foundation and Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs will appeal a federal judge’s ruling Friday that 'the Second Amendment does not include a general right to carry handguns outside the home.' Federal Judge William H. Walls, a Clinton appointee, dismissed a case filed by both organizations challenging New Jersey’s handgun carry laws, which have all but eliminated the right to self-defense with a firearm outside the home."


Illinois only state without concealed carry: "In Illinois, the Family and Personal Protection Act that would allow gun owners to carry loaded firearms — either openly or concealed — in a vehicle and into certain public places came up six votes shy in the Illinois House last year. Anti-gun lawmakers from the Chicago area provided most of the opposition. But the debate is not over: State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, expects to bring the bill back for another vote this year. “When I start something I fight for it. Right now we’re at the mercy of criminals,” said Phelps, acknowledging he needs support from Cook County for the bill to pass. Under the proposal, applications would be handled by county sheriff’s departments — a process that should make the public feel more confident, said McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery, an avid supporter of concealed carry."

Monday, January 23, 2012

TN gun laws, or lack thereof, under attack: "Something didn’t seem quite right to Tyler Adams as he talked with the man who wanted to buy a gun from him. The customer admitted he did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Tennessee. When Adams probed a bit more and asked if he could pass a background check, the guy was upfront and said no. Adams did not sell the gun. That’s the way the law is supposed to work for private sellers who, unlike gun dealers, aren’t required to conduct background checks. But critics are skeptical that all private gun sellers would be that responsible, and say, in fact, the government leaves the door wide open for private sellers to sell a gun to anyone who is willing to pay for it and simply look the other way even if they are suspicious about the buyer. Tennessee is among 34 states that don’t require any background checks for private sales of firearms, even if the sale is handled by an online site."


Greenville NC Park Gun Carry Ban Sees Promising Developments: "Crime has decreased in our great state everywhere that concealed carry was made legal 18 years ago. Unfortunately, that predictable improvement did not extend to areas like parks that remained off-limits to lawful self-defense. Former Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn was an active member of NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-gun organization, MAIG. One of her final acts was implementation of an over-reaching, anti-HB 650 gun ban in parks. Dunn’s ban was so over-the-top it twisted the definition of “dog park” into “playground” ensuring that only defenseless dog-owners can run their pets off-leash in Greenville. WITN reports that the Greenville City Council is reconsidering these misguided laws over a weekend retreat. Election of a new Mayor, Allen M. Thomas, as well as new City Council members brings hope that pro-freedom thinking may take hold within Greenville."

Sunday, January 22, 2012

New Yorkers might have to be careful in Tennessee

Tennesseans have circled the wagons to protect one of their own arrested in the Big Apple for gun possession, and now New York motorists may want to keep a closer eye on their speedometers.

In response to the arrest of 39-year old Meredith Graves for unlawful gun possession while visiting the newly opened 9/11 memorial, the Tennessee state legislature has taken action.

According to the New York Post, Tennessee’s state legislature has “declared civil war on New Yorkers“— at least when it comes to speeders in their state. State officials claim they may retaliate for the prosecution of a woman who was carrying an illegal pistol at the 9/11 Memorial.

A Knoxville-based legislator, who is also apparently a farmer by trade, is so upset over the Tennessee tourist’s gun arrest last month that he drew up legislation addressing it.

In response to the arrest of Meredith Graves, the Post says “his resolution condemns it as a grave miscarriage of justice— and reminds New Yorkers to “drive carefully” if we come visit.”

The Tennessee House resolution reads in part: “We remind the citizens of New York, especially those residing in New York City, to drive carefully through the great state of Tennessee, paying extra attention to our speed limits.” The resolution– which does not have the force of law even within the state of Tennessee, also requests the release of Meredith Graves, an outcome it claims common sense and sound judgment demand.

A registered nurse and fourth-year medical student, Graves face 3 1/2 years if convicted even though she was licensed to carry a concealed weapon in her home state of Tennessee. Before her arrest, Graves willingly surrendered her weapon to authorities thinking she was in compliance with the law.

Many who believe in a strong 2nd amendment have been outraged by her arrest, and there are no signs yet that New York City authorities are considering dropping the charges.

The resolution appears largely an attempt to bring attention to the case facing Graves.

But when asked about any impact it would have back in Tennessee, the Tennessee measure’s sponsor, Rep. Frank Niceley, (R-Knoxville) told the Post: ”Well, I don’t know that the Highway Patrol would be any kinder or any harsher. But it’s something to think about.”

Resolution 585 should come up for a vote in Tennessee’s House of Representatives next week. If it passes, it will head to the Senate and then the governor’s desk.

Meanwhile, Graves is due back in court March 19th.

Source




Customer Shoots Robbery Suspect at SC Waffle Shop: "Authorities say a customer at a South Carolina Waffle shop pulled a gun and shot one of two men trying to rob the restaurant. The Greenville News reports that the shooting took place early Saturday morning inside a Waffle Shop off Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County. Coroner Rusty Clevenger identified the dead man as 19-year-old Dante Lamont Williams of Roebuck, who was shot in the head and body. Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright declined to identity the customer, citing concerns for his safety. Authorities said the customer had a concealed weapon permit and tried to hold the two men at gunpoint until officers arrived, but that one suspect began to point his gun at the customer, who then fired shots. The second robber fled and is being sought by authorities."


WV: Delivery driver lauded for shooting would be assailant: "Neighbors who saw a Husson's Pizza delivery driver shoot a would be assailant are praising him as a hero. Delivery driver Morgan Vandergriff pulled a concealed handgun and shot DeSean Saunders in the arm and chest after an alleged robbery attempt. Husson said the delivery business has actually become safer as the popularity of credit cards has grown. Still, there are areas he won't send delivery drivers to. Masi said the delivery driver did the right thing in protecting himself. "Sometimes you give a robber your money and they shoot him anyway," said Masi. "I would have shot him twice." [See also here]

Saturday, January 21, 2012

5 Differences Between Home Burglary and Robbery

The following are 5 distinct and important legal differences between burglary and robbery:

1. Specific legal definitions of burglary vary, but generally speaking it refers to the willful entry into a structure without permission, with the intent to commit a crime. Note that there is no specificity regarding what that intended crime might be. We’ll clarify this in just a bit.

Robbery is defined as theft of money or property against an individual by force or by threat of force.

2. In a burglary, the victim need not be present, and frequently isn’t. Most burglaries, in fact, are committed with the expectation that the burglar will never be confronted by the victim. Further, theft isn’t always the intent of the burglar for entering the premises in the first place.

Conversely, for a crime to be deemed a robbery, by definition the victim must be present. Without a victim present, in the eyes of the law there can be no robbery.

3. Burglary is judged based on intent. So a person who otherwise has permission to be on the premises is guilty of burglary if it can be proven that their intent for being on the premises at the time was to commit an offense. Even though the person was otherwise authorized to be in the building, their intent for being there was to commit a crime, which constitutes burglary.

Robbery, on the other hand, is based not on intent, but on result. In other words, robbery is only robbery if a theft occurs, else it would be deemed attempted robbery. (It should also be noted, that force must be involved to distinguish the crime from simple theft.)

4. Burglary is referred to as an inchoate offense, which means that the offense was committed in preparation for completion of another crime. As above, the other intended crime need not have been accomplished if it can be proven that the burglar did indeed intend to commit it.

Robbery is considered an end unto itself, in that the sole intent of the offender is the actual crime of robbery, the taking possession or ownership of property to which they are not entitled by force or by threat of force.

5. Burglary can be classified as a felony, dependent upon the perpetrator’s intent for entering the premises. If the intent was simply to commit petty theft, however, the offense would likely only be classified as a misdemeanor.

Robbery is always a felony because it always, by definition, involves force or the threat of force.

So next time someone tells you that their house was robbed, you can say, “I hope it didn’t put up a fight and just handed over its wallet.”

Source




US judge backs ATF multiple rifle sales reporting: "A U.S. judge on Friday, in a victory for the Obama administration, upheld new federal rules requiring gun dealers in four states bordering Mexico to report the sales of multiple semi-automatic rifles, despite a challenge by the gun industry."

Friday, January 20, 2012

Gunwalker: Subpoena Issued for Patrick J. Cunningham, U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona

I just received an email from Congressman Darrel Issa’s office, containing a copy of a letter that was just sent Patrick J. Cunningham, Chief of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The letter announces that Cunningham has just been subpoenaed for “repeated refusals to testify voluntarily” before the House Oversight Committee, concerning accusations that he relayed inaccurate and misleading information to the Justice Department in preparation for its initial response to Congress.

Wrote Issa to the sly pig:
During the course of our investigation, the Committee has learned of the outsized role played by the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office – and you specifically – in approving the unacceptable tactics used in Fast and Furious. Senior Justice Department officials have recently told the Committee that you relayed inaccurate and misleading information to the Department in preparation for its initial response to Congress.

These officials told us that even after Congress began investigating Fast and Furious, you continued to insist that no unacceptable tactics were used. In fact, documents obtained confidentially just last week appear to confirm that you remained steadfast in your belief that no unacceptable tactics were used, even after the Department’s initial response to the congressional inquiry. Given that the Attorney General has labeled these tactics as unacceptable and Fast and Furious as “fundamentally flawed,” this position is startling.

The subpoena requires Cunningham to appear on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 for a deposition. And while it’s heartening to see Issa and his committee continuing to pursue those who might be covering up the truth on Fast and Furious, Eric Holder still has his job and has yet to face prosecution for his role in this lawless operation.

The bottom line: the wheels of justice are turning, they’re just moving so slowly that progress is imperceptible.

Source




ME: Man was shot out of self-defense: "With a gunshot wound to his stomach, Rafael Encarnacion, 22, crawled out of a back bedroom of a Vassalboro home early Tuesday. The man identified by police as the trigger-man, Joseph L. Gagnon, 55, of Vassalboro, told his brother that he shot Encarnacion in self-defense with a “homemade gun” because Encarnacion was threatening him and his family, according to a police report filed in Kennebec County Superior Court. Gagnon, who has yet to be charged in connection with the shooting, turned himself in to Hallowell Police following the shooting, which was reported at 12:30 a.m. at Gagnon’s home on Whitehouse Road. According to the Tremblay’s report, James Gagnon, 53, said his brother told him that Encarnacion “was threatening him, his girlfriend and his kids, that the man had beat him in the past, and it wasn’t going to happen again.”


MO: Police arrest KC resident who shot intruder using stolen gun: "An attempted home invasion robbery this morning in Kansas City ended with a suspect shot by one of the residents, and the resident got arrested because he used a stolen gun. It was just before 1 a.m. today when five masked and armed suspects entered the home in the 5200 block of Euclid Avenue and ordered two residents onto the floor as they began looking through the house. Another resident heard the commotion and fired shots at the suspects, who then fled. The only item reported stolen was a marijuana “blunt,” according to police reports. A short time later, a man suffering a gunshot wound showed up at Research Medical Center. Police said they believed he was one of the robbers who had been shot in the incident. Police today said his injury was not life-threatening."


FL: Two nabbed in shooting: "The clerk at Big Star Liquors in Marianna was seriously injured Wednesday night during an attempted armed robbery, The Marianna Police Department wrote in a news release. The incident happened at about 7:20 p.m. According to the news release two men entered the store and one of them, Hakhelius Jaquarious Moore, 18, had a gun. During the attempted robbery Moore and the clerk exchanged gunfire, officials said. The clerk, whose name has not yet been released, recieved several gunshot wounds. He was transported to a medical facility and was listed in stable condition early Thursday morning. During the night officials from Marianna PD, The Jackson County Sheriff's Office, The Florida Highway Patrol and others searched for and found Moore and an alleged accomplice 17-year-old Deontrey Shaquille Granberry."

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A strange event
LEE COUNTY, GA -- An employee at the Lee County Publix found a .40-caliber handgun with 12 rounds inside on a sink in the men’s bathroom.

The employee notified store management who called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. At this time it’s not known who left the gun, but authorities are running the serial number through the ATF data base to see if they can figure out how the gun got there.

No one was injured by the weapon.

Why doesn't this ever happen to me? I mean, people dump machine guns in creeks in Alabama, but never in one I'm looking at. Even ATF agents like Jody Keeku leave their duty weapons in airport bathrooms, and the sheep who find them just turn them over.

And that last line. "No one was injured by the weapon." What?!? It didn't jump up and shoot somebody all on its own? How could that be? I thought they were intrinsically evil?

Source




SC woman scares off robber: "Deputies say a 68-year-old woman pulled a gun on a man who tried to force his way inside her home. It happened on Cutler Street on Jan.8. The woman and her friend, Diane Gordon, said they had seen the man walking on Cutler Street. The victim says the man borrowed a flashlight from her friend, and later in the day, at about 7:30 p.m., he came back to her house and asked to use her phone. She said she did not let the man inside but allowed him to use her phone from the porch. The incident report says the man pushed open the door, pulled a gun from under his shirt and told her to "Get back in the house." "When he pulled his gun, she pulled her gun and he said for her to get in the house and she said she would kill him first," Gordon said. The man froze, and then ran away. Zach Hinton, with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, said the man is white, about 40 years old, average height and he was using the name Eric. He had receding, light-brown hair and was wearing a light-colored T-shirt and blue jeans.


MS: Suspect arrested in failed armed robbery: "An attempt at an armed robbery failed when the suspect met with resistance from the business owner. Investigation into the crime led to the arrest of 28-year-old Stephen Joseph Kendrick after review of business surveillance video, said Capt. Chad Dorn with the Picayune Police Department. Kendrick was charged with attempted armed robbery. Witnesses stated that just after 10 p.m. Friday a man, later identified as Kendrick, entered the store and walked around for a short time before heading to the counter. Dorn said when Kendrick approached the counter he pulled a gun and demanded money from the register. However, the owner of the business was on the premises and the clerk declined to comply with Kendrick’s request. Dorn said Kendrick demanded money from the register a second time, but the owner pulled his own gun. On facing the owner’s gun, Kendrick backed down from his robbery attempt, stating his gun was just a BB gun before handing it over to the store owner and fleeing the scene."


AZ: Man released under new law: "Roger Garfield, the former antiques dealer who shot and killed an unarmed homeless man in 2006, has been released from prison and granted a new trial based on a change in self-defense laws. Garfield had been an insurance man for 25 years before achieving his lifelong dream in 2006 of opening his own antique store. The area is well-known for its homeless population, and Garfield had a run-in with transient Bobby Cain just two days after he set up shop. For months afterward, bad blood ran between the two men. Garfield said he was repeatedly threatened by Cain, who'd had a history of mental health problems. To protect himself, Garfield bought a little .32-caliber semi-automatic handgun. On April 9, 2006, Cain came into the store and began yelling at Garfield, who drew his gun. When Cain advanced, Garfield shot him four times. The man collapsed and died. Police and witnesses didn't view the shooting as self defense, despite Garfield's claim that he'd felt in fear of his life."

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

MA: Grand Jury Finds Shooter Acted In Self-Defense: "A Grand Jury found on Tuesday that the accused murderer of Nikolas Carnute was acting in self-defense. The Wellington Avenue shooting of the 23-year-old Carnute on December 4, 2011 resulted in the arrest of Kurt Hudson, 25, of Pittsfield. Hudson fled to South Carolina, where he was apprehended a few days later. According to District Attorney David Capeless, after two days of testimony, the Grand Jury found that Carnute drew a gun on Hudson while Hudson sat in the driver's seat of a parked car. Hudson fired two shots out of the car window as he backed out of the Wellington Avenue driveway. One of those shots hit Carnute in the head. Carnute was transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Hudson then fled the scene and the gun Carnute used was not recovered because an associate of Carnute took it from the scene, according to Capeless."




GA: Self-defense shooting thwarts burglary, appears legal: "Aside from a 9 mm pistol and 16 years of military experience, Sgt. 1st Class Eddie Waiters was on his own in the wee hours of Tuesday morning when an intruder shattered his window and tried to open the front door of his house. But when Waiters opened fire and shot the would-be burglar in the groin, state law was also on his side, authorities determined after an investigation of the shooting. The suspect in the case, Melvin J. Jones, 47, [above] was believed to be unarmed. Still, Waiters’ reaction seemed to be a textbook example of a justified, self-defense shooting protected by statutes in Georgia and Alabama, according to law enforcement officials and attorneys."


OH: Woman who shot boyfriend acted in self-defense: "Reynoldsburg police reported that a woman who shot her boyfriend Saturday acted in self-defense. Terrance A. Hughes, 28, was fatally shot at about 10:50 a.m. Saturday at 9148 Firstgate Drive, in a house he shared with his girlfriend of three years, Reynoldsburg police Lt. Scott McKinley said. They recently moved to the area, just east of the Licking County line. The woman was able to obtain a gun that Hughes brought to the home and used it to shoot him, McKinley said. “The two got into an argument, she feared for her life and used force,” McKinley said. Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene. His death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy, Licking County Coroner’s Office investigator Mickey Lymon said. The investigation is complete, and no charges will be filed against the woman, McKinley said early Tuesday. Domestic disputes were not common for the couple, but Hughes had a history of altercations, McKinley said."


CA: High court OKs gun ban for misdemeanor criminals: "The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a Napa County man's challenge Tuesday of a California law that imposes a 10-year ban on gun ownership for anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime involving violence or threats of force. Rick Delacy's appeal was argued by a lawyer who also represents the National Rifle Association, and supporting arguments were also filed by the California Rifle and Pistol Association. They contended gun restrictions based on convictions for misdemeanors, punishable by no more than a year in jail, violate the constitutional right to possess firearms for self-defense that the Supreme Court recognized in 2008. They also argued that misdemeanor battery, Delacy's previous crime, is not necessarily violent."

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Deadly Milwaukee shooting was in self-defense: "The Milwaukee County District Attorney says Monday morning that a deadly shooting in Milwaukee earlier this month was self defense. The shooting happened at the corner of North 95th and West Brown Deer Road. The incident started as a meeting in which two men claimed they were planning to sell stereo equipment. Those men actually planned a robbery. The man who was killed had pulled a gun on the others. Prosecutors say the shooter then pulled out his gun in self defense."


NC: Mother shoots, kills son during bedroom assault: "A mother had to shoot and kill her own son in what investigators are calling self defense early Friday morning. When officers arrived they found 21-year-old Justin Barger shot dead in floor. Barger's parents told investigators they had poured out all the alcohol in the house after Barger became drunk. When his parents went to bed, Barger went into their bedroom and started assaulting them by pulling them out of bed and beating them on the ground. His mom reached for a pistol when Barger started beating his father and she ordered him to stop, according to police. When he came at her, she fired, shooting him directly in the chest. No charges have been filed in the case. Police believe Barger had a mental condition. Other family also told police that Barger had a history of threatening people."

NY: “Honest mistake” by Marine busted for handgun carry: "A third-generation Marine arrested in New York City after trying to check his Indiana-registered handgun with security made an "honest mistake" and should not face prison time, his attorney said Monday. Ryan Jerome, a 28-year-old former private first class whose father and grandfather were Marines, faces three and a half years in prison after being arrested Sept. 27 for carrying a .45-caliber Ruger that was legally registered in his home state. Jerome, of West Bend, Ind., had approached security officers at the Empire State Building to check the weapon before he was taken into custody, according to his attorney, who said it was the man's first visit to New York City." [Under common law, there has to be a "mens rea" (intention) for there to be a crime]

Monday, January 16, 2012

Mike Bloomberg is a Tiny Shit of a Man

One of the most disturbing features of the US justice system is its ever more grotesque loss of proportion, at the federal level and in far too many states and municipalities. On his radio show this week, Derb discusses the case of Meredith Graves, the Tennessee nurse who, upon visiting the 9/11 memorial in New York and seeing the signs forbidding firearms, asked the staff if she could check her pistol (lawful and licensed in her home state). She was handcuffed, arrested, and now faces three and a half years in jail for firearms possession – for the crime of being unaware that the Second Amendment does not apply in New York City.

Asked about the case, New York’s thuggish mayor decided to add insult to injury:

"Let’s assume that she didn’t get arrested for carrying a gun. She probably would have gotten arrested for the cocaine that was in her pocket."

There was no cocaine. The white stuff in her pocket was analyzed by Bloomberg’s cops and found to be, as the nurse had said it was, aspirin powder. So this loathsome slug of a man has slandered an ordinary American citizen on tape in front of the world. Why? Because he can.

As Kevin Williamson wrote:

"You can be confident that Meredith Graves will be locked up, because it is far easier to lock up law-abiding types such as Meredith Graves than it is to police the criminals who actually do the murders and muggings. This isn’t a question of whether the government’s behavior is constitutional or unconstitutional, but of whether the government’s behavior constitutes government, of whether it makes any sense at all, and of whether government can establish elementary priorities and exercise elementary discretion."

Anyone with any knowledge of New York City’s standard operating procedure could have guessed the answer to that. But we might have known that Bloomberg would effortlessly sink to new depths. It is outrageous that his enforcers are obtuse enough to seek jail time for Meredith Graves. But it is entirely unacceptable for the chief executive of a major American jurisdiction to slur innocent private citizens as coke snorters simply because he’s in power and they’re not. Like Derb, I hope Mrs Graves sues the pants off this tinpot toad.

Source




TN: Ex-boyfriend shot by ex-husband: "Around 10:30 p.m. Friday, an angry and aggressive Christopher Franklin showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s East Nashville house and confronted her estranged husband, 37-year-old John Allen, police say. Allen told detectives that he shot 32-year-old Franklin in self-defense at 802 N. Second St. Franklin died. Police say Allen’s wife had a protection order against Franklin because she felt he had been watching her. No charges have been filed, but the investigation continues."


MLK Kept Guns at Home for Self-Defense and Sought Right to Carry: "The late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. kept guns at home in Alabama for self-defense," gun law expert John M. Snyder recalled here on the eve of the national holiday named for the civil rights leader. "At one time," Snyder continued, "King applied for a permit to carry a concealed handgun, but was denied. He was concerned for his personal safety, just as are a lot of law-abiding American citizens. "This fact underscores the value of a public policy regarding constitutional carry. With constitutional carry, a law-abiding American citizen could exercise his or her constitutional right to carry a concealed firearm without government authorization."

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Shooter could get probation, victim prison: "In an extremely odd twist of events, the woman charged in connection with the stabbing and shooting of her longtime boyfriend is expected to be placed on probation while her victim likely will be going to prison. Domonique Benavidez, 26, Hays, pleaded no contest Thursday in Ellis County District Court to two amended counts of aggravated battery, both domestic-violence designated convictions. Benavidez originally had been charged with attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery in connection with the Nov. 20 shooting and stabbing of William T. Crangle, 36. Under the terms of a plea agreement reached recently -- at the urging of Crangle, her victim and the father of three children with Benavidez -- she is expected to be sentenced Jan. 23 to three year's probation with Northwest Kansas Community Corrections. To provide a basis of fact to justify the plea, Drees read from a portion of the affidavit used to charge Benavidez. That affidavit painted a picture of continuing domestic violence by Crangle, and she "believed that she was acting in self defense." She told police she feared for her safety and had obtained the gun for her personal safety."


Gun clubs Will Appeal New Jersey Right-to-carry Ruling: "The Second Amendment Foundation and Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs will appeal a federal judge's ruling Friday that "the Second Amendment does not include a general right to carry handguns outside the home." Federal Judge William H. Walls, a Clinton appointee, dismissed a case filed by both organizations challenging New Jersey's handgun carry laws, which have all but eliminated the right to self-defense with a firearm outside the home. "The Second Amendment Foundation and ANJRPC are prepared to take this case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where SAF has already won a landmark case defending the rights of gun owners," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. "The judge has it backwards," said ANJRPC President Scott Bach. "If he really cared about protecting citizens from lethal force, he wouldn't be interfering with their constitutional right to defend themselves against violent criminals."

Saturday, January 14, 2012

White Gun, Another ATF Gun-Smuggling Scheme?

Similar to the Fast and Furious operation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), another operation code-named White Gun is under review.
Now members of Congress who have spent months scrutinizing the Fast and Furious debacle are seeking to determine whether White Gun was another weapons investigation gone wrong.

"Apparently guns got away again," said one source close to the investigation, led by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa).

"How many got into Mexico, who knows?"

Officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives declined to comment on whether any firearms were lost in White Gun. But unlike Fast and Furious, they vigorously defended the previously unreported White Gun operation as a well-managed investigation that produced three arrests and convictions.
One observing the missteps of the ATF might conclude the agency is being grossly mismanaged.

Court Agrees To Hear Michael Behenna's Appeal

The family of an Edmond soldier convicted of murdering an Iraqi while fighting overseas received good news Friday morning. The highest military appeals court decided to hear Lieutenant Michael Behenna's case.

His mother said it was a small victory but a lot of work still needs to be done. "We're not out of the woods yet," said Vicki Behenna. "This is just an agreement to hear his case."

Michael Behenna had not even heard the news Friday. He is serving his 15-year sentence in the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, prison.

This appeal could overturn that conviction and the sentence for killing Ali Mansur in 2008.

Behenna previously testified he shot in self-defense when Ali Mansur reached out for his gun. Prosecutors argued that Behenna killed Mansur by shooting him in the head, execution style.

"Those shots are horizontal and parallel to each other, inconsistent with the fact that I'm standing above you, you're seated on a rock and I'm shooting down to your head," explained Vickie Behenna.

Vicki Behenna said the jury did not hear key testimony from prosecutors' own forensic expert. "When the government's own forensic expert tells them, ‘Your theory is wrong. It's not an execution. I believe that Mansur was standing at the time he was shot, that this was the first shot. It was not a shot to the head. As he fell to the ground, the second shot occurred,'" said Behenna as she recalled. "That evidence didn't get to the jury."

Behenna, a prosecutor herself, explained this omission of testimony was a violation of the Brady Rule which states that all evidence a prosecutor has that may negate the defendant's guilt, must be presented. She said that omission of evidence is enough to overturn the conviction. "The jury didn't hear that both experts, defense and prosecution experts, agreed that the man was coming towards [Michael] when he got shot," she said.

Behenna's mother said the defense team will now focus on the Brady Rule during the appeal Until then, she said Michael would have to wait in his prison cell. "I was so afraid that Michael would become angry and bitter and give up," she said. "But he hasn't."

Michael was not aware of the good news Friday since he can only communicate by letters or face-to-face. Vickie said she would go to Fort Leavenworth on Saturday to deliver the good news.

She said they do not expect a ruling on the appeal until late summer or early fall. They now have 30 to 60 days to file a brief, then the government has 30 to 60 days to respond before the court even hears the case.

Source




NC: Man shot, killed after breaking into home: "A Columbus County man is dead after being shot during an alleged home break-in. Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning residents of this home on North Wilkes Street in Chadbourn say two men forced their way in. They kicked in the door, knocking the frame loose. On the other end a frightened resident who was willing to defend himself. A roommate, who does not want to be identified, said his friend shot at the intruders as they burst through the door. The buck shot from the 12-gauge shotgun hit one of the two intruders. The resident tells us the men were startled when they saw the gun and heard the blast, running out the door. The man who was shot, Eddie Best Jr., fell to the ground along the side of the home. The other suspect ran off toward the back. Police confirm Best died at the hospital about an hour later."



WA: Arrogant judge costs the State a lot of money: "The state will pay a Longview man nearly $123,000 almost exactly two years after he was acquitted of assault after waving a gun at employees of a downtown Longview nightclub. Most of the money will go to his lawyers. Barnd-Spjut was on trial in January 2010 for four counts of assault after he pulled the gun in an alley behind the now-defunct Kesler's Bar & Grill. Security video footage played during the trial showed the bar's bouncers forcing Barnd-Spjut, then 29, down a hallway and shoving him out the back door. Barnd-Spjut's attorney, Duane Crandall, said at the time that his client brandished the weapon because the bouncers had a reputation for beating up patrons, and Barnd-Spjut feared he was about to be attacked. A jury found that argument reasonable, acquitted Barnd-Spjut and awarded him his trial-related costs. However, now-retired Cowlitz Superior Court Judge Jim Warme overturned the jury's decision to award Barnd-Spjut's his legal costs. A state appeals court shot down Warme's ruling late last year and declared Barnd-Spjut was entitled to recoup his trial-related costs."

Friday, January 13, 2012

New E-mail Blows Hole In Obama’s “Fast And Furious” Story

Discovery of a January 2011 e-mail exchange between then Acting ATF Director Ken Melson and the Bureau’s chief council Steve Rubenstein has put the kibosh on Obama administration elites’ latest “we didn’t know about it” defense concerning the regime’s involvement in Operation Fast and Furious.

On December 22, 2010, a contributor identifying himself as “1desertrat” posted the following to the “CLEANUP ATF” website:

"Word is that curious George Gillett the Phoenix ASAC stepped on it again. Allegedly he has approved more than 500 AR-15 type rifles from Tucson and Phoenix cases to be “walked” to Mexico. Appears that ATF may be one of the largest suppliers of assault rifles to the Mexican cartels! One of these rifles is rumored to have been linked to the recent killing of a Border Patrol Officer in Nogales, AZ. Can anyone confirm this information?"

Well, Director Melson read this “CLEANUP ATF” post and didn’t appreciate the fact that ATF business had been so willfully shared with the general public. Especially, this business. So, he contacted ATF Chief Council Steve Rubenstein for advice. And the e-mail reply he received from Rubenstein is a beauty. Rubenstein wrote:

"The disclosure of this information has a potential deleterious effect on ATF’s undercover operations. In that regard, suspects may alter their behavior if they know that law enforcement is allowing certain firearms to “walk” into Mexico. In addition, public knowledge of this type of operation potentially places informants and undercover agents in jeopardy. If “1desertrat” is an ATF employee, then he/she is subject to our Orders and Standards of Conduct…."

Rubenstein goes on to quote the ATF Code of Conduct for employees, making it clear to Melson that the individual responsible for the post could be dealt with rather severely if indeed an ATF agent.

And Melson’s response: “Thanks Steve. I’m going to forward this to IA.” That is, Internal Affairs, which had by this time earned the reputation of being little more than a tool for the intimidation of agents who did not adequately adhere to ATF policy, regardless of how corrupt or nefarious.

The question is, where was Ken Melson’s outrage? Where are the endless questions about the “gunwalking” charge? Where is the anger about not having been informed of the operation? It has been Melson’s defense and testimony to congress for the past year that no one told him of Operation Fast and Furious. He didn’t know about guns being “walked” into Mexico. And of course it stands to reason that if he, the ATF Director didn’t know, no one above his pay grade could have known either, letting Eric Holder and Barack Obama off the hook.

But Melson doesn’t act like an innocent dupe who had been kept deliberately in the dark. He seems interested only in what steps can be taken to silence and punish “1desertrat” should his identity as an ATF employee become known.

But dupe or not, treated like an outsider by ATF old-timers or not, kept in the dark about gunwalking to Mexico or not, Ken Melson had been introduced to the Fast and Furious, gunwalking scheme no later than December 2010. His yearlong performance before congressional investigators as “innocent bystander” will no longer fly.

And neither will the fact that he supposedly kept the deliberate, highly illegal smuggling of guns into Mexico quietly to himself, sparing his superiors in the Department of Justice any of the gory details. As an attorney, Ken Melson knew the consequences, both of such a crime and its cover up. One can wager, if only to protect his own hide, he made sure his Department of Justice and executive branch bosses knew it as well.

More here





Florida senior citizen shoots, kills suspected burglar: "A senior citizen in Florida shot dead a would-be burglar at his home early Thursday morning as the suspect was trying to gain entry into the Daytona Beach home. The 82-year-old homeowner woke up at 6 a.m. after hearing someone at his backdoor, the report said. He armed himself with a .45 automatic and fired a single shot through the door, the report said. The suspected burglar was hit in the abdomen and likely died minutes later. The suspect was described as a white male in a ski mask who was carrying a hammer and screwdriver at the time of the shooting. Police have tentatively identified the suspect as the man wanted for other burglaries in the neighborhood, the report said. “The 82-year-old resident did something that the criminal justice system couldn’t do,” said Mike Chitwood, the chief of Daytona Beach police. “And that’s put this burglar out of business this morning.”


IN: Shooting at burglary suspects justified: "A Johnson County couple were justified when they shot at suspects burglarizing their property last summer, Prosecutor Brad Cooper announced Wednesday. Kevin and Teresa Reckley were acting within their rights when Kevin shot at the suspected burglars at their Trafalgar-area property Aug. 19, Cooper said. One of the suspects, an 18-year-old man, was treated for a gunshot to the abdomen. Two men drove a truck from behind the home; Kevin Reckley pointed his shotgun and ordered them to stop and get out of the vehicle. The suspects got out, but the driver later reached inside the truck, and Reckley fired. Reckley, an optometrist, handed the shotgun to his wife and took a handgun she had been carrying. Suspects in a second truck drove through the driveway directly at Reckley. He fired the .357-caliber handgun, striking the truck several times. The suspects were arrested but have yet to face official charges."

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Another American Imprisoned in People’s Republic of New York City

Once again an American has been thrown in prison for exercising his constitutional rights in Mayor for Life Michael Bloomberg’s authoritarian fiefdom of New York City:

Fred Vankirk, 59, of Columbus, was slapped with handcuffs at about 11 a.m. Saturday after cops found two .357 Magnum pistols and a .45 semiautomatic in his room at the Radisson Hotel on Lexington Avenue near East 48th Street, police sources said.

Vankirk has no criminal history. He has a permit in Ohio, and brought the guns for protection, which anyone who has been to New York City will understand.

The punishment will be as draconian as if it were North Korea or Cuba that he mistook for a place where the US Constitution applies.

He was charged with three counts of second-degree gun possession and [is] being held on $50,000 bond, court papers show. Each count carries a potential sentence of five to 15 years, to be served concurrently if a conviction results.

Other recent victims of NYC’s hyperaggressive war on liberty include former Marine Ryan Jerome, medical student Meredith Graves, and Tea Party Patriots cofounder Mark Meckler. It is doubtful that commonsense prosecutorial discretion will be applied.

Without the Constitution, our disintegration into hard tyranny would be inevitable and probably rapid. The greatest threat to this precious document is not that it will be officially repealed, but that it will be ignored.

The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that wherever you go in America, the Second Amendment applies.

Source




OH: No Indictment For Man Claiming Self Defense: "A man who was shot to death after breaking into a car sparked a grand jury hearing. On October 9, 2011, a Blacklick man confronted 28-year-old Sean Stiffler who was breaking into a neighbors car on Bollengen Road on the city's far east side. 911 caller: "He went into his pocket and drew a gun on me. I thought he had a gun and my life was in danger." A Franklin County grand jury looked at the facts from the shooting and decided Wednesday not to indict the neighbor who shot and killed Stiffler."


NC: Store employee fatally wounds man during robbery attempt: "An attempted armed robbery at Waccamaw Outdoor Supply on Wednesday ended with the alleged robber critically injured from a single gunshot, Police Chief Scott Hyatt said. The suspect died hours later. "A masked suspect came in with a weapon - not a gun, a weapon - and there was an exchange between the employee and the suspect," Hyatt said. "There were employees and customers in the store at the time. It was not a customer who did the shooting." Hyatt would only identify the dead man as a 20-year-old. The man was initially treated at Columbus Regional Healthcare in Whiteville, and later transferred to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington where he died. Hyatt said the employee who shot the suspect pulled a gun from under the counter during a similar robbery attempt a week earlier. "In that case, the suspect got one leg in the door, the employee went for the gun, and the suspect ran," Hyatt said. Hyatt said he does not expect to charge anyone in Wednesday's shooting."

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

WA: Homeowner shoots, kills suspected burglar: "A suspected burglar was shot dead by a homeowner inside an Everett home Monday. Snohomish County Sheriff's deputies said the burglar broke into a house on the 10500 block of 21st Avenue Southeast at 11:45 a.m., believing no one was home. The suspect was confronted by the homeowner, who was armed, and after a confrontation, deputies said the suspect was shot and killed."


FL: Convenience store owner thwarts robbery: "A convenience store owner thwarted an armed robbery Saturday when he pulled out a gun before a man attempting to rob his store could brandish his own, police said. The incident happened just before noon at Steve's Qwik Mart, 7500 Ulmerton Road. The store's owner, who was not identified, noticed a suspicious person outside his store about 11:45 a.m. The victim of a previous robbery on Dec. 19, 2011, he grabbed a firearm, police said. After pacing outside for a few moments, the man entered the store, lifted his shirt and began to brandish a black firearm, police said. The store owner pulled his own out first and pointed it at the man, who fled without taking anything. Police described the man as black, between 18 and his early 20s."

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

IN: Man shoots at suspected police impostor: "An 18-year-old Dyer man shot twice at a man who posed as a police officer Thursday night in the 600 block of 177th Street, police said. The Dyer man pulled his car over about 8:30 p.m. when a man driving a dark Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon appeared to be making a traffic stop. ... 'The victim realized it was a hoax,' Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said. He got out of his car with his handgun and shot twice at the supposed officer, who then got in his car, made a U-turn and fled."


CA: Home Robbery Suspect Shot by Homeowner: "A robbery suspect in custody after he was reportedly shot by a person he was robbing. 21-year-old Zaiven Ridley is accused of breaking into a home off Avenue 352 in Kingsburg but the couple who lives there was home at the time with their four kids. Officers say the suspect apparently tried to come in through a window so the father grabbed a gun and shot the suspect in the thigh. The suspect is expected to be okay. The case is still under investigation.

Monday, January 09, 2012

National Guardsman thwarts Chicago transit robbery; 3 teens arrested: "Three teens who attempted to rob a judo instructor with a replica gun at a CTA station got more than they bargained for, police say. It wasn’t the judo teacher who taught them a lesson, authorities say, but an Army National Guardsman armed with a real gun. Simpson was on his way to his day job as a security guard around 6:30 p.m. and was wearing his World Security Agency uniform when the 28-year-old victim approached him and described the three attackers who’d just unsuccessfully tried to snatch his iPhone at gunpoint, Simpson and the victim both said. Within seconds, Simpson had chased down and cuffed two 16-year-old boys to each other, he said. Then he squared off against a 17-year-old who pulled out what “looked like a real .22 pistol,” he said. As Simpson grabbed his own gun, the 17-year-old — identified in court Sunday by prosecutors as Donte Jackson — shouted “please don’t shoot, it’s not real!” Simpson said. The 17-year-old pulled the trigger on the fake gun, revealing a flame, he said. “It was a lighter, but I told him, ‘You shouldn’t have done that, I could have shot you.’”


VA: Police ID suspect killed at Roger's Sports Pub: "Police say Raymond Davis, 22, of Norfolk, and two other men tried to rob Rogers Sport's Pub in Chesapeake Friday Night. Witnesses told WAVY.com one of the patrons in the bar shot and killed Davis during the attempted robbery. It's the same story detectives told his grandmother Sheila Davis. "The man went outside and came back in with his gun and shot him down," said Davis. "It's like shooting a dog down. He is a human being." Davis says her grandson got mixed up with the wrong crowd. While she doesn't condone his behavior, she wants the public to respect her family in this time of grief. "I'm not trying to sweet-coat nothing," said Davis. "He went in there to rob the place, but eventually he got killed is the result of it." Witnesses say Davis and two other men entered the bar armed, wearing masks, and demanding money. Police won't say if the person who shot Davis could possibly face charges. They are still looking for the two other suspects who fled" [Another report here]


AL: Intruder shot: "He says a male suspect rang his doorbell and didn't expect anyone to be at home. "I proceeded to my doorbell. Once I got to the door I didn't see anybody. During that time, I looked over through the kitchen area, to my right, and I seen somebody trying to pry my window open. At the time, I seen two suspects with something in their hands trying to pry my window open. I yelled at them and as I yelled at them, they didn't seem to hear me. I proceeded back down the hall. I got my weapon and came back up and they still was prying and that's when I shot," Holloway said. Holloway said the 17-year-old he shot in the back had a gun. He says after the first burglary attempt two years ago he bought a gun to protect his home and family. Police say the suspect who was shot was taken to Baptist South. He suffered non-life threatening injuries. The second robber fled and is not in custody nor has he been identified.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

NC: Man not to be charged in shooting of 80-year-old: "The man accused of shooting an 80-year-old man is no longer facing criminal charges. According to paperwork from the clerk’s office, prosecutors determined the shooting was a case of self-defense. But Edward Lail argues against the prosecutors’ findings. The 80-year-old Korean War Veteran said a man he did not know came into his home and started asking him about a woman. “I come back and he was in the kitchen, and I said, ‘I told you to leave my house. I don’t know you.’ He come out here. I followed him out here and I seen the car and I said, ‘Get out of my driveway,’” Lail said. Lail said he fired a warning shot in the air. Second later, the man returned fire, hitting the 80-year-old in the side. Deputies charged Christopher Hedrick with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. According to the dismissal papers, prosecutors said Lail initiated the use of deadly force by firing the gun twice, including one shot that went over Hedrick’s head. Prosecutors said Hedrick was justified in returning fire because he life was threatened."


OH: Indictment on murder charge rejected: "A Toledo man arrested for the Oct. 23 shooting death of an acquaintance during a memorial vigil will not face murder charges, according to a decision by the Lucas County grand jury. The grand jury declined on Friday to indict Martrece Dobson on two alternate counts of murder for the death of Justin Smith. The grand jury did indict Mr. Dobson, 24, on one count of carrying a concealed weapon. If convicted on the charge, he faces up to 18 months in prison. Jeff Lingo, chief of the criminal division for the prosecutor’s office, noted that testimony given to the grand jury is not public information. Instead he referred to the Toledo police investigation of the October shooting that revealed that Smith was pointing a gun at different people prior to being shot. “Police reports and witness statements would have revealed that the decedent pulled a gun and was brandishing it in a threatening manner at other people and was subsequently shot,” he said. Toledo police Detective Liz Kantura said that although she could not say what information the grand jury contemplated, “it is fair to conclude they considered self defense.”


NY: Clerk with gun foils robbery: "Police say a clerk at a convenience store in Syracuse was able to stop a robbery by pulling a gun on a man who had slashed him with a knife. The confrontation happened at about 12:40 p.m. Friday. Police tell the Post-Standard, of Syracuse, that a man entered the shop wearing a ski mask and began swinging a knife. The worker's arms were bloodied, but he was able to grab a rifle from behind the counter and hold the robber at gunpoint until help arrived. The 21-year-old clerk was treated at a hospital. The 31-year-old man captured by the clerk was charged with attempted robbery and assault."


Serviceman thwarts Chicago transit robbery: "A military serviceman nabbed three robbers at a CTA Red Line station on the Near North Side this evening after the suspects snatched someone else’s iPhone, according to Chicago police. The serviceman, who was waiting for a train at North/Clybourn station about 6:30 p.m., works as a security guard, and was on his way to his job when the robbery victim flagged him down on the platform, police said. When the serviceman chased the suspects up the stairs, one of them pulled out a replica gun, police said. This prompted the security guard to draw his gun, which the officer said he was allowed to carry, and the suspects then surrendered. The three were detained by the serviceman until Chicago police officers arrived to the scene, police said. The iPhone has since been returned to the robbery victim."

Saturday, January 07, 2012

PA: Charges dropped in road rage incident: "Prosecutors on Friday withdrew charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment filed after a road rage incident that ended in gunfire in Ligonier Township. In October, Patrick James Pirl, 39, of Ligonier began tailgating Charles P. Gallo, 63, also of Ligonier, on Route 30, according to a police affidavit. Gallo told police that Pirl eventually followed him onto Route 381, where Pirl pulled in front of him, turned around and started heading directly at Gallo's vehicle. Gallo said he pulled out his Glock semi-automatic pistol and fired twice at Pirl, with one bullet grazing his shoulder, police said. The felony charges filed against Pirl were withdrawn because Gallo did not come to Pirl's preliminary hearing on Friday morning to testify before District Judge Denise Snyder-Thiel. Gallo spoke with 911 operators three times during the incident, according to court papers. Charges of attempted homicide were withdrawn against Gallo in December because Pirl refused to testify."


AZ: Guns on college and university campuses could soon be a reality: "Arizona Sen. Ronald Gould plans to reintroduce a gun bill next week that would force public colleges and universities to allow students with gun permits to carry firearms on campus. Gould (R- District 3) introduced a similar bill last legislative session which Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed. "The new bill only pertains to concealed carry permit holders," Gould said. Gould feels allowing students to carry weapons will decrease crime on campus. "To disallow guns on campus, what that really does is create a self defense free zone. So people with evil intents, they know there's no weapons there," Gould said. Gould has contacted the Arizona Board of Regents about his bill and while board members appreciate his intent, they are against guns on campus."

Friday, January 06, 2012

NC: Man killed in apparent home-invasion robbery attempt: "A man trying to force his way into a Maxton mobile home in an apparent home-invasion robbery attempt was shot dead during a struggle, according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. Derrick Ray Chavis, 27, of Contour Lane in Maxton, was killed in the shooting at a home on Nina Drive shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday, Maj. Howard Branch said. Authorities said that 20-year-old Jesse Fulmer, also of Nina Drive, was at the home of his girlfriend, 21-year-old Cheryl Maynor, when a vehicle pulled into the driveway. Fulmer knew one of the men, 41-year-old Bobby Wallace, of Maxton, and let him in, Branch said. But then Chavis forced his way inside with a gun, he said. Fulmer, who was armed with a long gun, began struggling with Chavis along with another resident of the home, 51-year-old David Earl Brewer, he said. Chavis was shot in the struggle and died at the scene. No other injuries were reported."


IN: Police say Fatal Shooting Was Self Defense: "A fatal shooting that left a Bloomington man dead was an act of self-defense, police said. Officers were called to a home at 4900 S. Rogers Street just after midnight Wednesday. Scott Melton, 29, was found shot to death inside the home. Several people who were in the home at the time told police that Melton and Casey Ratts, 20, had gotten into a fight. Melton pulled a gun, but Ratts wrestled the gun away from him, witnesses said. Melton then got a knife and charged at Ratts, who then shot Melton, police said. Ratts was questioned and released. The Monroe County prosecutor will determine if any charges will be filed in the case."




Free Americans buy 10,800,000+ guns in 2011: "Recent statistics released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) report that for nineteen straight months, and that includes all of 2011, American men & women bought over 10,800,000 plus firearms. ... Law abiding Americans now easily qualify as the most heavily armed population in the world."


The rifleman’s burden: "So far I have conveyed that the rifleman is someone who we hope is never needed, is not well understood by the masses, and who has a skill that seems out of date and out of place in modern society unless the worst happens, and the thin veneer of stability is worn away. Let’s examine the rifleman as he was conceived in our country to better understand him in his proper context."

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Another Innocent Tourist Imprisoned by NYC Anti-Gun Zealots

Last time it was a medical student; now it’s a former Marine:

Ryan Jerome was enjoying his first trip to New York City on business when the former Marine Corps gunner walked up to a security officer at the Empire State Building and asked where he should check his gun.

That was when Jerome’s nightmare began. The security officer called police and Jerome spent the next two days in jail.

The 28-year-old with no criminal history now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three and a half years in prison. If convicted, his sentence could be as high as fifteen years.

Jerome has a valid concealed carry permit in Indiana and visited New York believing that it was legal to bring his firearm. He was traveling with $15,000 worth of jewelry that he planned to sell.

The online gun-law information Jerome read was inaccurate, however, and his late September arrest initiated what may become a protracted criminal saga.

Another life has been destroyed by the mistaken assumption that New York City is still part of America, subject to the restraints on government tyranny guaranteed in the Constitution.

In a similar case, Tea Party Patriots cofounder Mark Meckler was arrested for attempting to check in a Glock locked in a box while traveling through LaGuardia:

Meckler, 49, declared the weapon, as required, authorities said. He’s licensed to carry the gun in Grass Valley, Calif., where he lives, but that license isn’t valid in New York, which has strict rules on carrying concealed weapons, they said.

“He didn’t have a correct understanding of the law,” said Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which polices the area’s main airports. “Though he has a permit to carry in California, that did not cover him in the state of New York.”

Meckler spent the day in jail and was arraigned in Queens … on a felony weapons possession charge.

Since Mayor for Life Michael Bloomberg’s fiefdom is no longer part of America in any meaningful sense, the State Department should issue a warning that travelers to this forbidding authoritarian dystopia are subject to inappropriate imprisonment based on unconstitutional local laws.

Source




NC: 14 year old at home with shotgun stops burglar dead: "A 14-year-old Henderson boy calmly described in a 911 call how he shot an intruder in a home invasion last week. "I just shot the man. He came around the corner. I shot him. He broke the whole glass out (of the back door)," the teen told the 911 dispatcher. Authorities said Anthony Henderson Jr. 19, broke into the home at 586 S. Lynnbank Road on Thursday while the teen and his 17-year-old sister were home. The boy told the dispatcher that Henderson pointed a handgun at him, but Vance County Sheriff Peter White said deputies found no weapon on Henderson. Henderson stumbled outside after being shot and was found dead on the lawn. Deputies have charged Andrew Terry, 23, of 113 N. Woods Drive, with felony breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit breaking and entering and injury to real property in the case. They also are searching for two other men – Seneca Henderson, 20, of 907 S. Beckford Drive, No. 134, and Jatwaun Davis, 21, of 199 Belle Russell Road... No charges are expected against the teen for firing on Henderson."


NC: Store clerk fires 1 shot, scares off robbers: "A store clerk fired a gun once at some would-be robbers and sent them running. Police said they went to Andy's Pantry at 1301 Grove St. at 7:23 Wednesday on an attempted robbery call. The store clerk told police that two men entered the store with bandanas covering their faces. One of the men pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk then pulled out a handgun and shot one round. Police said they did not know if anyone was struck. A full description of the suspects was not available."


NC: Intruder Killed by Homeowner: "Authorities are investigating the death of a man whom a homeowner shot during an alleged home invasion. Investigators said four [black] men entered the residence armed with a weapon while the occupant was home. Police said the homeowner heard the men enter the residence, armed himself and fired, shooting one of them. Police said all four men fled the scene and drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where the wounded suspect died. They identified the dead man as Buchkechio Geddie, 16, of 3200 Winesap Road in Hope Mills. The three arrested were Michael Fripp, 22, of 5051 Woodspring Road, Fayetteville; Torrian Knowles, 18, of 506 Pinewood Drive, Hope Mills, and Kwuamae Keaton, 17, of 6536 Foxberry Road, Fayetteville. Police said the homeowner's name is being withheld to protect his safety"

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

OK: Young mother shoots and kills intruder: "An 18 year old Blanchard woman says she was forced to shoot and kill a man who was breaking into her home Saturday afternoon. Sarah Dawn McKinley was home alone with her three month old son at the time. She says she heard a knock on her door and looked through the peephole to see two men, one of whom she'd met a couple times before. "I saw that it was the same man. He had been here Thursday night and I had a bad feeling then," said McKinley. McKinley says she moved her couch in front of the door, grabbed her son and her shotgun, called 911 and went in a back room. She says for an agonizing 21 minutes, she listened to the men try to break in. "He was from door to door trying to bust in, just going from door to door," said McKinley. "I waited till he got in the door. They said I couldn't shoot him until he was inside the house. So I waited until he got in the door and then I shot him."


VA: Clerk shoots robber: "A masked man walked into an Oceanfront 7-Eleven early Tuesday morning, flashed a gun and demanded money, according to a police news release. The clerk, who was working with his son, responded by walking to the register and pulling out his own gun. When the would-be robber made an aggressive gesture, the clerk fired, striking the man, who fled from the store at 3908 Atlantic Ave., according to the release.About a half-hour later, around 1:30 a.m., a man suffering from a gunshot wound reported to a local emergency room, and officers linked him to the attempted robbery, police said. Police charged Blake Christian Richardson, 18, of the 1100 block of Bay Colony Drive, with attempted armed robbery, abduction, wearing a mask in public and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony."


OH: 84-year-old man kills demented intruder: "An 84-year-old man shot and killed an elderly intruder at his home in the 2700 block of Hilda Avenue Tuesday morning, police said. Officers discovered the body after they were summoned to the residence about 10 a.m. when the homeowner called 911, said Officer Kristy Collins, spokeswoman for Hamilton police. Ed T. Stevens, 75, of Hamilton was found dead in the home’s basement. Police said Stevens forced his way into the house past Charles V. Foster. Once inside, Stevens assaulted Foster. who then shot Stevens to stop the assault, police said. Stevens’ family told police that Stevens has a history of suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s. Sgt. Michael Waldeck said there some of Stevens’ relatives lived on the street and the family thought Stevens might have gotten confused and went to the wrong house. Police said no charges have been filed"


FL: Armed robbery at Jewelry store ends with clerk shooting back: "The Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office says three masked men came into the Osvilda Jewelry store in Belle Glade at 116 SW Avenue B and robbed the store. One robber held the clerk at gunpoint and attempted to shoot, but the gun didn't fire, deputies said. That's when investigators say the clerk grabbed a gun and started shooting back at the robbers. The masked men were able to escape in a stolen getaway van, which was later recovered by deputies a few blocks away on 100 Block NW Avenue C. Nobody inside the jewelry store sustained any injuries and it is not clear at this time what was stolen."