February 2018 NICS Background Checks Second Highest on Record

February of 2018 has National Instant background Check System (NICS) numbers a little higher than February of last year. 2017 was the second highest year on record for NICS checks.

There were 2,333,193 checks done in February of 2018. That is 104.4% of the 2,234,817 checks done in February of 2017.

February 2018 is the second highest February of NICS checks on record. The highest was in February, 2013, when severe infringements on gun purchases seemed likely under the Obama administration.

In 2013, it was fear that pressure from President Obama and a Republican Congress fearful of the intense media push for restrictions would cave to the Progressive desire to restrict firearms ownership.

The effort ultimately failed, but many believed it would succeed.

With the election of President Trump, many predicted that NICS background checks and firearm sales would drop through the floor.

It is likely that March was see an increase in NICS checks as sales increase with increasing Media pushes for bans of AR15 rifles, and with activist school administrations using children to push for more restrictions on gun ownership.

Many NICS checks are performed for the sale of used guns. Those guns do not add to the number of privately owned guns in circulation. The number NICS checks for each private gun added to the stock in the United States has varied from about .48 guns per NICS check to .76 guns per NICS check. The average is about .6 guns per NICS check.

A good approximation of the number of guns added to the private stock in the United States in February, 2018, would be 1.4 million.

The number of privately owned guns in the United States is now about 420 million. The number will probably reach 430 million by the end of 2018.  Most estimates of private gun ownership in the United States stop at about 2006, before the Obama administration. Over 100 million guns have been sold or imported into the United States since that time.

The estimate of privately owned guns in the United States was made using the techniques pioneered by  Newton and Zimring, which includes the calculation of the 1945 number of modern guns added to the stock from 1899 to 1945.  Firearms manufactured before 1899 are not included.

From 1945 to 1987, the data was taken from "Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America" by Gary Kleck, Table 2.1.   The methodology used by Kleck was applied to  the figures obtained from the ATF for later years.  The number shown is the cumulative addition of domestic manufacture plus imports minus exports.  This does not count guns shipped to the U.S. military.   The figures are rounded to the nearest million.

The numbers added to the private stock for 2017 and 2018 were estimated from the NICS numbers.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

MN: Armed Homeowner Stops Intruders, Shoots 1 of 3

A Branch County home-invasion incident was interrupted when the owner of the residence shot and struck one of the three would-be intruders.

State police said the incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of Berlew Road in Algansee Township, where the suspects broke out windows and attempted to break-in through the front door.
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TN: Homeowner Retrieves Pistol, Kills 1 of 2 Attackers

Bishop said one of the suspects hit him in the head with a blunt object. He said the men ordered him to open his gun safe, and the suspects took out three long guns and a pistol.

The two men then allegedly left the home with the guns. Police said Bishop retrieved a pistol from another part of his house and then went outside looking for his wife.

Bishop's wife said he encountered the suspects in the front yard and opened fire, fatally injuring one of the men.

Bishop spent the night in the hospital, according to his wife. Police said he has a fractured skull.
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OK: Farmer Shot to Scare off Pack of Dogs

A farmer near Wellston says his dog was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs belonging to a neighbor this past Saturday.

Skip Denwalt said he fired a shot in the air to scare off the dogs, who he said were pit bull mixes. He said three of his calves have been mauled and killed, by what he suspected, was a pack of dogs in the past four months.

Denwalt said while he managed to scare the dogs away Saturday, he believes those dogs still managed to attack his 7-year-old companion and border collie mix named Nola. He found Nola Sunday morning.
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Teacher Points out Double Standard of School Walk-Out, is Disciplined

On March 14th and 15th,  2018, before the mass organized school "walkout" to push for more restrictions on gun ownership, a teacher led a discussion about political protests. Julianne Benzel, a teacher at Rocklin High School in California opened a debate about how protests were political, and that schools should be even-handed in their politics. The teacher reported the students understood the school should not pick losers and winners of controversial issues. From cbslocal.com:

Benzel says she never discouraged her students from participating in the national school walk out, but she did question whether it’s appropriate for a school to support a protest against gun violence if they’re not willing to support all protests.

“And so I just kind of used the example which I know it’s really controversial, but I know it was the best example I thought of at the time—a group of students nationwide, or even locally, decided ‘I want to walk out of school for 17 minutes’ and go in the quad area and protest abortion, would that be allowed by our administration?” she said.

She says the administration didn’t talk to her about her lecture, last week.

But while thousands of students walked out of class, Mrs. Benzel received a letter from her human resources department, informing her she’s being placed on paid administrative leave.

“I didn’t get any backlash from my students. All my students totally understood that there could not be a double standard,” she said.

Including Nick Wade, who didn’t walk out.

This is an ongoing pattern seen in these politically organized events designed to push for more restrictions on Second Amendment rights. One of the things the anti-Second Amendment groups are pushing for is a ban on semi-automatic rifles. Rifles such as the AR15 are analogous to the flintlock musket when the Second Amendment was ratified. There is a good case such rifles are precisely those most protected by the Second Amendment. Such rifles are arms that would be useful to form militias.

Note that the Rocklin school district uses a euphemism to refer to the overtly political action. They call it "civic engagement activities".



Mrs. Benzel cleverly pointed out the school would almost certainly not participate in organized "walkout" protesting the widespread availability of abortions.  A march for life occurs annually, in large numbers, but news of it is generally spiked by the national media. 

Over a decade ago, I was listening to a talk radio show out of Los Angeles. A high school principal was a guest on the show. He said something that will always stick in my memory. He said, "At my school we have perfect diversity. We all look different, but we all think alike."  It was a clear statement of what "diversity" means to Progressives.   All are welcome, as long as they do not have any opinions that diverge from the politically correct ones.

The problem with tax funded organizations, such as schools, taking sides in political debates, is that it forms a feedback loop. The political groups that use tax funded resources become stronger, and feed more taxes to those organizations that support them. They feed more support to the politicians that support them. It only ends when the funding becomes so large as to cause a backlash.  A backlash in California seems unlikely.

Tax funded organizations on one side of a political question are like a thumb on the scales of justice.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Followup MT: No Charges for man who Shot Armed Drug Dealer

Yellowstone County prosecutors have chosen not to pursue charges against Nicholas Frandsen because it was determined he acted in self-defense in the shooting death of 42-year-old Shawn Allread.

In a memo, Deputy County attornies Ed Zink and Julie Patten state Frandsen was in his own home where self-defense protections are at their highest.

It also states Allread entered Frandsen's home armed with a firearm.
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Wyoming Reforms law, Restores First and Second Amendment Rights

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead signed HB 141 on 12 March, 2018. The bill reforms state law to restore First (freedom of religion) and Second (right to keep and bear arms) Amendment rights. The bill repeals existing state law that bans concealed weapons in any place people are assembled for public worship.

From kemmerergazette.com:

Monday, March 12, Governor Mead signed HEA 34 (HB 141). This not a gun bill; it is a government bill. “Concealed Weapons in Places of Worship” is not about whether concealed weapons will be in places of worship or not. It is about whether church or state decides the matter, and whether it is enforced by guns or by the Word of God.”

Short of armed guards and metal detectors, the only people who can keep guns out of the sanctuary are the worshipers themselves. This is as obviously true as it is routinely forgotten.

Worshipers whose piety prohibits armaments in the house of God will empty purses and pockets of knives and guns without being asked. Those who see no conflict between piety and what is in their purse may, or may not, be corrected by church authorities.

It is an entirely different matter when the state enacts a law. These neither depend on religious sensibilities, nor on respect for sacred spaces and clergy. Rather, state laws rest upon the threat of fines and incarceration. Such threats may, or may not, persuade worshipers to leave weapons at home. But they definitely do invite secular power into the church.

HB 141 passed the 56-2 on February 27, 2018. It barely passed the Senate committee 3-2, but passed the full Senate 21-9 on March 7, 2018. The Senate Committee on Agriculture is composed of five Republicans. Two of those Republicans, Senator Paul Barnard  and Senator Fred Emerich, voted against this popular bill to restore First and Second Amendment rights. Senator Fred Emerich voted against the bill on the Senate floor vote, while Senator Barnard changed his vote and voted for the bill.

The Senate Agricultural committee was the critical vote. A one vote swing would have killed the reform bill.  It often happens that way. Many bills which would pass the entire body are killed in committee, when no one is watching closely.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

IL: Armed Samaritan stops Robbery and Assault

The victim was in the 700 block of North Clark around 8:30 p.m. when three offenders wearing white surgical masks attacked him and began taking his property, police said.

A passing motorist who saw the robbery unfold pulled over, unholstered his concealed firearm and intervened in the attack. The three offenders fled westbound on Chicago Avenue as the concealed-carry holder protected the victim, according to a witness.


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Armed Samaritan Shoots Robber who Wounded Woman Store Owner

Image from thedenverchannel.com

On Friday, 16 March, about 2 p.m. in Aurora, Colorado, an armed robber victimized a small grocery run by an Ethiopian immigrant. In the barber shop next door, the barbers heard a scream, then a shot, then two more shots. One of the barbers grabbed his gun and went out the door. Outside he entered into a gunfight with the robbery suspect. From the portrayal of the other barber, it appears the armed Samaritan used cover and concealment.  Several shots were fired. The armed robbery suspect was wounded, and ran off.

 Video of interview from the scene


From auroragov.org: 

It is believed that the female victim is the owner of the grocery store and that she sustained her injuries during a robbery of the business. The female was transported to a local hospital where she currently remains in serious but stable condition.

During the investigation, officers determined that a Good Samaritan confronted the robbery suspect outside of the grocery store and the Good Samaritan shot the suspect. The suspect then fled the area.

A short time later, officers made contact with an adult male who was suffering from a gunshot wound in the area of South Joliet Street and East Garden Drive. Officers believe that the male was the robbery and shooting suspect who had fled from the area of the grocery store. The male was placed in custody and transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The Barber (not the Armed Samaritan) in the video told the interviewer that the suspect fired at the Armed Samaritan. That tidbit is in the video, but not in the transcript.

From ijr.com:

James Sagere, who works at a barber shop next to the grocery store, told Denver 7 the good Samaritan, who is a co-worker of his, and sprung into action as the events unfolded.

“He’s a hero. He’s a hero,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him being here, I don’t know how that could have ended up. I’m not sure if one of us could have got hurt.”

This screenshot from the video shows the car behind the robbery suspect during the gunfight. Notice the bullet holes are in a relatively small area. A car is pretty good at stopping pistol bullets. The armed Samaritan barber was not just spraying and praying. Those were aimed shots. The distance appears to be about 50 feet, nearly from one side of the parking lot to the other.

After the gunfight, the barbers performed first aid on the shooting victim in the grocery store. They placed a tourniquet on her leg. Current practice has gone back to recommending tourniquets to stop the bleeding. At the hospital, the victim was said to be in serious but stable condition.

The police are still investigating, but the use of the term "Good Samaritan" is a good sign. No charges have been brought against the Armed Samaritan.

An armed suspect with a gun is a deadly threat. A decent shot with a pistol can hit man sized targets to 100 yards, easily. In Panama, at the 100 yard range in Gamboa, I could place bullets on a metal gong with my Colt Woodsman over 90% of the time, firing one handed, standing. It was an 18" target.

When an armed suspect has a firearm and is capable of firing back, they are a deadly threat. That usually makes the use of deadly force justified.

In this case, the suspect was wounded and collected by the police. Maybe a crime spree was stopped at the beginning.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

WA: Gunfight, Bear Spray, Baseball Bat and Motorcycles

After the homeowner and his roommate yelled at the intruders to freeze, the intruders allegedly rushed the other men.

The homeowner sprayed bear spray into the garage and his roommate struck one of the intruders with a baseball bat.

Then shots were fired.

Police said one of the suspects shot the homeowner in the chest. He allegedly returned fire, hitting one of the intruders in the stomach.

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NC: Knife and Gun Fight, Man Slashed, Man Shot

Deputies say Tripp was checking on his dog pens on his property when Holland jumped the ditch and attacked him with a knife. Relatives say Tripp received a 15-18 inch slash on his side and had 33 staples at the hospital to close the wound.

Major Ryan Dawson said Tripp tried to defend himself and first fired a shot at the ground with his gun. After Holland tried to attack him again, Dawson said the victim fired a second time, hitting Holland in the upper torso/shoulder area.
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GA: Domestic Defense? 81-Year-Old Father Shoots 56-Year-Old Son

A man was shot and killed early Tuesday when he threw rocks and tried to break into his 81-year-old father’s south Fulton County home, according to police.

The estranged son, identified as Troy Fountain, 56, tried “to make forced entry into the father’s home and was shot one time,” Chattahoochee Hills police Chief Stoney Mathis said. “The son is deceased and the case is under investigation at this time.”
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Australian Gun Control Means no Self Defense with Firearms

Deputy Premier John Barilaro (center)  meets with the Dunstans

David Dunstan, an Australian farmer who defended his family from an armed intruder, may have finally gotten his three guns back. His story illustrates much that is wrong with Australia's extreme gun laws.

No one disputes the events that brought David Dunstan and his family to the attention of the authorities.

David Dunstan lives on a rural property near Bungowannah, New South Wales. It is about 10 miles outside the Australian town of Albury.  At 3 a.m. on the 14th of September, 2017 he answered the door and found himself confronting a teen armed with a knife and a large club . He slammed shut the door, and called for his wife to get the key to the gun cupboard.  He retrieved an unloaded .22 rifle, and used it to convince the thug that he should get in a car and drive to the police station. The offender is in jail without bail.  He is suspected of invading another house just before he threatened the Dunstans. From weeklytimesnow.com.au:

A farmer who armed himself with an unloaded gun to protect his family from a knife-wielding thug says he fears the justice system is “stacked against” victims.Father-of-three David Dunstan, 52, was left reeling after police turned up at his property near the NSW-Victorian border to investigate the home invasion — and confiscated the farmer’s legal firearms while they were there, the Herald Sun reports.It came after the cattle and crop farmer confronted a teen armed with a knife and a block of wood who knocked on his back door about 3am last Thursday.“He had a seven foot log of red gum in his hand a knife concealed in the other,” Mr Dunstan said.

The police had no problem with David taking charge of the teen home invader and delivering him into police custody. They had plenty of problems with him having a .22 rifle with him when he did it.

 Police seized his three guns for contravention of the firearms act. From bordermail.com.au:

Police seized his guns, which he uses for pest control at his property, later that day.

“I just don’t know what I should have done, what would have been the right way to do it,” Mr Dunstan said.

“My gun licence is for vermin control.

“I suppose, technically, trying to protect yourself is not classed as that.

“I’ve always done the right thing, but I feel like I’ve done the wrong thing.”

 Under New South Wales law, and Australian law generally, firearms may *only* be used for the purpose the license to use them for is issued under. If the license is not issued for self defense, they may not be used for self defense. The 1996 firearms agreement between Australia states specifically forbids issuing a firearms license for self defense. If license holders use their license for self defense, they can lose their license to own a firearm forever. They can be jailed for up to five years.

The police impounded David's three firearms on September 14th. On October 3rd, they put restrictions on David's wife, Andrea, who also had a firearms license. She was not allowed to have any firearms while living with David. David had never been convicted of any crime.

On October 4th, David was told he was cleared of any charges. That did not mean he would get his firearms back, or that he would retain his firearms license, or that his wife would be able to have firearms if she continued to live with him.

Firearms owners in Australia were outraged. They sent contributions to David's defense. They wrote letters to the editor. They contacted their representatives.

On  16 October, 2017, the special conditions were lifted from Andrea Dunstan's firearms license.

On 25 October, 2017, David was told that he was now able to collect his firearms  and license from the police.

On Wednesday, October 25, his efforts paid off. David received a letter from NSW Police, informing him that he could collect his firearms and licence. The letter stated, “It is important that you understand that the legislation prohibits you from possessing or using firearms for the purpose of personal protection”.

Over $20,000 dollars were donated to aid in David Dunstan's legal battle. Any money left over will be used to prevent future incidents of a similar nature.

 On 22 November, 2017, the Deputy Premier and Minister for NSW wrote to the Legislative Assembly Committee on Law and Safety to request an inquiry into the Firearms Act of 2016 in terms of defense during a home invasion. By itself, such a letter does little; but it can be the start of reforming the law.

As reported in sportingshooter.com, Australians are hoping to add a commonsense reform to the firearms law, to prevent the sort of abuse that occurred with the Dunstans. As of 13 February, 2018, from sportingshooter.com: 

This means that if you obtain a firearm for primary production, then that’s all you can use it for.

Use it for something else – whether it is target shooting, hunting or protecting your family home – and you risk imprisonment for up to 5 years.

While this saga was unfolding, we helped the Dunstans write to Mr Barilaro suggesting simple amendments to the Act which would have helped avoid a repetition. We suggested the NSW Government consider adding the simple clause of ‘without reasonable excuse’ to s7A so that it forces the police - and judiciary - to consider the circumstances in which the firearm was used, rather than ignore them.

If these words, which are used in other legislation, had been in place last September, then David’s guns would never have been taken away.

Australian firearms law is some of the most extreme and restrictive firearms law in Western civilization. Perhaps the most extreme part is outlawing of the use of firearms for self defense. Even in England and Wales, or in Canada, while licenses are not granted for self defense, self defense with a firearm is not prohibited.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

OK: Domestic Defense, Woman Shoots Sister's Ex

A woman shot her sister's former partner after he reportedly broke into her apartment Monday afternoon in east Tulsa, police said.


The man allegedly entered the residence around 5:20 p.m. The woman, who was home at the time, shot him once in the torso, Tulsa Police Cpl. Mike Hanley said.
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OR: Man Holds Tresspassers at Gunpoint

A commenter says Ryan Best attempted to get into his house as well.

Lutz said he saw 22-year-old Ryan Best and 21-year-old Arcelia Vasquez-Smith upon opening the door. He said he pointed his gun at them and told them to get on the ground. He told his kids to call the police and said he held the trespassers there for 10 minutes while he waited for police to arrive.

Lutz said when they did arrive, he found himself relieved and even emotional.

"Backed away with my gun and put it on the table, sat down, and kind of lost it emotionally," said Lutz.

He said during that time he was holding the two trespassers in the garage, he realized that if either of them became a threat to either him or his family, he would have to make a difficult decision about firing his gun.
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TX: Armed Homeowner Shoots Man who Broke-in, Attacked Him

The incident began when the man allegedly was trying to break into the house and the homeowner came outside.

The alleged intruder then picked up what police described as a weapon and charged at the resident, who retreated inside, police said.

The intruder then forced his way inside and charged at the homeowner a second time, police said.

The homeowner got a handgun and shot the man, who fled, police said.

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High School Student Holds Anti-NRA Sign in Molon Labe Hoodie

This picture, from the facebook page of MSG Firearms, shows a student with an anti-NRA sign while wearing a hoodie with the motto ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ and the date 480 B.C.

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ is what the Spartan king, Leonidas I is said to have told the Persian Emperor Xerxes I, when Xerxes demanded that they lay down their arms.

It means "Come and Take Them!"

The same motto was used by Texicans in the battle of Gonzales in the first battle of the Texas war for independence. That war started with the Mexican tyrant Santa Anna attempted to disarm the Texas citizens of Mexico. In response to the Mexican Army's demand that the citizens of Gonzales return a cannon that had been lent to them for defense against Indian raids, the citizens defiantly said "Come and Take It!"

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ has become a powerful symbol for activists fighting for the right to keep and bear arms. Many Second Amendment supporters, when faced with a new set of proposed infringements, simply say: No. Your Move. They say that if you attempt to disarm us, we will shoot you. Most supporters of disarming the population think it will be painless for them, and that only Second Amendment supporters risk anything in such a conflict. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ says that those who attempt disarmament by force often pay a heavy price.

Second Amendment supporters are heavy with current and former military and police, and have strong connections with current law enforcement and military forces. Recent attempts to require registration of rifles has met with massive civil disobedience. Over 90% of rifle owners refuse to register their guns.

It is unknown if the student in the picture was pressured into the anti-Second Amendment demonstration and decided to protest with the ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ hoodie. If so, she made a powerful statement that is resonating around the United States and the world.

If she was simply clueless to history and the meaning of ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, she did the same.

We may never know what her motivation was, but the picture sends a powerful message that injects thought, history, and facts into the otherwise purely emotional push for knee-jerk restrictions on weapons that are seldom used in crime.

Those who know the meaning of ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ will be amused by the image. Those who do not know the meaning will be educated on social media, where the image is going viral.

The power of the image is that people who know nothing of the history of weapons and control will have to learn something of it to attempt to counter the point that free people have weapons, and that tyrants always desire to disarm their victims. It also brings into doubt the "wisdom" of children to direct the countries policies.

The same movement that demands the country take direction from children for policy choices, also demands that weapons be denied them until they are 21 years old. The vote is a much more destructive and powerful weapon than mere rifles. If people under 21 are to be denied rifles, they clearly should not be allowed to vote.

But those who wish a disarmed population are not interested in logic, facts, or history. They lose the debate when those things are discussed.

Thus, the attempt to use childish emotion to force passage of laws that would never pass under cool consideration.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

UT: Man, Stabbed, Retrieves Gun, Shoots Fleeing Attacker

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (News4Utah) - A man was shot after he allegedly stabbed another man at a gas station Friday night in West Valley City.

Lt. Jeff Conger, West Valley City Police, said a man was standing at the Redbox at a gas station at 3500 South 4400 West around 11 p.m. when another male went inside to purchase beer.

"The man who went in to buy the beer appeared to be in a hurry, according to the cashier," said Conger. "That man then left the store and stood directly behind the man at the Redbox and for some unknown reason, pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the neck."

Conger said after the man was stabbed, the victim went to his car and grabbed a gun and shot the suspect multiple times.
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AR: Armed Homeowner Shoots, Kills Armed Intruder

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Ark. (AP) - Authorities in rural Arkansas say a homeowner has shot and killed a suspected intruder.

The Stone County Sheriff's Office says deputies were dispatched to a residence shortly after 12:10 a.m. Friday following reports of an armed and intoxicated person making threats. Minutes later, a sheriff's office dispatcher reported that shots had been fired as the caller spoke over the phone.
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TX: Elderly, Bedridden, Armed Homeowner Shoots Intruder

GRAYSON COUNTY, Tex. (KXII) -- A man is in the hospital after authorities said he broke into a Grayson County home and was shot by the owner.

Neighbors said the homeowner, who is elderly and bedridden, told them the intruder worked on his yard in the past and has allegedly created problems recently.

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MO: Defender with Knife Not Guilty of Murder

On November 29 of 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri, Terrell McDaniel, 36, was attacked by Robert Collins, 44. Collins was intoxicated and attacked McDaniel with a milk crate. During the affray, McDaniels defended himself with a knife, stabbing Collins numerous times. Collins died at the scene.  From stltoday.com:

According to his lawyer, Joe Whitener, McDaniel told the jury he feared for his life during a street fight. Collins was intoxicated and belligerent when he asked McDaniel for drugs, and McDaniel refused. Collins then tried to attack McDaniel with a Prairie Farms milk crate, Whitener said, and McDaniel stabbed Collins several times, including in the heart.

"He was afraid and he feared that he was going to be beat up very badly," Whitener said.

Missouri's self-defense law, expanded in 2016, says a person has a right to defend one's self against an attack without a duty to retreat if someone "reasonably" perceives threat of deadly force.

That was the argument Whitener said he made to the jury.

"The jury saw that what Terrell did was reasonable and that he was defending himself," he said. "Robert started the fight, and Terrell did what he had to do to survive."

McDaniel was on probation for drug possession charges at the time of the killing.

One of the reasons McDaniel was charged with murder was that he fled the scene of the fight. Many people take fleeing the scene as an admission of guilt. People who are on probation or who have other reasons to avoid contact with law enforcement officers, often flee the scene because they fear the consequences. They may not believe they can get a fair trial.

This case shows that juries can look at the facts and find someone on probation not guilty of murder.

The number of stab wounds is not unusual. Fights are fast moving, dynamic situations. It only takes a second to inflict multiple stab wounds. Anyone who understands the dynamics of fighting with a knife knows this.  When someone is fighting for their life, they do not pause to see if a particular thrust has been effective or not. Numerous thrusts, blocks, feints, and other motion all happen extremely rapidly.

We do not know the relative size of the combatants in this case. A smaller man can reasonable be expected to resort to a weapon if attacked by a larger opponent. 

The reasonable person doctrine is used when evaluating self defense claims.  the jury is instructed to determine if a reasonable person, in the situation the defendant found themselves, knowing what they knew at the time, have made the decisions that were made.

Three factors are commonly looked for.

One - Would a reasonable person believe the attacker had the ability to kill or severely injure them?

Two - Would a reasonable person believe the attacker had the opportunity to use the ability to kill or severely injure them?

Three - Would a reasonable person believe the attacker was intent on putting them in jeopardy by using the opportunity and ability to kill or severely injure them?

As the fight was ongoing before the knife was pulled, the most relevant question was number one. The jury would have access to information that we do not, such as the relative sizes of the two men, the history of Collins known to McDaniels, and the specific nature of the attack.

The jury, in this case, found McDanials not guilty.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Followup NY: No Charges for Edward M. Bald, who Shot Boy Attempting Break-in

So they decided they were going to break in.

Bald was asleep at the time. The two youths went around to the backyard and the 12-year-old threw a brick-sized rock through a window, which was Bald's bedroom.

Bald woke up when the rock went through at about 11:25 a.m. He grabbed the shotgun from the top bunk.

Then a second, larger rock – almost boulder size, according to Flynn – was thrown towards the house because the youths wanted a bigger hole in the window. The second rock hit the side of the house and made the floor shake inside.

So Bald pointed his shotgun at the hole in the window and pulled the trigger.
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MN: Armed Victim in St. Paul Shoots Armed Robber

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Police say a suspect is in custody after a permit-to-carry holder in St. Paul shot him during an armed robbery.

According to St. Paul Police, it happened at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday on the 1100 block of Rice Street. Kendrick Johnterious Maddox, 18, had arranged to sell an iPhone X via Facebook and was meeting with the buyer. When the man was counting out the cash, police say Maddox pulled out a gun and took the money.



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MO: Shop Owner Shoots, Kills Armed Robbery Suspect

ARNOLD, Mo. – Arnold police are investigating after a pawn shop owner shot and killed a man trying to rob the store Thursday afternoon.

Arnold Police Chief Robert Shockey said the incident happened at Pawn King on Jeff Co Boulevard at around 4 p.m.

Shockey said the armed suspect came into the shop and attempted to rob the business when he was shot and killed. The owner was not hurt.
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Dick's Disses Gun Owners, Sales and Stock Prices Drop

Dick's Sporting Goods took the politically correct route to placate media pushed gun control after the mass murder in Florida. They banned sale of the popular AR-15 type rifles and said they would refuse to sell rifles to people under 21 years old. Federal law requires that gun dealers not sell rifles and shotguns to people less than 18 years old. It wasn't the first time the controversial chain had put political correctness ahead of stockholders and customer. 

CEO Edward Stack said he expected to lose sales. From cnn.com:

The CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods said he's forging ahead with his new gun sales policy, even though he expects to lose customers.

"There's going to be some pushback and we expected that," said CEO Edward Stack, in an earnings call with Wall Street analysts. "There are going to be the people who don't shop us anymore for anything."

 A couple of weeks later, sales have dropped, and so has Dick's stock price. Fortune magazine says that the drop in stock price should not be assumed to have anything to do with the store's decision to anger a significant percentage of its customers. From fortune.com:

Dick’s move last month at its three-dozen Field & Stream stores — extending a ban on assault-style rifles already in place at its namesake locations — came after a fatal shooting spree at a Florida high school. The company also raised the age limit to 21 from 18 on the purchase of any firearm. But the effect on its business remains to be seen.

Shares of Dick’s fell as much as 7.3 percent to $30.19 in New York, the biggest intraday decline since mid-November. They had climbed 13 percent this year through Monday’s close.  

Fourth Quarter

Excluding some items, profit amounted to $1.22 a share in the fourth quarter that ended Feb. 3, the company said in a statement. Analysts had estimated $1.24 on average. Sales of $2.66 billion also fell short of projections for $2.74 billion.

Same-store sales, a key metric, fell 2 percent in the period. Analysts had estimated a drop of 1.2 percent, according to Consensus Metrix. E-commerce sales rose 9 percent.

That may be true. Stocks of gun manufacturers have dropped a bit during President Trumps administration. But gun sales are at historically high levels, down only a little from the record set in 2013 and 2016.

Most companies realize that it is bad business to mix politics and sales on controversial issues. No matter what side you are taking, you are taking a side, and those who you side against will be angered.

If you do not take sides, those angered will only be the ones whipped into an emotional frenzy by the short term media attacks. It may lead to a temporary blip in sales, but it will be quickly over. You will join the majority of businesses that do not take sides.  If you have a strong base on one side of an issue, it may make sense. But if on any side, Dick's base is on the side of the Second Amendment.

It seems Dick's CEO is putting his politics ahead of his shareholder's profits. There is strong competition in sporting goods retail, much of it from online retailers.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

CA: Resident Shoots Burglary Suspect who Attempted to Stab Him

When deputies arrived, the resident, a man, was holding the suspect, a 17-year-old boy, at gunpoint. The resident put his gun away as deputies approached.

The Sheriff's Office determined the resident confronted the teen about breaking into his backyard shed. That's when the teen allegedly tried to stab the resident, and the resident responded by shooting the teen in the leg.

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LA: Jeersak Boonlert Shoots at Armed Robber on Food Truck

According to an initial police report, after closing down for the night, the 37-year-old Boonlert recognized someone who robbed him last week approaching his truck. The victim locked the doors, but the alleged robber tried to open them before jumping on the hood of the truck and pulling out a gun.

"I saw him point a gun at me," said Boonlert. "So I shot out, one time."
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Followup KS: Shooting Death of Chad Thomas-Buckbee was Justified

ALMA, Kan. (AP) — No charges will be filed in the fatal shooting death of a man last month in Wabaunsee County.

County Attorney Tim Liesmann announced Thursday that the shooting of 36-year-old Chad Thomas-Buckbee in Alma was a justified self-defense shooting.

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"Terrifying Weapons in Wales" Two Crossbows and an Spear Imporvised from a Kitchen Knife

Headline: Police found stash of terrifying and loaded weapons in house raid

As with many leftist writers in Europe and the United States, the author appears to glory in their ignorance of weapons and weapon technology. The short spear improvised from a kitchen knife, above, is not a "makeshift bayonet". A bayonet is a blade that is to be attached to a firearm for use in hand to hand fighting. There is no firearm associated with the blade in the picture above.  From walesonline.com:

Police raided a home and found two loaded crossbows and a makeshift bayonet.

Officers entered a house in Sandfields , Port Talbot on Saturday afternoon, following a complaint relating to domestic violence, only to be shocked by the weapons they found inside.

A man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

A spokesman for the police said: “NPT Sandfields forced entry to an address.

It is not clear what the man was arrested for. Unlike Australia, It is legal to own crossbows in the UK without any license, if the owner is over the age of 18. Spears are also legal to own in the UK, without a license. Swords may be owned; but they may not be sold, traded, or given away unless they were made by "traditional methods".

Using the keyboard to scale the blade, it appears to be 5 or 6 inches long.

I find it bizarre that some of the press in the UK label this crude attempt at making effective weapons, "terrifying". Just about any teenage boy with a hacksaw, file, drill, and hammer, could do much better in a few hours. It appears that the author of the article is terrified of any weapon. There is a term for that: hoplophobia.

Improvised weapons such as this can be effective. In Alaska, a homeless man fashioned a similar weapon with a longer blade, and used it to kill a bear. From cbc.ca:

Tandler picked up the spear, which he had earlier prepared for protection by attaching the long knife blade to the branch, said Dave Battle, the Anchorage-area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Battle said Tandler threw the spear at the cub, hitting it in the side. The bear ran for about 20 yards before collapsing and dying.

"It's the first time I've run across the spearing of a bear," Battle said.

Authorities determined the bear kill was legal under the state's defense of life and property law.

Here is a video link of an American boy playing with a homemade spear and spear thrower. In an early account of the exploration of Australia by Europeans, an Aboriginal asked to see a pistol demonstrated. It was a typical single shot muzzle loading firearm. After seeing it work, the Aboriginal was supposedly unimpressed, indicating that he could do as well with his woomera, or spear-thrower. In the new world, spear throwers are called atlatls.

Iron age weapons such as swords, spears, crossbows, and other man-powered weapons are easily created by high school students out of scrap metal. Prisoners often create crude but effective knives, called "shanks" in prison. The United Kingdom used to be some of the premier weapons makers and wielders on the planet.

Now their media tries to indoctrinate them into terror from crude imitations of 14th century weaponry.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

CO: Woman Shoots Skunk that Charged Her

She says the skunk started to run toward her dog, so she grabbed her shotgun and ran outside. Angie says, as she ran toward the skunk, it stopped going after her dog, and started running right for her.

"It started coming at me running as fast as it could, and by that time it was 30 feet away and by the time I was able to take aim and do the deed, it was already 12 feet from me."

Guier says she called the El Paso County Health Department and they had a contractor come out and remove the skunk. It will be tested for rabies. We won't know for sure until the test results are back, but Guier says the skunk was acting very strange and suspects it was rabid.
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FL: Dogs Attack Cat, Cat Owner Shoots Dog

The cat later died of injuries sustained in the attack.

A Grassy Key man shot his neighbor’s border collie to death after watching two dogs attack his cat to the point that they had the cat’s head in their mouths.

The shooter, Drew Caterson, 55, appeared “visibly shaken,” when Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on Dorsett Drive at about 3:41 p.m. Monday. Two other men —including the dog’s owner — were on the scene and looked distraught, police said.
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GA: Woman Sprays Mace, Shoots Burglary Suspect

ROME, Ga. - A Floyd County woman made a burglar regret targeting her home. She sprayed him in the face with mace and then shot him, according to police, but it didn’t stop there.

As the two struggled at the home on Asbury Lane, Saturday, her friend grabbed the burglar, and wrestled him to the ground, holding him down for police.
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Governor Rauner Shows Political Courage in Illinois

Jeanne Ives and Governor Bruce Rauner

It isn't often that you see political courage shown in Illinois. Illinois is a deep blue state that has very restrictive gun control laws. Chicago politicians are all to eager to curry favor with the national media and to go-along to get-along with the anti-Second Amendment agenda. Illinois politics is dominated by Chicago.

Governor Bruce Rauner went against the flow and the enormous power wielded by the network media. He vetoed an expensive and ineffective bill, SB 1657, designed to make gun sales more difficult in Illinois, at least for small dealers.  From chicagotribune.com:

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have required the state to license and regulate gun shops, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats who contended the decision was designed to appeal to conservative voters ahead of next week’s primary election.

Rauner called the proposal “duplicative” because the federal government already licenses firearms retailers. He said adding another layer of oversight would be costly for businesses and “do little to improve public safety.” Lawmakers approved the plan a couple of weeks ago in the wake of the killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer and the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

“The core issue is not which guns to legally ban or regulate,” Rauner said in his veto message to lawmakers. “We have ample proof that such narrowly focused legislative responses make for good political cover. But they do little to stop the illegal flow of guns into Illinois or prevent people from committing thousands of crimes in our state each year with illegal guns.”

The legislature seems unlikely to be able to override the veto, even in the face of the pressure being applied by the dominant media.  In the Senate, 36 votes would be needed to override the Governor, only 30 were in favor when the bill was passed. In the House, 71 votes would be needed, only 64 voted for the measure.

The bill is full of special interest cut-outs and requirements that amount to harassment of gun sellers. Big box stores would be exempt, and licenses would be up to a thousand dollars every five years. Every purchase would have to be video recorded, and the video stored.  The additional expenses and requirements would likely put many small retailers out of business. All gun retailers are already required to be licensed by the federal government.

The bill was originally seen as a means for  Springfield Armory and Rock River Arms to obtain an exemption for their companies in exchange for supporting the bill.

Once this was exposed, Springfield Armory and Rock River Arms recanted and opposed the bill. But it had already passed the Senate by one vote. In Illinois, 30 votes are required in the Senate to advance a bill.

Governor Rauner is facing a primary challenge from a more conservative candidate, Jeanne Ives. He has been criticized for his leaning to the left on social issues. Jeanne Ives is making a strong challenge to Bruce Rauner. Governor Rauner has not shown support for President Trump.

Illinois Carry has expressed support for Governor Rauner.

After a full court press, all hands on deck, Katie bar the door effort by the anti Second Amendment legislators in Chicago, Governor Rauner, with a stroke of his pen, has undone the heinous firearm dealer licensing bill.


We've been working with the Governor and his staff from day one for just a time as this. IllinoisCarry has taken him at his word and with this, the worst gun bill to hit an Illinois governor's desk in decades, he has proven his mettle.


IllinoisCarry extends our sincere thanks to the Governor, and to our members who supported him while considering this difficult, but well reasoned, decision.

Governor Rauner's veto means the restrictive state licensing of gun dealers in Illinois is dead for this legislative session.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch




 

AL: Armed Woman Stops Armed Robbery

The seller walked up to her vehicle and showed her the phone and then a second man came up to her passenger side, opened the door and tried to rob the woman at gunpoint, according to police.


The woman had her own gun and reportedly shot the suspect in the leg.
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UT: Two Armed Samaritans Stop Baseball Bat Attack by Man on Women

Multiple witnesses told police they saw a man, later identified as Valdez, striking two women with a metal baseball bat in the parking lot of a Sizzler, located 11610 S. Main District Drive. Valdez then charged at two other bystanders with the bat as they attempted to intervene so they both drew firearms, and Valdez fled in a white Pontiac Grand Prix, according to charging documents. Witnesses said he struck a parked suburban as he fled the scene.

The documents stated both women were treated at the scene and one suffered a large gash and a bump on the back of her head. The other suffered injuries to her arms and the back of her head.

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SC: Armed Intruder Shot by Homeowner

It said Smith entered the home without permission and had a knife.

The warrant said Smith threatened the people inside the home.

The homeowner yelled a warning to Smith and then opened fire, deputies said.

Smith was shot at least once.
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SAF Hotline to Report Violations of First and Second Amendment at Schools

There have been numerous reports of students being bullied, pushed to participate in anti-Second Amendment protests they did not believe in, and of being punished for speaking out.

 The Second Amendment Foundation today announced a project to help students who have been harassed, intimidated or bullied for resisting peer pressure to join the wave of protests against guns and the right to keep and bear arms.

"A student's First Amendment rights should not be violated because they support the Second Amendment," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "There have been several reports over the past couple of weeks about students who have been harassed or encountered other problems from students, teachers or administrators for not joining in the protests. If that's happening, it isn't right and should not be tolerated.

"Students can call the SAF toll-free hotline to obtain information about legal help and report violations of their First Amendment rights," he added. "The foundation is prepared to take legal action if necessary."

The SAF toll-free hotline number is 800-426-4302.

"All schools should be safe for all students," Gottlieb observed. "We should all be on alert for harassment or intimidation of students who disagree with an uncivil mob mentality. After all, not all school age Americans agree with the current demands for more erosion of our Second Amendment rights.

"While we encourage young Americans to speak their minds and engage in productive debate and dialogue about this issue," he said, "we cannot condone any behavior designed to silence or intimidate others with different viewpoints. That is why we are announcing this project to help students who support their constitutional rights.

"We recognize that in times of high emotion and short tempers, there is inevitably the potential for disagreement to get out of hand," Gottlieb noted. "It is often too easy to go beyond the bounds of rational discourse and enter the realm of vindictiveness. If we are to find the common ground everyone seems to seek, we've got to find it together. If students are penalized for exercising their First Amendment rights to defend the Second Amendment, we want to know about it."


The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

Dean Weingarten

School Administration Only Allows One Side of Gun Debate

When political activists are attempting to pass a long term agenda with emotion and fear, they cannot allow dissent. The emotional narrative they are pushing is fragile. Dissent causes people to think. Thinking causes the narrative to collapse.

Andy Dalsin, a lone and courageous high school student, stood up to the organized political agenda of the left. He "spoke truth to power". He was not allowed to protest with others of his school, but was driven off by the school principal, Lonnie Seifert. From kstp.com, video at link:

Dalsin said principal Lonnie Seifert told him to give up a sign that read "Guns don't kill people. People kill people" or leave the property, citing district policy.

"I stood in the back," he said. "I didn't try and cause a ruckus, but I was seen by the principal and he came and we had our exchange."

The district said in a statement that "such items must be submitted to and reviewed by school administration at least 24 hours in advance."

But Dalsin stresses other students also had signs, and told him they didn't know about the policy either.

"Administration didn't fairly use their policy across the board," he said. "I felt like I was singled out unjustly and my constitutional rights and my First Amendment was trampled on."

The New Prague High School administration put up an explanation of Principal Lonnie Seifert's actions. They claimed that they have an obligation to enforce their "free speech" policy without regard to political viewpoint. The jaring contradiction is the walkout only had one political viewpoint. Any others were suppressed. The statement from the school is deliciously ironic.  From npaschools.org:

Yesterday approximately 100 of our high school students participated in a walkout, as did many of their peers across the country. The walkout was conducted peacefully and without conflict. Since then, attention has been focused on a sign that was present during the walkout.

The District has a policy that such items must be submitted to and reviewed by school administration at least 24-hours in advance. In compliance with the District’s policy "... to protect the exercise of students' and employees' free speech rights, [while] taking into consideration the educational objectives and responsibilities of the School District," the sign was moved to non-school grounds. The District has an obligation to enforce this policy without regard to political viewpoint.

No student was disciplined and law enforcement was not involved with any of the students present during the walkout.

New Prague Area Schools fully respects and recognizes that students have free speech rights. Those rights, however, are to be balanced against the District’s responsibility to maintain a school environment focused on education. The District’s administration has an obligation to enforce the policy, which is known as a “time, place, and manner restriction.” For more information, our policy #505 can be found on our district website at npaschools.org.

You have a school deliberately supporting one side of a political debate, and not allowing the other side to participate. The school actively supported one side, and actively suppressed the other side. Then, they have the gall to claim that they did it to support free speech!

This is the sort of thing racist gun control was built on. Rules and laws are passed, but only enforced against one side. In the South, the rules were enforced against black people. In the New Prague Area Schools, the rules are enforced against those supporting the Second Amendment.

There are other examples of heavy handed enforcement of the gun control narrative.  Those who insist on the unilateral disarmament of the population are accused of suspending a teacher who mentioned to her class the political partisanship of school policy in California, a Ohio student was suspended for refusing to participate in an anti-Second Amendment "walkout".

All of these events were "justified" by school administrations as  necessary because of their administrative rules.

That is how fascists have always operated. Use rules to enforce one side of the political debate: the side they favor. Ignore violations of the rules by your side.

When government funded agencies are used to promote one side of the political debate, you don't have freedom. You have authoritarian rule.

It is not supposed to happen in the United States.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

AK: Man Fires into Home Through Door, is Shot by Resident Shooting Back

Patrick allegedly shot one round into the home from the outside, then went into an enclosed porch area, and fired "multiple rounds through the front door while shouting at the occupants."

It was at this point that one of the family members inside "was able to grab a shotgun and while on the floor, fired one round through the door" which hit Patrick in the leg, effectively ending the shootout, troopers said in their report.

The man inside was reportedly struck by bullet fragments, receiving injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.
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NY: Armed Guard Shoots Robbery Suspect

CANARSIE, Brooklyn (WABC) --

A man police said tried to rob a UPS guard in Brooklyn ended up getting shot and taken to the hospital.

It happened at the UPS facility on Foster Avenue in Canarsie around 11:15 p.m. Monday.

Police said the would-be robber, 38-year-old Martin Peters, attempted to rob the armed security guard, who also happened to be a retired police officer with the NYPD.
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NC: Bail Bondsman Shoots at Fugitive

The Winston-Salem Journal reports Winston-Salem police say bondsmen approached the vehicle of 29-year-old Nathan Artillery Taylor in the parking lot of Hanes Mall on Saturday. Authorities say he drove erratically to elude arrest, and one of the bondsmen shot at Taylor, who kept moving and crashed into two other cars before he fled on foot.
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FL: Man Fails to Control Dog, Complains, when it is Shot Harrassing Livestock

David Burley said the 15-pound terrier was his best friend, but last week, he had to bury Milton in the backyard after a neighbor told Flagler sheriff’s deputies that he shot and killed the dog because it was going after his chickens and goats.

The neighbor had "no trespassing" signs on his property and didn't return phone calls from WESH 2 News.

Deputies said he told them it was the fourth time he had to scare the terrier away from his livestock.
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Australia: NSW Supreme Court Give Police Everything they Wanted and More

In 2017, when I visited Australia, Donald Eykamp had an ongoing appeal at the New South Wales Supreme Court.

That case has been resolved. The decision came down on 18 December, 2017.

I was unable to obtain a copy of the decision until after I had returned to Australia.

I carefully read the decision, then conferred with an Australian barrister.

The decision was a disaster for gun owners. It gave the New South Wales Police everything they asked for. Then, it gave them things they did not ask for.

For a while, the politics looked promising. The New South Wales government passed a firearms reform measure that gave the police some discretion about confiscating guns in gun storage cases. That legislation went into effect in November of 2017.

The appeals process took about a year and a half, a bit longer than average. In the end, the court ruled on a number of things, all with bad results for the gun owner.

Here is a summation of the ruling:

The police had no discretion to *not* confiscate the guns. The law required them to confiscate them.  The new law did not apply because the law was different at the time of the original offenses.

The judge had no discretion to order the guns be sold and the proceeds given to the gun owner.

The judge had no discretion to order any of the guns destroyed. That power was reserved to the police.

The court had no discretion to legally separate non-firearms parts (in this case, expensive European telescopic sights) from the rifles or to negotiate to return those multi-thousand dollar items to the gun owner. 

The Supreme Court judge acknowledged the law was harsh in this case, but said that the law was meant to be harsh.

I had the pleasure of seeing some of Donald Eykamp's collection of pre-1964 Winchester model 70 Super-grade rifles. They are beautiful rifles, over 40 years old, almost never used in crime. They were topped with some of the best European telescopic sights that money can buy.

Perhaps the New South Wales police will see the wisdom of selling these valuable cultural artifacts, instead of simply destroying them for no significant reason.

The only legal avenue left to New South Wales gun owners is the legislative one. There is a tendency for harsh and irrational laws to be modified and made less burdensome over time. On the other hand, the American experience with drug laws shows that bad law can be made worse; legislatures can double-down on bad law. The American experience with forfeiture law abuses is a good example.

The recent Tasmanian election results are encouraging for gun law reform in the Australian state of Tasmania.

At the present, it seems unlikely that Australians will regain an "Englishman's right to arms" that would have been in the rights guaranteed in the Australian Constitution of 1900.  But Englishman's rights were only in common law, and not specifically written down.

The advantage of the American Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment in preventing the loss of rights, is obvious.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

TX: Police Identify Intruder who was Shot, Killed

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Police have identified the 26-year-old man who allegedly intruded and was shot and killed Monday by a resident of a San Angelo apartment complex.

Killed was Jaime Mendoza, San Angelo police said in a news release Tuesday.

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AZ: Homeowner Shoots Armed Suspect who Refused to Vacate Premises

PHOENIX — A homeowner in west Phoenix allegedly shot and injured a suspect who was reportedly armed and refused to leave his home on Monday.

Det. Marianne Ramirez, a spokeswoman with the Phoenix Police Department, said the homeowner was confronted by the suspect at his front door in the area of 56th and Vernon avenues.

The suspect, only described as an adult male, was reportedly armed and refused to leave the premises.
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NC: Wife and Police Chief Recall Home Invasion

"He exited the vehicle and started approaching me and saying he was a federal agent. He put his hands up and said not to shoot him," Chief Johnson said. "I could hear my kids screaming and crying."

The chief said Jones was likely impaired at the time. He had apparently stolen the chief's pocket knife, car keys, badge, watch and some cash.

Johnson commended the Johnston County Sheriff's Office for arriving within just minutes after the 911 call.


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Stop Disarming Willing Teachers

Disarming willing and qualified teachers and other school staff is stupid.

There has been a lot of talk about “arming teachers” recently, but that's really never been the issue. The real issue is about disarming teachers who would like to be carrying.

Like any other controversial subject, any discussion of school safety must begin with some agreement on basic facts and mutual understanding of terms and definitions.

We can't come to a consensus on solutions if we can't agree on what the words we are saying actually mean.

When gun owners and politicians talk about “arming teachers,” we are not talking about giving guns to people who would not be comfortable with them. Nor are we talking about teachers or other school staff racing to the sound of gunfire to stop an attack. What we're talking about is ending policies that disarm teachers who would prefer to be armed, and empowering them to take appropriate action if the need to do so were to arise. That means providing free – possibly paid – training, and some liability protections for school personnel who are qualified and volunteer for the program.

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Democrats Flex Political Muscle to Shut Down NRA Event

In the United States, politicians are not supposed to be able to prevent the opposition from meeting or speaking.

When Progressives dominated the mass media, the left celebrated the First Amendment.  In 1963, the Harvard-Radcliff Democratic Club invited George Wallace to speak, and there were no protests or threats of violence.  Leftists were all for free speech and rights of assembly when they had little opposition in organs of mass media.

Times have changed. The Progressives no longer have an effective monopoly in the media. Now, heavier handed tactics are resorted to. Democrat politicians in New York pressured a Staten Island business, the Vanderbilt, to cancel a Friends of the NRA event. When their heavy handed tactics worked, they celebrated.  From silive.com:

"As a community, we have worked hard to address gun violence in this neighborhood, and an event like this was not in the best interests of the community. The Vanderbilt has been an important partner of the community, and the decision to cancel this event shows that they are accessible and hear concerns of our community," Savino (D-North Shore) said.

Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) and Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-North Shore) said they were "appalled" to learn about the fundraiser prior to its cancellation and "refuse to cooperate with evil."

Upon learning about the fundraiser's cancellation, Rose said: "I thank all those who joined us in raising their voices, as well as The Vanderbilt for listening to our collective voices, and I look forward to continuing to work together in the pursuit of commonsense solutions to keep our students safe."

Max Rose, a democratic congressional candidate and combat veteran, said he's glad to see the event cancelled and is tired of Congress standing idle while weapons are used to "mow down innocent Americans"

"Let's be clear: the NRA is only concerned about protecting the profit margin of the gun industry, not the safety of our children or the brave men and women in law enforcement. This is the time for comprehensive gun reform in this country, and an end to the NRAs influence on our politics," Max Rose said.

These Democrats are all for intimidation and shutting down debate, when they are losing the argument. We see many similar situations at public universities, where conservatives are prevented from speaking. Simply applying a label of "Racist" or "Fascist" or "Hate Speech" is sufficient to prevent an alternative view from being heard at many universities. The irony of labeling speakers "Fascist" while using fascist tactics is lost on the practitioners.

"Liberal Fascism" has a long history.  President Franklin Roosevelt used the FCC to shape American mass media into a Progressive propaganda machine. From reason.com:

It did not take long for broadcasters to get the message. NBC, for example, announced that it was limiting broadcasts "contrary to the policies of the United States government." CBS Vice President Henry A. Bellows said that "no broadcast would be permitted over the Columbia Broadcasting System that in any way was critical of any policy of the Administration." He elaborated "that the Columbia system was at the disposal of President Roosevelt and his administration and they would permit no broadcast that did not have his approval." Local station owners and network executives alike took it for granted, as Editor and Publisher observed, that each station had "to dance to Government tunes because it is under Government license." Some dissident radio commentators, such as Father Charles Coughlin and Boake Carter, gained wide audiences. But radio as a whole was firmly pro-Roosevelt—and both Coughlin and Carter were eventually forced off the air for pushing the envelope too far.

Many of the people on the left openly proclaim their antipathy to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, and of course, to the right to keep and bear arms. It is not hard to understand why people who believe that violence is the correct way to stifle their opponents arguments, would not want those opponents to be armed.  President Franklin Roosevelt used the FCC to shape American mass media into a Progressive propaganda machine. Roosevelt also pushed through the first serious federal gun control act.

The Friends of the NRA dinner events on Staten Island have been conducted for 23 years without problems. Until now.  A Republican, Councilman Joe Borelli, raised his voice against the political intimidation. From silive.com:

"I think we are setting a new precedent when we applaud the use of intimidation and bullying to coerce a business owner to turn away service to any group. Those seeking limitations on the Second Amendment should at least respect the First Amendment concepts of free speech and free association," Borelli said.

The Friends of the NRA dinner this year was scheduled for September of 2018. It will be interesting to see if the intimidation and bullying by Democrats are sufficient to prevent another venue from making a contract with the Friends of the NRA of Staten Island.

When intimidation and violence are used to stifle opposing views, it is usually because those views are winning the political and intellectual argument.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

California Rifle & Pistol Association Publishes Research Piece: Did the Old West Really Have More Gun Control than We Do?

FULLERTON, Calif., March 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) recently released a research article by Emmy® Award winning film producer and reporter, Dan Gifford, detailing the myths and facts of gun control in the 19th century American West – and comparing those myths and facts to today’s environment.

Gifford’s article asserts that the legend of gun control in the American West is a fictional story being used by gun-ban lobbyists in an attempt to falsely persuade the American public that restrictive gun laws date back to the Old West in the 19th century.

The article, published in the March edition of The Firing Line Magazine, claims that the stories of gun ban laws in Old West towns such as Tombstone and Dodge City are just the latest attempt by the anti-gun lobby to rationalize the restriction of a Constitutional right. According to CRPA Executive Director Rick Travis, “Gun ban lobbyists are using this false narrative to lull the public into complacency as they erode our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”

“Did the Wild West Really Have More Gun Control Than We Do clearly depicts the misinterpretation of the Old West by the anti-gun groups. Towns with supposed gun control ordinances only confiscated or required guns to be turned in if the town-goer was not a part of a criminal gang running the towns. Anti-carry ordinances were selective and were rarely enforced,” continued Travis.

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More on WA: I-5 Woman Motorcyclist Defensive Shooting

Jones started a fight with the woman and at some point she head-butted him. Jones then slammed the woman’s head into a jersey barrier and took her to the ground.

As Jones tried to climb on top of her, she shot him in the chest with a handgun. He died at the scene.

The motorcyclist, who had a concealed pistol license, called 911 and waited for investigators.

She was detained and then released while prosecutors made a charging decision.

Jones’ wife was a passenger in the GMC and was not injured.

“This is another reminder to everyone to keep a cool head on our roads,” Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said. “Nothing good is going to come from physically confronting another driver.”

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CO: Armed Good Samaritan Shoots Robbery Suspect who Wounded Woman

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) — Aurora police say a good Samaritan shot a man who shot a woman during a robbery at a grocery store Friday afternoon.

It happened just after 2 p.m. at the Village East Grocery Store located at 1161 S. Peoria St., according to the Aurora Police Department.
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KS: Over 10% of Topeka Homicides were Justified

Image from cjonline.com

Topeka Kansas had 30 homicides in 2017. That is a record setting number. Of the 30 homicides, four have been ruled as justified so far.  The Topeka Capitol-Journal published that nine of the homicide investigations were still open at the end of the year.  Presumably, the Cazee-Watkins case was one of those. From cjonline.com:

Cazee-Watkins was arrested Thursday in connection with criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and interference with a law enforcement officer (conceal/alter/destroy evidence). He is being held on a $20,000 bond.

“The death of Kenneth Vetaw was investigated simultaneously with the charged offenses,” Kagay said in an email. “The law enforcement investigation concluded the actions leading to Kenneth Vetaw’s death were committed in self-defense. Upon reviewing the results of the investigation, I concur that there was not sufficient evidence to file a homicide-related charge.”
(snip)

Kenneth Vetaw’s death is the city’s fourth homicide of last year’s 30 to be ruled justified.

The Capitol-Journal reported that three cases had unknown motives, 11 cases were gang related, five were domestic and six were "arguments".

A Topeka police spokesman said most of the homicides involved people during "high-risk" activities.

One of the justified homicides was a police involved shooting. That leaves three cases, minimum, that were justified homicides by non-police.

While this sample is too small for large conclusions, the numbers fit well with the overall prediction that about 10% of all homicides are justified.  This is five times the number of justified homicides recorded in the FBI Uniform Crime Reports. The severe under-reporting of justified homicides by the FBI UCR system has been well documented.

In 2016, the number of homicides (murder, and non-negligent homicides) was reported at 15,070. The number of justified homicides reported by non-police was 331.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

AZ: Domestic Defense, Woman Disarms, Shoots, Boyfriend who Kidnapped her

After the woman got ahold of his gun, the suspect got out of the car and ran away while the victim shot at him three times, hitting him twice in the left leg. He left the scene but was located by police officers a short time later.

While talking to investigators, Quintana allegedly denied seeing the victim before officers explained he may have been caught on surveillance videos while he forced her to drive against her will through multiple cities.
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WI: Homeowner Fires "Warning Shots" to Prevent Break-In

The release said that a homeowner reported to the Communications Center that a male suspect had attempted to forcibly enter his home. The homeowner responded by discharging a firearm and told Communications that he may have shot the suspect.

The suspect, Richard John Szarfinski, 41, of Madison, was staying at a nearby residence, where he had lacerated his hand, officials said. Szarfinski then left the residence through a window and traveled to the caller’s nearby home.
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Followup DE: Domestic Defense, Father Shot Son in Defense, Son Arrested

On Dec. 1, police were dispatched to a Breakwater Street residence around 6:58 p.m. after a 911 call. A man, previously identified as Coffin's father, called and said that he shot his son following an argument.

Assisted by the Delaware State Police, Lewes officers secured the home and took one unidentified person into custody.

Coffin was transported to Beebe Healthcare and treated for a gunshot wound.

However, the investigation found that the victim was forced to protect himself against Coffin as a result of his menacing and aggressive behavior, police said.
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Bloomberg Pays for Failed Year Long Effort to Discredit Marion Hammer

Marion Hammer

Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- Mike Spies recently spent a year investigating Marion Hammer, the legendary NRA board member and Second Amendment proponent in Florida.
Michael Spies is no novice. He is a professional writer who was on the editorial board of the New Yorker for over three years. He has a Bachelors in English from the University of Vermont, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction from Columbia University in the City of New York. He spent nearly two years at Vocativ, leaving in June of 2015 to join The Trace, the hard-core anti-Second Amendment blog financed by Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg's paid Trace reporter , Michael Spies

Much of Spies investigation centered on freedom of information requests for emails from the Florida Legislature.
Mike, uncontroversially, found that Marion Hammer is an effective lobbyist for restoring Second Amendment rights.
Most bills are written by lobbyists, who keep in close contact with sympathetic legislators. Marion is no exception. Spies highlights one of Marion's success stories. From thetrace.org:

Hammer works with a government staff lawyer to create the ‘Pop-Tart’ gun bill — months before it has a sponsor

In March 2013, an 8-year-old Maryland boy was suspended from his elementary school after he chewed a Pop-Tart into the shape of a gun and pretended to shoot his classmates. Five months later, in September, Hammer set about crafting a bill that would prohibit schools from disciplining students who play with pretend guns.
Emails show Hammer, over the course of several days, working on the legislation’s language with a staff lawyer from the Florida House of Representatives. Notably, no lawmakers are ever copied on the correspondence, nor is there any indication in the the documents that any elected officials are involved in the drafting process — the legislation did not yet have a formal sponsor. Four months later, in February 2014, Dennis Baxley, who was then a state representative, finally introduces Hammer’s proposal as a bill.

Mike Spies works hard to make this sound somehow unusual or strange. But this is exactly how most bills are created. Lobbyists work with staff to shape bills that can be passed and that do what they are designed to do.

Legislators almost never write bills themselves. It takes months of work to make sure the bill is ready for prime time. Only then, and only when the timing of the legislature allows for it, is the bill sponsored and introduced. The unique thing about Marion Hammer is that she is extraordinarily good at what she does.
In June of 2014, Governor Rick Scott signed the “Pop Tart” bill into law. From the miamiherald.com:

On guns, Scott signed the so-called Pop-Tart bill (HB 7029) that allows children to play with simulated guns in school without fear of punishment. A boy in Maryland was suspended for nibbling a breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun.

Marion Hammer has exceptional clout in the Florida Legislature because she has exceptional credibility with Florida gun owners and Second Amendment supporters, and with Florida legislators.  Again, no surprise.

What is interesting is that an anti-Second Amendment group had the money to commit a trained writer and investigator to a year to attempt to dig up dirt on Marion Hammer.

In the end, they found that Marion Hammer is very good at what she does, and she is supported by millions of Florida gun owners and Second Amendment supporters.

While those who desire a disarmed population will likely be dismayed by Marion Hammer's effectiveness, the majority of the population and the vast majority of gun owners are likely to find her activities both welcome and lauded.
Marion Hammer was awarded the first concealed weapons permit in 1987. In addition to restoring the right to carry in Florida, and exercising that right, Marion has received numerous awards for her efforts.

• In 1985, Marion received the NRA's Roy Rogers Man of the Year Award.
• In 1993, Marion won the National Safety Councils Outstanding Community Service Award for creating the Eddie Eagle gun safety program for children.

I won't list all of Marion Hammer's accomplishments. Others have done that.
What is interesting is the number of people who have tried to discredit Marion Hammer, who have all come up dry. Her wikipedia article lists about a dozen articles that attempt to demonize Marion. At least three of them are written by Michael Spies.
Michael Spies is just one of a long list of leftists who have attempted to demonize her. It never works, because the left's idea of wrong is what most patriotic Americans consider right. False assumptions about reality lead to false conclusions.

The people of Florida disagree with those who paint Marion Hammer as evil or as simply wrong. Marion was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame in 2017.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.