Canada: Tory crime bill prefers stabbings to shootings: "Would you rather be shot or stabbed? It's the kind of morbid hypothetical you might hear kids discussing in the bunkhouse after lights out at summer camp. Now our federal government has weighed in. For reasons not entirely clear, the people in charge in Ottawa would rather you were stabbed than shot. The federal preference for stabbing is reflected in proposed changes to the Criminal Code. The governing Conservatives want a minimum, five-year sentence imposed on criminals who use guns. Criminals who use knives, however, would face no such minimum. It figures that criminals' choice of weaponry will come to reflect this federal preference for stabbing. It figures, too, that this will tilt the odds more in favour of Canadians being stabbed than shot."


Second Amendment foes will happily twist, and shout: "Anyone who wishes to debate how our basic rights should be limited or otherwise controlled should first read the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights ['Register that computer, you subversive!' April 24]. From there, read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers.Only then will you begin to be able to rationally debate the rights, without doing so from a position of historical ignorance. The debates before the ratification of the Constitution and the many other writings of the Founders further clarify the thoughts and intents of those learned visionaries and will make critics' arguments issue from knowledge instead of inept conjecture and misinformed opinion. The best of arguments against the Second Amendment involve exaggerated statistics and illiberal interpretations made from positions of willful ignorance by those opposed to armed self-defense."

Restrictive gun laws pushing people out of big cities: "The Census Bureau has reported what amounts to a 'domestic migration' from three large cities in three key states, and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) blames much of this population flight on repressive gun laws. The Associated Press reported Thursday that, according to the Census Bureau, states losing the most people are New York, California and Illinois. 'This is no mystery,' said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. 'Those states are infamous for their anti-gun attitudes. Countless times have we heard from people who have moved from those states because they wanted to escape the Draconian gun laws.'"


OH: CHL holder shoots and kills robber: "Thursday evening Mike Dayem was in a battle for his life. A masked man entered Mike's Food Market on Cleveland's east-side with a gun and demanded money. When Mike's 19 year-old son, Abe, who also works at the store, gave the robber everything in the cash register, the robber said it wasn't enough and demanded more. Then the robber shot Abe in the head. That is when Mike grabbed his own gun and returned fire, striking the robber in the neck and chest. The robber fled from the store, leaving the money. Cleveland Police found the robber on the sidewalk about a block away. He was declared dead about 30 minutes later."

Gun bans: The Hamas/Fatah solution: "The Palestinian Hamas-led Government and President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah faction have outlawed the carrying of arms by militants. The decision has been taken at an emergency meeting in Gaza City aimed at ending a spate of armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas militants. "Anyone who carries arms will be considered an outlaw," Fatah spokesman Ahmed Hilles told a joint press conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. A total of 14 Palestinians were injured in armed factional fighting yesterday, the day after similar Fatah-Hamas clashes left three people dead in the southern Gaza Strip. "We are giving clear instructions to all the militants to end their armed initiatives and to prevent the use of arms," Mr Haniya said. He says "the Government will use all its powers to impose the law [and] justice," stressing that the meeting had "broken the ground for positive relations" between the two parties."


VA: Gunman kills one police officer, wounds two: "The fatal shooting of a detective at a suburban police station appeared to be the work of a lone, troubled 18-year-old who was targeting officers, officials said. Two other officers were wounded when the teenager opened fire in the parking lot of the suburban Washington, D.C., police station Monday. The assailant was also killed during the gunfight."

NC woman shoots and kills attacker: "A woman who shot a man dead Sunday night inside an apartment on Beamon Street did so because she feared for her life, Durham police investigators have determined. It is the second Durham shooting in less than a month to be ruled as self-defense. Officers responded to a shooting call at 6:26 p.m. at 14-C Beamon St. and discovered that the 31-year-old resident of the apartment had been shot, according to police spokeswoman Kammie Michael. Nakia Harper of Beamon Street was pronounced dead at the scene, Michael said. Investigators took a woman to Durham Police Headquarters for questioning Sunday night, and released her after determining that she believed her life was at risk when she shot Harper. The woman, whose name will be released later this week, had visible injuries, Michael said. Michael added that more details could not be released because the shooting is still under investigation"


Bounty hunters get their man -- sort of: "An attempt by a bounty hunter to apprehend a wanted fugitive went awry Monday, leading to a shooting involving Tennessee State University police that left the suspect and another man wounded, Metro police said. The shooting broke out around lunchtime at Swetts Plaza in Nashville as a bounty hunter and two siblings closed in on fugitive Juan Wilson, who was wanted on charges of domestic and aggravated assaults, probation violation and failure to appear in court, police said. Wilson, 25, had just left D Nails, a nail salon at the plaza, when he was confronted by bounty hunter Ron Moseley, his brother Stephen Moseley and half-brother Steven Hicks. Wilson exchanged shots with Ron Moseley, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said. The gunfire drew the attention of three TSU police officers who were lunching nearby at Best Wok Chinese Restaurant. "One of the officers yelled for everyone to freeze," Aaron said. "Ron Moseley turned toward the TSU officer with his gun drawn, and the TSU officer said he fired in self-defense." The officer who fired at Ron Moseley was Frank White, a field-training officer at TSU. His gunfire did not injure Ron Moseley, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, Aaron said. But in the cross-fire, Stephen Moseley was hit in the back by a bullet and Wilson was shot in the arm. It is unclear whose gunfire caused which injuries, Aaron said. After the gunfire ended, Wilson fled the scene in a car, was picked up by a relative and taken to a hospital. He will be arrested upon his release, Aaron said."

OK: Pol wants "emergency" victim disarmament: "An Oklahoma legislator said he hopes to make some changes to a new law that makes it illegal for authorities to confiscate weapons during a state of emergency. State Rep. Mike Shelton said House Bill 2696 has placed the power of the law into the wrong hands. 'During states of emergency, I think police need total control. They don't need to worry who has guns and who doesn't. If the governor calls for Oklahomans to relinquish their guns, the public needs to do so,' Shelton said. ... Shelton said his battle is not over, and he intends not only to ask the governor to veto HB2696 but also to overturn the stand-your-ground bill."


Gunshots end fight in Nevada: "Police say a man and woman got into a fight. The woman then fired shots in self-defense -- but the man was not hit. This all started just after 8:00 Saturday at a trailer park off Surge Street in Lemmon Valley. After interviewing witnesses, detectives found this was not the first time an argument ensued between these two neighbors. After the shots were fired the woman barricaded herself inside her home. Police eventually coaxed the woman out of the home after negotiating with her over the phone. Police are still looking for the male involved in the dispute for questioning. So far, no arrests have been made".


Minnesota lawmakers seek to expand self-defense rights: "Several Republican lawmakers are introducing legislation to expand the right of citizens to use deadly force against attackers. Court rulings in Minnesota have already recognized what's known as the Castle Doctrine, which is the notion that a person's home is their castle and they have a right to defend it against an imminent threat. But Representative Tony Cornish and Sen. Pat Pariseau want to enshrine that right in state law. They also want a broader definition of castle that includes personal vehicles, businesses and even public places. The lawmakers say they don't expect legislative action on the bill until next year but introduced it today to get a debate started."

FL: Teen suspects take off when homeowner gets his gun: "Police are searching for two teenagers who got a surprise when they tried to attack a man in his own home. Police said the teenagers forced their way into Bob Martin's apartment on Adriel Lane on Sunday and pointed a gun at him. But when the retired Air Force sergeant noticed it was a BB or pellet gun, he got his own real gun out and the teenagers took off. 'They come darn close to getting shot real quick. I don't like anyone putting even a toy gun in my face. Whether it's a pellet gun or toy gun I don't know,' Martin said. When the teenagers fled, they left behind the BB gun. Police were checking it for fingerprints."



TX: Homeowner fires back, kills 2 in home invasion: "A homeowner fired back, killing two suspects, when his house was the target of two home invasions in as many days, officials told KPRC Local 2 Monday.Fort Bend County sheriff's deputies said several armed suspects broke into a home in the 5500 block of Maybrook Park Lane shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday and tied up a teenage girl and her boyfriend. As the robbers were stealing a safe, the homeowners arrived, officials said. One of the gunmen opened fire, grazing the head of one of the homeowners. The crooks fled the scene. On Sunday, shortly before 10 p.m., the crooks returned for a second home invasion at the same house in the Grand Lakes Subdivision, according to deputies. The homeowner and robbery suspects exchanged gunfire, officials said. A female suspect was killed. The other suspects fled the scene. The body of a man was found dumped on the side of the road in the 20700 block of Cranfield about 30 minutes after the home invasion."

NY: Students may form campus militia: "A group of students, including Senators Brian Gold and Dan Curtis, Executive Secretary of the Senate Michael Peters, Senate Chair Justin Holmes and Student Association President R.J. Partington III, is in the process of forming a potential student militia. ... The main purpose of the militia is 'to provide a defense organization for the student body of SUNY New Paltz,' according to wikipaltz.com. 'Composed of students, it will exist to protect the rights and interests of students against all enemies, internal and external.' According to the Web site, the militia will also be established as a protection of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, ensuring the necessity of the right to bear arms."


IL: Self-defense law would trump gun bans: "Last December, Morio Billings, a 31-year-old career criminal from Chicago, broke into Wilmette resident's Hale DeMar's home and stole some house keys and a car. Less than 24 hours later, Billings was inside DeMar's house again, trying to see what else he could find. What he found was DeMar holding a handgun. DeMar, who shot Billings in the shoulder and calf, has not been charged for the shooting (Cook County prosecutors have determined it was justified), but he has been charged with violating the village of Wilmette's ban on handguns, as well as for failing to renew his Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification card. He could serve up to a year in jail. Now, a Downstate Democrat, 117th District State Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion), who called DeMar a 'law-abiding citizen,' has introduced HB 4075, which would override local handgun bans when the handguns are used in self-defense."


Gun-grabbing mayors don't want facts: "The trade association representing the firearms industry yesterday asked to be included in the 'gun summit' being held today at Gracie Mansion for more than a dozen mayors from around the nation. 'Our industry has developed programs that are working to reduce criminal misuse of firearms,' Lawrence Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, wrote the mayor. 'We would welcome the opportunity to educate mayors about these programs.' He didn't get very far. 'Are they mayors?' asked Stu Loeser, Bloomberg's press secretary, dismissing the request out of hand."

Who, me? "'Lady Liberty doesn't support the Second Amendment!' I've received emails on this topic ever since I started commenting on stories about Concealed Carry Weapons legislation in the various states. The problem? I'm not a fan of such laws. Saying so has apparently upset some gun rights advocates enough that they don't go on to see what I say with the very next breath, and that is this: We already have a CCW law in every state, and it's called 'the Second Amendment.' My point is a relatively simple one. States that pass CCW laws require that applicants jump through a variety of hoops. ... Please don't think that this means I consider training a bad idea. It's the licensing itself I consider wrong at best, and a real danger to freedom."


SC: Man charged with shooting dogs: "A Savannah man shot a pit bull ... Friday morning after he feared he was going to be attacked, according to Beaufort County Sheriff's Office reports.The man told police he was standing in his brother's garden ... when two of his nephew's pit bulls started growling at him near the entrance. The man said he was sneaking to his truck near the garden fence when the animals charged. He grabbed his semi-automatic pistol out of his truck and began walking toward the dogs, which still were growling. He then shot one of them. ... The man was charged with ill treatment of animals and discharge of a firearm within town limits. The owner of the dogs was charged with permitting domestic animals to run at large."


IL: Fatal shooting was self-defense: "Police believe a 32-year-old male resident of an apartment in the 700 block of East Golf Road, found holding an AK-47 rifle, may have been trying to protect himself after being threatened by three men. 'After that, there was a struggle over the gun and we don't believe [the resident] intentionally shot anyone,' Police Capt. Jerry Lambert said. ... Damion arrived at the home with two friends and began quarreling with the 32-year-old about money Damion thought the man owed an acquaintance, Lambert said. 'The resident was attacked ... and got out the weapon to hold off the attackers,' Lambert said. 'We're confident it was self-defense.' The man was a registered gun owner and the AK-47 was a legal weapon, Lambert said."

TN: Shooting victim faces charges: "A man who shot another man over the weekend acted in self-defense when he pulled the trigger, according to a Kingsport police detective. ... Renfro told police that he was standing in the driveway eating a hamburger on the hood of his truck when Jeffrey Scott Bishop 43, of Kingsport, approached and stood on the opposite side of the vehicle. 'He advised that Bishop was angry about not being properly compensated for work that he had done at the residence,' Kingsport Police Department Detective Chris Tincher said. Renfro told police that he was at Davis' house when Bishop had been fired from the job because she was not satisfied with the work. 'Mr. Bishop said that we are going to take care of this now and pulled a pistol from his waist,' Tincher said. Renfro also told police that he heard Bishop say he was going to kill Renfro and then began firing his weapon. Renfro, who has a valid Tennessee handgun carry permit, retrieved his own gun from his truck and fired back."


TX: Man acquitted for fatally shooting acquaintance: "A 39-year-old Fort Worth man accused of fatally shooting an acquaintance during a fight over a borrowed car was acquitted of murder Tuesday after jurors found that he acted in self-defense. ... Harris said the evidence showed that Fredrick was a violent drug dealer who had been looking for Sample for about 24 hours, trying to retrieve a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis that he had lent him. Harris maintained that Sample, who sometimes did mechanic work for Fredrick, didn't return the car because it broke down and later, after it was repaired, ran out of gas. ... Fredrick, who had been threatening to kill Sample, eventually found him in the 3300 block of Strong Avenue. Harris said Sample testified that Fredrick punched him three times and then reached into the car. As he did so, a gun fell to the ground, Harris said. At that point, Sample, believing that Frederick had a second gun, grabbed the weapon and fired twice, killing Fredrick."


Attacking gun rights does not save lives: "Much ink has been spent lately in an ongoing debate about gun rights versus gun control in the wake of the tragic shootings on Seattle's Capitol Hill a few weeks ago. While the gun-control crowd has, by its own admission, tried to capitalize on the incident for its own purposes, the gun-rights community has been digging in and defending an individual civil right that is part of both our federal and state constitutions. Lest anyone be misled, both the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 24 of the Washington Constitution protect and affirm an individual right to keep and bear arms."

CT: Gun regulators bust dealer on record-keeping : "One of the state's biggest gun dealers was arrested after federal agents say they uncovered numerous record-keeping violations at his shop, including the sale of three guns to a person charged with a felony. ... D'Andrea, a lifelong area resident who graduated from Harding High School and is a Marine Corps veteran, has operated a gun store for about 30 years at various sites. While D'Andrea has cooperated with the federal government in several cases over the years, authorities said, he also has been an outspoken critic of restrictive gun laws."


TX: Woman shoots ex-boyfriend: "A woman was accused Monday of shooting her ex-boyfriend in self-defense, KPRC Local 2 reported. Officers said the man showed up at the woman's home in the 2300 block of West Tidwell at Rosslyn at about 10:30 p.m. A fight ensued and the woman said the man went to the kitchen, got a knife and threw it at her, according to authorities. She then picked up a gun and shot him in the abdomen, police said. He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital in stable condition. Police said the shooting appeared to be self-defense."


IN: Security guard shoots would-be mugger: "A man was seriously wounded in a shooting at a Marsh Supermarket Saturday night on the city's west side. Police said a security guard shot the man as the man tried to rob a woman in the restroom of the Marsh at Lynhurst Drive and Rockville Road. Officials said the security guard ordered the gunman to stop, but the man didn't comply. That's when the guard shot the man."


Guns at work? Only the bad guys have them: "People often wonder why anyone would want to have a gun in their car at work. The answer can be found in The Daily News Journal: Shots ring out in parking lot. SMYRNA -- Gunfire split the Wednesday morning air as employees prepared to start the work day at Cumberland Swan. An employee lay shot, and the ex-husband she recently divorced is now charged with attempted murder. ... How much are you willing to bet that employees of this company are disarmed by company policy? How clear is it that said policy did nothing to stop this tragedy, and probably aided it? How clear is it that any policy of the company had no chance of keeping guns off the property? The guy was barred from having guns by law but that didn't stop him."

AZ: Senators fail to override gun seizure veto: "State senators failed by one vote Wednesday to override Gov. Janet Napolitano's veto of legislation to trim gubernatorial powers to seize weapons. The 19-10 vote -- one vote short of the necessary two-thirds margin -- came even after Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, speculated that Napolitano vetoed the measure so she could use her emergency powers to take weapons away from members of the Minuteman Project patrolling the Mexican border. Sen. Marsha Arzberger, D-Willcox, bolted party loyalty and agreed to override the Democratic governor. Another Democrat whose district includes a large stretch of rural Arizona, Rebecca Rios of Apache Junction, left the floor before the vote was cast. But enough other Democrats who voted for the bill last month, when there were sufficient votes in both the House and Senate to override a veto, switched their position Wednesday to narrowly keep from handing Napolitano her first override defeat."


FL: Self-defense claimed in shooting: "A Dixie County woman told investigators she fatally shot her boyfriend Tuesday night to protect herself and her children. Deputies were called to a home in the Forest Hills neighborhood, north of Old Town off State Road 349, shortly before 11 p.m. and found the body of Craig Wells, 45, according to the Dixie County Sheriff's Office. Wells appeared to have two gunshot wounds in his chest. Wells' girlfriend, Tonda Burdette, 30, apparently fired the shots, said Dixie County Sheriff Dewey Hatcher. Officers had not made an arrest in the case Wednesday, saying that Burdette and witnesses, including two children who live at the home and a relative of Wells who was visiting, claim the shooting was in self-defense."


TX: Homeowner shoots intruder: "A man being pursued by Houston police officers Wednesday afternoon was shot by a homeowner in the 9800 block of Benning. He was wounded in the leg, said Sgt. M. Peters of the HPD Homicide Division. 'He had forced entry into a house in the 9400 block of Spellman, which is the adjoining street, and they chased him out of their house into the the neighbor's backyard,' Peters said. 'The suspect then made an overt move toward his pocket, and fearing for his own safety,' the homeowner shot him, Peters said."

Concealed carry, an issue of liberty: "The Second Amendment to the Constitution states that the people have the right to keep and bear arms and that this right is not to be infringed upon by the state. The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government belong to the States and the people. The Constitution places priority on personal responsibility over federal bureaucracy. Citizens are given [sic] the right to defend themselves. When there is a question of interpretation, we should err on the side of more liberty, not more legislation. ... So the debate over concealed carry is really a debate over liberty. Will the state become more powerful, or will the people become more responsible?"


South Africa: Dad screamed like never before: "More than 30 shells and the shattered windows of two cars bore testimony on Tuesday to the raging gun battle between three robbers and a young man trying to save his father. When all the shooting was over, the three intruders lay dead at the Bertrams' house they had been trying to rob in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The 23-year-old, who does not want to be identified for fear of revenge attacks, described the gunfight between him and the band of robbers to Beeld on Tuesday, just a few hours after police officers removed the bodies of the three men. ... 'The police don't protect us and the new firearms act empowers only the criminals,' said the young man. People here are tired of crime and eventually you reach a point where you realise enough is enough -- you must look after your people yourself.''

OR: Salem police say shooting death likely self-defense: "What started as an argument involving a woman, her estranged boyfriend and her current boyfriend ended with the former boyfriend shot dead Monday night, Salem police said. Jason Benjamin Scott, 31, the former boyfriend of Diana Carol Rennels, 26, was found dead by police about 9:35 p.m. at 2375 Coral Ave. NE.Police said Sean C. Dougherty, 38, Rennels' current boyfriend, who lives with her at the northeast Salem apartment, shot Scott after the 6-foot-4, 300-pound man broke through the front door of Rennels' apartment. Three children were in the apartment at the time."

NH: House reverses course, supports self-defense: "Gun owners and advocates carried the day in the House on Wednesday. In a surprise turnaround, the House supported legislation it defeated last month that would give people more leeway to use guns to defend themselves in public places. It also voted for a bill to bar the state from taking guns or ammunition from people during a state of emergency. 'Nothing should chip away at our freedom,' argued Rep. Lynne Ober, R-Hudson. If weapons had been confiscated centuries ago, 'we might have been singing God Save the Queen,' she said."


TN: Disabled man fights off home invaders: "A disabled Red Bank man foiled a home invasion early Thursday morning by getting off four shots at a man busting in his bedroom window. Red Bank Police Lt. Jim Kyle said the incident happened at 1:30 a.m. at 203 Euclid Ave. He said David McCutcheon was asleep in his bed when he heard his bedroom window breaking, then saw a masked man coming through the window. Mr. McCutcheon reached for a .32-caliber revolver and began firing, causing the masked man to make a hasty retreat."


Patriots Day: "I grew up in Massachusetts in the 1950s. April 19th was celebrated each year as Patriots Day. The holiday commemorates the ride of Paul Revere, and the battles of Lexington and Concord in the colony which birthed the American Revolution. ... Growing up in New England in the fifties, there seemed to be no great public concern about guns. At a fairly tender age, I was responsible enough to be entrusted with a BB gun, which I used to protect the household from marauding tin cans, birds in the cornfield, and squirrels robbing the bird feeders. A few years later, I enrolled in a neighboring town's NRA Youth program, shooting .22 rifles in the basement of the armory. A young boy with an air rifle or .22 drew little interest from passersby on the country roads along which I'd walk on the way to the range, or to an abandoned quarry where I often practiced. Even the local police would wave and drive on by."

MT: Intruder prompts elderly Sula woman to get her gun : "Phyllis Friesen sat in her bedroom Sunday night with a .357 pistol in her lap while a strange man raided her refrigerator and trashed her house. Law enforcement officers arrived at the 80-year-old woman's cabin 15 miles up the East Fork of the Bitterroot River near Springer Memorial more than an hour after she called 911 to report the alleged intruder, 42-year-old Jerry D. Gensamer. 'I asked what the heck he was doing in my house and he never answered me -- just started trashing the living room,' Friesen said. ... Gensamer entered Friesen's house through a door at about 10:15 p.m., she said. Friesen, who lives by herself, said she doesn't normally lock the door. After he ignored her questions, Friesen said she went into her bedroom, pulled out a gun and called 911. 'It wasn't as frightening as it would have been if I didn't have the gun,' she said."


Despite Brady efforts, pro-gun victories continue: "After more than two decades of trying to destroy the firearms rights of more than 80 million law-abiding American gun owners -- and statistically failing to show any impact on violent crime -- the Brady 'Campaign Against Illegal Guns' being launched Thursday is yet another crusade whose ultimate goal is to trample the Second Amendment into dust. That's the reaction from Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA). 'This isn't a new campaign against illegal guns,' he stated, 'it's the same old campaign against all guns, and the American citizens who own them.'"

Amazing shot cited as self-defense. Police bullet lodged in gunman's weapon: "A highly improbable shot left an officer's bullet in the cylinder of a gunman's revolver, and police say it's a pretty clear sign that the officers who shot the man faced a deadly threat. "Physically, it is impossible to conclude anything other than the fact the suspect was pointing directly at the officers," Deputy Chief Clark Kimerer said Wednesday, adding, "I've not seen anything quite like that in my 24 years." Wednesday, the King County Medical Examiner's Office had yet to release the identity of the gunman and were still trying to notify his next of kin. Kimerer said the man turned 18 about a month ago.... At a news conference at police headquarters Wednesday, Kimerer said investigators learned that the gunman had had an argument with a female friend shortly before the shooting.... A merchant called 911, as did others. Two East Precinct patrol officers arrived in less than two minutes, he said. The two officers approached the young man near a bus stop. Though the man was suspected of being armed, the officers did not see a weapon, so at first they planned to restrain him. When the man turned to face them, the officers ordered him to get on the ground and show his hands. The warning, Kimerer said, was heard by several witnesses. Instead of complying, "the suspect reached behind his back with both hands," he said. Out came a revolver, police officers said. The officers ordered the man to drop the gun. Instead, police said, he squared up against them. "The officers returned fire in response to that deadly threat," Kimerer said... Fire medics arrived but were unable to revive the man."




Michigan progress: "Lawmakers are working on a package of bills that would strengthen the right of Michiganians to shoot felons who are breaking into their homes or attacking them on the street. Fleeing or retreating no longer would be the first duty of law-abiding citizens facing physical harm. They could meet force with force and not fear prosecution or lawsuits, under measures that worry prosecutors but nevertheless are moving through the House and Senate. "Why on earth should we have to retreat from the criminal element in society?" asked Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, the leading sponsor of one of the main bills in the Senate. He said the goal is to create a new law that better lays out the ground rules for self-defense. Clear regulations also have become important now that more people are carrying handguns for self-protection. Citizens are permitted to defend themselves under current law, but they are supposed to flee if possible. In testimony at hearings, a University of Michigan professor told lawmakers the existing rule gives criminals the advantage by making their victims hesitant."

AZ: Napolitano signs self-defense bill: "Governor Napolitano today signed into law a bill to strengthen Arizonans' rights to claim self-defense and to use force against intruders. The bill was supported by the National Rifle Association and opposed by prosecutors. It imposes a new burden of proof on prosecutors to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant's self-defense claim was unfounded. It also implants the so-called 'castle doctrine' in Arizona law to give a person the right to use force in a home or vehicle against an intruder without having to retreat."


Gun industry seeks seat at victim disarmament summit: "In a letter faxed today to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office, the trade association representing the firearm industry officially requested a seat at the table at tomorrow's national summit on illegal guns organized by Bloomberg and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston. Lawrence G. Keane, who signed the letter on behalf of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), said the industry shares the mayors' concerns about further reducing crime by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. 'Our industry has developed programs that are working to reduce criminal misuse of firearms, as well as reduce firearms accidents. We would welcome the opportunity to educate mayors about these programs, including Don't Lie for the Other Guy, the straw purchase deterrence initiative developed in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,' said Keane, senior vice president and general counsel."

NY: Big city mayors host victim disarmament summit: "Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will host a summit next week for about a dozen of their colleagues to discuss gun violence, a problem that has long frustrated big-city mayors. Mayors from Dallas, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., and Seattle are among those scheduled to attend the meeting at Gracie Mansion, the historic Upper East Side house where Bloomberg holds official events."


AZ: Bill strengthens right to use force: "The state House passed a bill today to strengthen Arizonans' rights to claim self-defense and to use force against intruders. The bill would scrap a decade-old state law by imposing a new burden of proof on prosecutors to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant's self-defense claim was unfounded. It also would implant in Arizona law the so-called 'castle doctrine' that gives a person the right to use force in a home or vehicle against an intruder without having to retreat."

Comment on California idiocy: "State Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, has introduced a bill to require all semi-automatic handguns to make microscopic indentations on all shell casings for identification. Supporters of the bill contend that the gun feature will allow the police to catch more criminals. Opponents believe the markings could easily be adulterated by sanding or filing the firing pins, thereby making the law academic. My take is that it's just another attempt by gun-control advocates to hector gun makers and owners and to make ownership of a weapon more expensive. If the bill is passed, I predict it will have no statistically significant impact on the crime clearance rate.


Louisiana victims shoot back. Thugs flee: "A group of men fired bullets into a cluster of children at a birthday party on Lash Street on Saturday night, injuring a Shreveport woman in a shooting that police believe was retaliation for an earlier gunfight in the neighborhood. The woman, who was in her mid to late 20s, was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport with non-life threatening injuries. Police didn't immediately identify the woman. Police were dispatched to the intersection of Lash and Linwood streets just before 9 p.m. after getting reports of a gunfight that sent nearly 100 children scattering from the neighborhood block party. By the time police arrived at the scene, the shooters had fled on foot and all of the children at the party had cleared from the streets. Witnesses told police that the group of men stood at the corner of Lash and Linwood streets and opened fire on people attending the party. While ducking a hail of bullets, some people at the party pulled out guns and started firing back, police said. Police have identified some suspects in the shooting but wouldn't release any information."

Another black "victim": "As a lesson in gun safety, it could not be bettered. While delivering his message, Special Agent Lee Paige shot himself in the leg as children watched in disbelief. Now, since it happened in America - and since the bullet miraculously missed the femoral artery - there is to be the inevitable sequel. Mr Paige, 45, is suing his employer, the Drug Enforcement Administration, for leaking footage of the incident. He claims that the agency is liable for "mental anguish, loss of reputation, embarrassment, humiliation and anxiety" because a videotape of his "accidental discharge" has gained a global audience on the internet. His career has allegedly suffered - after 347,000 hits on Google, undercover work is no longer an option - and he says he has been ridiculed in public. He is not demanding payment for the damage to his leg."


FL: University professors shape laws: "Type the words 'Gary Kleck' and 'guns' into Google, and you'll find links to about 50,400 Web pages. Many of those link to gun-rights groups such as the Second Amendment Research Center and Gunowners.org. Kleck, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida State University, has become the darling of gun-rights advocates thanks to his studies into the use of firearms for self-defense. His research found that as many as 2.5 million victims each year have used guns to defend themselves during crimes. It also showed that victims who submitted to criminals' demands were twice as likely to be injured during crimes as those who defended themselves with guns. His research did not conclude that looser gun laws lessen crime, Kleck said, only that guns altered crimes that were already under way. All of which, Kleck said, can be boiled-down to a bumper-sticker slogan: "Bad guys have guns, bad effects. Good guys have guns, good effects." And this year, lawmakers such as Rep. Mitch Needelman, R-Melbourne, have cited his research in defending bills such as one that would force employers to allow workers to keep guns locked in their cars on company property."


MS: 85-year-old man shoots burglar: "Deputies arrested a suspected burglar Monday after an 85-year-old Saucier man reported he had shot a man who broke into his home. Harrison County sheriff's investigators said the resident knew Wayne Thomas Clark and identified him as the burglar. Deputies went to Clark's home on Mack Pete Road and found him asleep with two gunshot wounds to his back, said Sheriff's Capt. Ron Pullen. The break-in and shooting occurred Saturday but wasn't reported until Sunday. Clark was shot with a small-caliber handgun, said Pullen. Clark, 42, was taken to a hospital for medical treatment and was held without bond at the Harrison County jail. A judge declined to set bond on the burglary charge. At the time of his arrest, Clark was out of jail on bond for a pending stolen property charge. The resident, who lives in the 25400 block of Mississippi 53, told investigators the burglar assaulted him, said Pullen. The charge against Clark and the shooting will be presented to a grand jury. The elderly man was not arrested, but the incident will be presented as a matter of concern "to be sure he acted within the law," said Charlie Wood, an assistant district attorney."

Identity theft imperils firearm owners: "'Envision a hypothetical law-abiding Bob Citizen who attempts to purchase a revolver from a local gun shop,' suggests gun law expert John Snyder. 'Imagine further,' he continues, 'that when the store clerk runs the necessary criminal records check through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Bob Citizen learns his identity has been stolen and he cannot make the purchase. His name, date of birth and Social Security Numbers have been used by someone else. He is a victim of identity theft, the fastest growing crime in the United States. This imaginary scenario is bad enough as it is,' says Snyder, 'but let's follow it another step or two. The criminal with a mile-long rap sheet who steals Bob Citizen's ID uses the good name to purchase a firearm and subsequently misuses it in the commission of a bank robbery, rape or murder. Bob Citizen now faces criminal charges as well as a loss of good reputation.'"


FL: 69 year old man fends off robbers: "A 69-year-old man was grazed by a bullet on his cheek during an attempted robbery in the driveway of his Hollywood home Sunday, but escaped with his life when he pulled out his gun and fired back. Francesco 'Franco' D'Arpino pulled into his garage at about 5:10 a.m. after working the night shift at his North Miami Beach restaurant, Franco's Pizza, when police say a white car rammed into the back of his car and someone opened fire. A bullet grazed D'Arpino's cheek. He grabbed his gun, which he keeps on him, and shot back, driving off the attackers."


OH: Gun shows in the crossfire: "It's easy to build an illegal [sic] machine gun. Or to get the recipe for exploding gelatin.Everything you need is available at hundreds of gun shows held across the country this time of year. While gun businesses must be federally licensed, gun shows enable private individuals to sell scores of weapons each weekend with little, if any, oversight. And the shows are flourishing. In the past two months alone, promoters have hosted 20 gun shows in Ohio, including one April 9 in Niles."

Few New Orleans residents getting back stolen guns: "A handful of people showed up Monday to try to get back guns confiscated by the New Orleans Police Department after Hurricane Katrina -- and not many of those walked away with a weapon. 'They told me the police took them the first two weeks after the hurricane, after that it was the ATF,' said Charles Clark, 62, a retired law officer, who had an antique gun taken from his house after the Aug. 29 storm. 'It's very frustrating. I know we had a storm and all, but there should be a way to find out who has your property.' ... Percy Taplet, 73, said the national guard and state police confiscated his shotgun from his house when they evacuated him. He said he kept it for protection at his house and adjoining business. Police told him he would have to contact state police about the weapon. 'I won't ever see that gun again believe me,' Taplet said. 'It's gone like everything else in that storm.'"


The purists and New Orleans gun confiscation: "New Orleans balked and stalled. The City was found in contempt and was then ordered again to return them, at which time they agreed to do so through a process which included new background checks. This is, of course, harassment of lawful owners. As usual, officials like to abuse the law abiding with acts of power which never touch the criminals.Now, not only do the rightful owners have to jump through hoops, but some of the weapons are turning up lost according to early reports. ... This is where the Purists come in. The Purists of the liberty movement in America have been characterized as extremist, but let's look at them for a moment. They have warned America of social disaster to come, they have courageously spoken out with details, not vague predictions, and they have been most accurate in their report of history and in making a most reasonable connection to modern current events in worrying about the safety of the nation. The Purists have observed social trends that sound horribly familiar to the known historical fates of doomed nations and show just where we're headed. I'm going to join them in reporting this milestone on that road."


NE: Gun group urges lawmakers to close "Omaha loophole": "Passage of a concealed carry statute in Nebraska was a good first step toward insuring the safety of Cornhusker State citizens, but the new law has a gaping loophole that apparently allows cities like Omaha to continue denying their residents the right of personal protection. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) is encouraging residents of Omaha, Lincoln and other communities to start contacting their city councils, demanding that they reject any attempt to prohibit concealed carry as the City of Omaha is apparently planning to do, based on a 70-year-old ordinance. 'A report in the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper pretty much said it all,' noted CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron. 'Anti-public safety lawmakers in Omaha are against the new law, and are defending a local ordinance that bans concealed firearms, even when the majority of Omaha legislators voted for it.'"

WVA: Funeral director innocent in son-in-law's shooting: "A Fayette County funeral home director was found not guilty Monday of murdering his son-in-law. Larry Hess, who managed Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, never denied shooting Jerry T. Chesterfield. He fired five bullets from his Glock semi-automatic, and four of those struck Chesterfield. But Hess testified Monday that he shot his son-in-law in self-defense. 'I always kept the shell in the chamber,' he said. He said he had to keep firing because Chesterfield kept coming at him."


Louisiana: Good riddance to bad rubbish: "A man who kept beating his 3-year-old daughter even after St. Martin Parish sheriff�s deputies tried to use a police dog to stop the attack was shot to death, authorities said. State police, who were called in by Sheriff Ronnie Theriot to investigate, said the shooting occurred about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday outside a mobile home. Two deputies responding to a disturbance call ordered the man to stop hitting the girl before releasing the dog. The man was shot after the canine was unable to break up the attack, state police said. The child was taken to Lafayette General Hospital in critical condition. The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene".


AZ: Gun bill among Napolitano's vetoes: "Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a slew of Republican-approved bills Monday, including a National Rifle Association-backed gun bill and one that looks to have local police arrest illegal immigrants on trespassing charges. ... The governor also vetoed a bill that would have restricted her powers to limit gun and ammunition sales during a time of emergency. The NRA has been pushing similar bills in other states in the wake of attempted emergency powers being invoked in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Napolitano said the bill undermines emergency powers of the governor and state National Guard. Advocates argued the bill would protect Second Amendment rights during emergencies."

OH: Armed man shot by ex-girfriend: "A Goshen man was charged with felonious assault, aggravated burglary and kidnapping after he forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's home early Monday.Gary L. Glass, 37, of the 1800 block of Main Street, was shot in the legs after Cassandra Gray, 28, got control of a shotgun Glass brought to her home, the Clermont County Sheriff's Office said. According to the sheriff's office, Gray was awakened by her dogs barking about 7:30 a.m. and found Glass standing in her doorway pointing a shotgun at her. Glass allowed Gray to let her dogs out and she used that chance to call 911. When Glass realized Gray had called police, the two struggled. Gray got the gun away from Glass and shot him, the sheriff's office said."


Reflections on deaths caused by gun control laws : "CNN has some interesting video as well as a .pdf transcript from the flight voice recorder on United Air Lines Flight 93, the plane which crashed in a Pennsylvania field on 9/11. Obviously, this pertains to the ongoing trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, where the government just rested its case. 40 brave people died in that crash. Reading the transcript reminded me that this entire incident could have been avoided if the government hadn't stripped us of our right to self-defense while on an airplane."

CA: City to test gunshot location system: "A city councilor hopes to curb a rising murder rate by installing a gunshot-locator system that uses sensitive microphones attached to buildings to remotely pinpoint shootings. Oakland councilman Larry Reid, whose district includes some of the East Oakland's most violent neighborhoods, said Tuesday his office will pay $10,000 to test the ShotSpotter system that is already in use in parts of Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Reid hopes to have the system in place by the end of the month. Police hope the technology will help dispatch officers more quickly and catch fleeing criminals. If the test is successful, the city would need to raise about $400,000 to install nearly 100 sensors in an 8-square-mile section of the city, said Oakland police Lt. Pete Sarna II. The system uses microphones mounted on flat roofs and connected to telephone lines to triangulate the location of the gunshots to within 10 to 30 feet, said James Beldock, president of the Santa Clara-based ShotSpotter Inc."


CA: Glitch in victim disarmament law triggers rush: "Gun components that can be used to build assault weapons [sic] have flooded into California under a loophole in state law. The glitch has delighted some gun owners, who hope to register the weapons before any state legislation is passed barring their possession. Frames of more than 30,000 AR- and AK-series guns have entered California, according to estimates from some gun advocates, and can be purchased from many weapons dealers in the state and online."

KY: Use of force bill passes: "Kentuckians could use force to defend themselves against an attack in their home or car under a bill that received final legislative passage Monday. The Senate passed Senate Bill 38 by a 36-1 vote, sending it to Gov. Ernie Fletcher. The House had passed the bill earlier. The measure, backed by the National Rifle Association, specifies that people have no 'duty to retreat' -- or attempt to flee -- if they believe they are being threatened on their property or in their vehicle. 'Calling 911 is sometimes -- instead of a rescue project -- it becomes a recovery project if you're not able to use force,' said Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville."


LA: Bill would protect evacuees' gun rights "With little debate, the Senate voted 39-0 Monday for a bill that would prohibit police from confiscating firearms of law-abiding citizens in times of emergencies or disasters. The vote on Senate Bill 93 by Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth, an outdoors enthusiast and gun-rights advocate, sends the measure to the House for debate. McPherson filed the bill in response to actions by New Orleans area police who confiscated firearms from evacuees during Hurricane Katrina. He said that the federal and state constitutions recognize the right of citizens to bear arms and that a hurricane or an evacuation from a natural disaster or emergency does not eliminate that right."


NC: For self-defense, women take up firearms: "A single mom wanting to protect her children. A mall worker fearing a dark parking lot. A real estate agent meeting strangers in empty homes. They are Charlotte-area women. And they own guns. More women, gun advocates say, are buying, shooting and carrying firearms -- in briefcases, purses or even on their hips. For some, it's sport. But with violent crime up from five years ago and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police actively searching for a serial rapist, many women say it's about self-protection."

JOHN LOTT IN THE WARS AGAIN

A scholar known for his work on guns and crime filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt, co-author of the best-seller "Freakonomics." John Lott Jr. of Virginia, a former U. of C. visiting professor, alleges that Levitt defamed him in the book by claiming that other scholars had tried and failed to confirm Lott's conclusion that allowing people to carry concealed weapons reduces crime. Publishers Weekly ranked "Freakonomics" eighth this week for non-fiction hardcover books. According to Levitt's book: "When other scholars have tried to replicate [Lott's] results, they found that right-to-carry laws simply don't bring down crime."

But according to Lott's lawsuit: "In fact, every time that an economist or other researcher has replicated Lott's research, he or she has confirmed Lott's conclusion." By suggesting that Lott's results could not be replicated, Levitt is "alleging that Lott falsified his results," the lawsuit says. Lott is seeking a court order to block further sales of "Freakonomics" until the offending statements are retracted and changed. He is also seeking unspecified money damages. Lott acknowledged in the suit that some scholars have disagreed with his conclusions. But he said those researchers used "different data or methods to analyze the relationship between gun-control laws and crime" and made no attempt to "replicate" Lott's work.

The lawsuit alleges that Levitt and his publisher, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., made the statements with reckless disregard for whether they were true and that the book damaged Lott's reputation. Neither Levitt nor HarperCollins officials could be reached Monday.

According to the lawsuit, Levitt also defamed Lott in an e-mail that Levitt sent to an economist in Texas last May. The e-mail described work that Lott published in an academic journal in 2001. It falsely stated that Lott's work had not been peer-reviewed and that Lott had blocked scholars with opposing views from appearing in the same issue of the journal, the lawsuit said.

Lott's books include "More Guns, Less Crime: Analyzing Crime and Gun Control Laws," published in 1998. Levitt won the John Bates Clark Medal for economists younger than 40 from the American Economic Association in 2003.

Source

Note the following statement from the "Chronicle of Higher Education":

"In the years since Mr. Lott's first publication, at least six scholars have published studies that tend to confirm his findings, while at least four other studies have tended to cast doubt on his findings."

I would say Levitt is in trouble at that rate.






Business owner shoots robber: "An Anniston business owner is in the clear after shooting a robbery suspect in self-defense. The robbers attempted to shakedown a pawnshop. Now, three are in jail and one's got a gunshot wound to remember it by. The owner of the 202 Pawn Shop says four people charged in the attempted robbery worked as a team, trying to distract him while one stole some jewelry and ran out. Investigators say the bandits jumped into a car. The store owner, who didn't want to give his name, ran after them armed with a pistol and ready for action. "He pulled up like he was gonna run over me and at that point I pulled down on him," said the owner. One jumped out and ran into a dead-end alley behind the building. "He couldn't get out so it was between me and him, you know, hit brick wall or me, and he tried to come through me and when he did that's when he pushed me back like, that's when I fired, pistol went off and evidently shot him in the foot," said the owner. By that time, deputies had arrived along with paramedics.... Amerson says Alabama law already covers such a situation. "That man had a right to use his weapon in self-protection and he did so and from everything we can see he faces no legal liability for that," said Amerson."


TX: Man cleared of assault linked to shootout: "A 20-year-old Longview man has been cleared of an aggravated assault charge in connection with a shooting last year after prosecutors argued he fired a gun in self-defense. Travale Henson had been indicted in connection with a May 14 shooting with Keethan Harnage outside a birthday party on Avalon Street. A bullet from Harnage's gun left 15-year-old Sierra Foster of Longview dead. Prosecutors argued in a motion to dismiss that an investigation proved Henson fired two shots at Harnage in self-defense after Harnage 'began firing wildly' at him. Judge David Brabham of the 188th District Court signed the order to dismiss April 5."

TX: Shop owner opens fire on robbers: "The owner of a southwest Houston pawnshop opened fire on three armed men who tried to rob his business and the shootout was caught on tape, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday. Gunmen entered the A Plus Pawn Shop, in the 11200 block of South Wilcrest, on March 28, and started shooting, according to witnesses. 'I grabbed the first gun I could find and started firing,' owner Steve Smith said. 'They planned on taking us out, I think. That's the way I figured because they never said a word.'"


IL: Security still worries some on east side: "A month after devastating tornadoes roared through Springfield, Tim Williams finds himself living in a camper parked in the driveway of what remains of his garage in the 2000 block of East Cedar Street. ... Williams can't leave his property -- which has been in his family since 1943 -- because the garage door is gone and he is wary of looters. The phrases 'You loot I shoot' and 'You try you die' are spray-painted on the east side of the garage, just in case anybody might be tempted. He's not kidding, either. Williams keeps a pistol and his 150-pound dog, Tyler, with him to deter looters. 'I just ran one off last night. He had so much stuff with him, he couldn't carry it all,' Williams said Tuesday afternoon, during a break from filing out insurance forms. 'I pointed my pistol at him and told him I was calling the police.'"


New Orleans: Nagin still has stolen guns : "Law-abiding citizens of New Orleans who were forced to relinquish their legally owned firearms to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) will have to wait, indefinitely, to regain their property. The City of New Orleans revealed they have not returned any firearms, as Mayor Ray Nagin and the city have yet to set up a return process. 'Mayor Ray Nagin continues to deny freedom by denying lawful citizens their Second Amendment rights,' stated National Rifle Association (NRA) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. 'First, he confiscates law-abiding citizens' firearms and lies about it. Then, he fails to comply with court orders. Now he refuses to return the legally owned firearms to their rightful owners by dragging his feet. It's a disgrace.'"

NC: High Point man killed man in self-defense: "A High Point man who shot and killed a man inside his apartment April 3 acted in self defense, police today said detectives and the prosecutor determined. Kendrix Jones told investigators he shot Daniel Cyrus Dixon, who was found dead inside Jones' apartment at 117 E. Swathmore Ave., apartment 2A, according to High Point police. On Tuesday, detectives met with Guilford County Assistant District Attorney Randy Carroll and reviewed the case. It was determined Jones, 25, acted in self defense when he shot Dixon"


Arkansas: Man won't be charged for murder: "Drug and weapons charges have been filed against a man believed by police to have shot and killed two people during an apparent robbery at an indoor marijuana-growing site. But they said the man will not be charged in the deaths Sunday night. Bradley Webster of Mena was charged with possession and use of a machine gun -- simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms -- manufacturing marijuana -- first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor -- possession of drug paraphernalia -- and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Prosecutor Tim Williamson said Webster will not be charged for the deaths of 34-year-old Chris Pangle and 23-year-old Thai Flores, both of Henryetta, Oklahoma. Williamson said Webster was defending his property, even if it was illegal property."


TN: Market owner shoots robbery suspect: "Convenience store owner Karim Barakat feared for his life when an armed robber demanded money and cocked his handgun about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday at J.D.'s Market in downtown Murfreesboro, a police spokesman said. Instead of giving up any money, Barakat reached for his own handgun and shot suspected robber Edward Christopher Evans, 24, in the arm, said Murfreesboro Police Lt. Alvin Baird."

NY: Man receives 3-year sentence for self-defense: "A Mount Vernon man cleared of homicide charges in the slaying of an ex-convict who had shot him years earlier was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for possessing the gun used in the killing. Mark Powell could have faced considerably more time in prison had jurors not found that he was justified in shooting Curtis Liburd Sept. 17 on East Fourth Street in Mount Vernon. The White Plains jury acquitted Powell of murder and manslaughter charges in January after believing his claim that he shot the unarmed Liburd in self-defense. Powell testified that he fired after Liburd threatened him and tried to grab his gun. He was also cleared of a more serious charge that accused him of intending to use the gun unlawfully. ... Powell acknowledged that he illegally possessed the gun. Westchester County Judge Rory Bellantoni said he would have liked to sentence Powell to the maximum seven years as prosecutor George Bolen requested. But he said he could not because that would have required him to consider that the possession of the gun led to Liburd's death -- which the jury verdict precluded the judge from doing."


IN: Intruder shot, killed: ""A 20-year-old man was shot to death about noon Wednesday as he tried to break into a home on the Far Eastside. Xavier Rashard Ivory, 1800 block of South State Street, was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospital after being shot once in the chest. Capt. Phil Burton of the Marion County Sheriff's Department said the owner of a home in the 8000 block of East 37th Street heard his doorbell ringing incessantly but ignored it in hopes that the person would go away. Shortly thereafter, the homeowner heard a pounding at his back door. On the way to the back door, he grabbed a firearm from a closet. At the back door, he heard and saw someone trying to force open the door. As he pulled back window blinds, he saw an arm come in through a broken window, Burton said.The homeowner fired one shot, striking Ivory in the chest."

FL: Two Martin County deaths deemed acts of self-defense: "Authorities have deemed two separate cases first investigated as homicides as actual acts of self-defense, police said Wednesday. In one incident, Stuart police evidence led state prosecutors to determined Daniel George Griffin, 67, was protecting himself when he was confronted in his home by the man whose wife he was allegedly having an affair with, Sgt. Marty Jacobson reported. Barry Nordstrum, 47, allegedly broke into Griffin's home June 25 about 9 p.m. in the Circle Bay Condominiums and found the man with his wife. That's when Griffin grabbed a gun and shot Nordstrum to death. The wife, who was present, was not hurt. In the second case, police said Shawn Harshall, 24, was legally allowed to defend himself against an alleged attack by his co-worker Derek Huffman, 22, after a fight about a pool game earlier the night of January 14. Harshall told investigators he stabbed Huffman after he was attacked inside a room at the extended stay Suburban Lodge, where the Pennsylvania men had been staying.


Missouri self-defence rights to be expanded: "Despite opposition, State Rep. Marilyn Ruestman says she will "hold tight" to her defensive use of force bill that passed last week in the Missouri House. The legislation, originally filed by the Newton County lawmaker as HB 1461, would protect from civil or criminal litigation citizens who kill in the act of self-defense and expands the circumstances when deadly force could be used. Under current Missouri law, a person may kill another person when it's reasonably believed such action is necessary to protect one's self or another against death, serious physical injury, rape, sodomy and kidnapping. The law also states persons may use deadly force, when necessary and under the same described circumstance, to prevent stealing, property damage or tampering. In both instances, citizens are first required to use "all reasonable measures to terminate the restraint as soon as it is reasonable to do so" before using deadly force in defense of self or property. But Ruestman believes the law is ambiguous and that it's assumed victims must retreat when attacked. She previously told the Daily News it's "ridiculous" for someone to stop and determine if an assault could be fatal before using lethal force in self-defense. Her bill says that a person doesn't have to run away when attacked provided they are at a place where they have a legal right to be.

Vang update: "A Minnesota man convicted of killing six deer hunters and wounding two others in a shooting spree in northwestern Wisconsin was moved to an Iowa prison because of security concerns. Corrections officials moved Chai Soua Vang to the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, Iowa, in January, according to state records. He had been imprisoned at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun. Officials moved him because they had safety concerns for corrections staff, inmates and others, said Dan Westfield, security chief for the Department of Corrections' division of adults institutions. Westfield compared the case to that of convicted Milwaukee serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who was killed in 1994 by another inmate. "The reasons we move an inmate, and I'll use the Dahmer situation, is that there is a lot of media attention and it stirs a lot of emotion," Westfield said Friday. "Wisconsin is a state with a lot of deer hunters, and we have a lot of inmates who are deer hunters, and there are some racial concerns." During his trial, Vang, a Hmong immigrant, testified he shot in self-defense at the white hunters after they hurled profanities and racial slurs and took a shot at him. Two survivors testified no one pointed a gun at Vang. The shooting occurred on the second day of the 2004 deer hunting season after Vang trespassed in a tree stand on private land in Sawyer County. Vang, 37, of St. Paul, Minn., was sentenced Nov. 8 to six consecutive life prison terms with no chance for parole."



Bum rap in Vermont? "A teenager was charged with first-degree murder Monday in a weekend shooting death in Burlington's Old North End. Looking slight and saying nothing Skylar Underhill, 19, pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge. Police are continuing to build their case against Underhill, who they said shot and killed fellow partygoer Rhynell Lewis during an argument Friday night at an upstairs rear apartment on La Fountain Street. Detectives said they have recovered another piece of evidence from the neighborhood: the ammunition clip they believe Underhill tossed as he fled the scene of the shooting. Officers said when police arrested him nearby, he was still carrying the 45-caliber handgun. The defense is already raising possibility the shooting was self-defense, because two witnesses say the victim punched Underhill and threatened him before the shooting".

Maryland: Two killings test right of self-defense

Karen L. Foxx had sought court orders to keep her estranged husband away, had filed criminal assault charges against him and changed her phone number. She also bought a gun to protect herself, and last Saturday, her lawyer says, Foxx did just that when she fatally shot her husband.

Now the Randallstown woman awaits word on whether she will be charged with a crime - one of two recent cases in which the legal right to self-defense is under examination. The Randallstown shooting occurred two weeks after a 57-year-old gas station owner was attacked by three would-be robbers at the upscale Village of Cross Keys shopping center in North Baltimore, grabbed his own gun and fatally shot one of the assailants.

In such cases, the decision to file charges often hangs on whether prosecutors or grand jurors determine that the shooters reasonably believed that their lives were threatened before pulling the trigger, legal experts interviewed this week said. In a 2001 case involving two brothers who killed a man after lying in wait for burglars, a Baltimore County grand jury decided the shooting was justified, even though the intruders were unarmed. In a 2003 case, two businessmen were acquitted of murder charges after shooting a man who broke into their East Baltimore warehouse.

Given the police accounts of the two recent shootings, the experts interviewed say it's unlikely that either Foxx or the gas station owner, Mark A. Beckwith, will be charged. "I don't think a crime has occurred. I don't think it's even close," said Richard M. Karceski, a criminal defense attorney who represented one of two brothers cleared in the 2001 shooting of three unarmed intruders at the brothers' concrete plant in Glyndon. "Just because an unfortunate situation occurs and someone loses their life does not mean a crime has been committed."

Prosecutors in both cases say no decision has been made. A homicide can lead to a first-degree murder charge, to such lesser charges as second-degree murder or manslaughter, or to no charge. S. Ann Brobst, an assistant state's attorney in Baltimore County, said it could be "a while" before all the necessary witnesses are interviewed and documents are gathered to be presented to a grand jury.

Baltimore police have said that Beckwith had a permit for his gun and would probably not face criminal charges. Margaret T. Burns, a spokeswoman for the city state's attorney's office, said that prosecutors have not decided whether to charge Beckwith, present the case to a grand jury or rule the shooting a justified use of deadly force.

Both jurisdictions have seen high-profile cases in recent years of people claiming self-defense after the use of deadly force. In April 2001, a Baltimore County grand jury declined to indict Dominic "Tony" Geckle and Matthew Geckle, brothers in the shooting of three unarmed intruders at the Geckles' concrete plant. The brothers had armed themselves with shotguns and were spending the night in their warehouse after break-ins the two previous nights. One intruder was killed and two others were shot in the back.

Two years later, in January 2003, a Baltimore judge acquitted Harford County businessmen Kenny Der and Darrell R. Kifer of charges in the shooting of a drug addict who broke into their warehouse - and who, according to the defense, brandished a hammer and threatened to kill the men. Under Maryland law, a person may use deadly force to defend himself if he believes his life is in imminent danger, if that belief is reasonable and if he uses no more force than is "reasonably necessary." Legal experts said those issues will be at play in the cases of Foxx and Beckwith.

Baltimore County police said that Foxx, 35, called 911 last Saturday afternoon to report that she had just shot her estranged husband, 45-year-old Herman E. Bullock, in her Randallstown home - a two-story, end-of-row condominium to which officers had been dispatched numerous times on domestic calls. Foxx, an office secretary, told officers that her husband threatened her with an ax handle, police spokesman Bill Toohey said. Foxx shot him in the torso with a handgun, Toohey said. He said police did not know how many bullets struck Bullock

She filed criminal charges against Bullock in April 2003, telling police that he had scratched her, torn her shirt and punched her during an argument over her late work hours, court records show. Bullock was acquitted of second-degree assault in 2004.

Bullock's first wife also accused him of abusing her, filing for a protective order in October 1998 and for divorce six months later, pointing to "cruelty and excessively vicious conduct." During the ensuing custody battle, Bullock's first wife alleged that he had abused her in front of their children, dragged her down the stairs by her hair and abused their dog....

Beckwith, who lives in Bel Air and owns two Baltimore gas stations, pulled into the parking lot at Cross Keys the afternoon of March 17 to deposit several thousand dollars at his bank, defense attorney David E. Carey said. He apparently had been followed by three people intending to rob him, the lawyer said. "He got out of the car, stood up and, as is his practice when carrying a large amount of money, looked around," Carey said. Beckwith saw two assailants coming at him and tried to get back into his car, Carey said. The three men - one of whom had a gun, Beckwith told police - beat him and grabbed paper bags filled with money before Beckwith pulled a 9 mm Glock semiautomatic pistol from a shoulder holster, Carey said. Beckwith fired 16 shots at his assailants, police said, killing one man and wounding another.

Legal experts said Beckwith's case will likely depend on the statements of witnesses at the shopping center. "If this guy gets indicted on this case on those facts, there ain't no cows in Texas," Karceski said. "This is a case of perfect self-defense. If it were a slot machine, he'd have three cherries on this one because everything lines up."

Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association, said state laws should be recast to grant crime victims the unquestionable right to protect themselves with force. "When a crime occurs, it's between the victim and the criminal," he said. "Law enforcement cannot get there in time, very often. The politicians aren't there and the gun control lobby certainly isn't there. What victims of crime need is options - and they need the law on their side."

Source

HILARIOUS!

All I am going to put up today is the complete story of what an Australian justice system did about a serious criminal who was found in possession of an illegal handgun. Not only did he get zero jail time but they found it hard to decide whether they should take his gun off him or not!

A Hell's Angel bikie, a key figure in a bloody street shootout which left three rival gang members dead, has been given a suspended jail sentence after being caught with a loaded high-powered pistol. In the District Court on Monday, George Petropoulos, 40, was handed a five-month suspended sentence by Judge Andrea Simpson. He had pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing the 9mm semi-automatic Glock pistol, which was found concealed in the dashboard of the car he was driving. The maximum penalty for the offence is a seven-year jail term or a $35,000 fine.

The sentence has outraged rank-and-file officers involved in policing bikies. They believe their efforts are not being supported by the court system. "It's disappointing to say the least," a senior detective said. "What is the point of catching these guys with weapons like this if they are not going to be penalised? "This wasn't a .22 rifle � it was a damn Glock. And it's not the first time he's been charged with the same offence." The 9mm Glock pistol, which can hold up to 15 rounds in its magazine, is used extensively worldwide by the military and police, including SA's STAR Group.

The Major Crime Investigation Section case against Petropoulos and two other Hells Angels bikies over the murder of three Rebels members in Wright St, city, in October 1999 is still open. Petropoulos was charged with the latest offence after the Mazda RX7 he was driving was pulled over and searched by police on Bartels Rd in the city at 5am on May 3 last year. The Glock was found when a detective removed a panel in which a speaker was installed under the glovebox. The loaded handgun was wedged behind the dashboard bracing. Forensic tests revealed Petropoulos had been handling it, with his DNA found on the trigger and the guard.

His lawyer, David Edwardson, told the District Court in sentencing submissions last month Petropoulos was not aware the gun was hidden in the car until it was found by police. He said Petropoulos had lent the car to a friend, who also owned the gun, the day before. Mr Edwardson told the court Petropoulos had also handled the gun the same day.

Police records indicated the handgun was registered to a friend of Petropoulos � a Hells Angels associate member � but his licence for it had expired just over a year earlier. When police questioned the friend he told them he had handed the handgun in to police at the Netley station several months after his licence expired. "That was obviously wrong," Mr Edwardson told the court. [The police clowns did not know!] Shortly after Petropoulos was charged, police searched a Mercedes owned by the friend and found a 12mm handgun, silencer and ammunition in a black case under the front seat. The friend was fined $9301 in Whyalla Magistrates Court last August after being convicted of seven charges relating to the incident.

While prosecutor Jane Abbey did not oppose a suspended sentence for Petropoulos in his case, she did request the Glock pistol be forfeited. "Mr Petropoulos is a known member of a motorcycle club and so it's considered important that the order be made," Ms Abbey said. She said his membership of a motorcycle club was not relevant in sentencing, but relevant in the gun forfeiture. "What I say is it shows Your Honour something of the circumstances of which the gun would be in were it to be returned and not forfeited to the Crown," Ms Abbey said. Judge Simpson asked if the gun would be returned to Petropoulos's friend if it were not forfeited, to which Ms Abbey replied: "Yes." Judge Simpson asked Ms Abbey if she was suggesting the associate was also a gang member, to which Ms Abbey replied: "Yes, that they both are, yes."

Sentencing Petropoulos on Monday, Judge Simpson said he had a conviction recorded in June 1995 for the same offence, but "otherwise, you have no relevant prior criminal offending". "A sentence of imprisonment is the only penalty that is appropriate," she said. "I impose a sentence of five months in prison. But for your plea of guilty, it would have been a term of six months in prison." "Having regard to the fact that the one previous conviction for similar offending was recorded over 10 years ago . . . it is appropriate to suspend the sentence on your entering into a bond with a condition that you are of good behaviour, that is, you do not break the law for a period of 12 months . . ." Judge Simpson ordered the Glock be forfeited and Petropoulos be disqualified from holding a firearms licence for a year.

In October 1999, Petropoulos and fellow Hells Angels members Faoud "Fred" Chaptini and Peter John Threadgold were each charged with three counts of murder. The charges followed a shootout in Wright St in the city in which three members of the Rebels � Graham Nixon, 33, Sinibaldo Palombi, 35, and Hubert Weston, 32, were killed. Threadgold was arrested just hours after the October 8 shootings while Chaptini and Petropoulos fled. Arrest warrants for three counts of murder and two of attempted murder were subsequently taken out against them. Murder charges against the trio were dropped in Adelaide Magistrates Court in June 2000, after the case against them collapsed when members of the Rebels refused to give evidence.

Premier Mike Rann declined to comment, other than to say he would ask Attorney-General Michael Atkinson to get advice on the matter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

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BABES WITH BULLETS



Debbie Ferns didn't touch a gun until she was 45 years old, but since then, guns and shooting sports have become one of the focal points of her life. The Tucson, Ariz., native was at the Bass Pro Shops on Thursday night, speaking to about 25 area women about her love of shooting and how learning to shoot can give them more self-confidence. "I'm often asked if learning to shoot does anything for me personally in terms of self-defense, and I answer unequivocally, 'yes,'" Ferns said. "It very much empowered me to know that I can take care of myself. When the going gets tough, I know I can respond."

Ferns penned the "Babes with Bullets: Women Having Fun With Guns" book which features numerous testimonials from women who discovered a love for shooting in their 30s, 40s and 50s. She was in town last week participating in the 2006 Ladies Shooting Camp in Princeton under the direction of Kay Clark Miculek. The camp bills itself as a combination firearms training and pajama party. The Babes With Bullets camps offer practical pistol training for novice, intermediate and advanced shooters. Instruction is offered by three of the best women practical pistol shooters in the country.

Local outdoors woman Rose German attended the Thursday clinic in the Camo Department at Bass Pro. She was on the rifle team at Southwood High School "a few years ago." "I like to shoot for fun and I've shot a .410, .22 and 12 gauge," German said. "But I haven't done it a lot lately." German is active in the Women In The Outdoors Program of the National Wild Turkey Federation, which will hold a program at Bodcau Dam in June. "My dad likes to deer hunt and he always tried to get me to go," she said. "I went one time and sat in the woods freezing to death and didn't see a thing. I swore that I'd never go back."

Although Ferns makes a living as a corporate meeting planner and a special events producer, she spends a lot of time talking to women around the country about taking up shooting. "Women are very willing to be instructed and don't have the preconceived notions that men have," Ferns said. "That often allows them to learn quicker than men." She said she's amazed at how many divorced, widowed and single women in the Tucson area have become interested in shooting. "The biggest thing for them is overcoming their fear of going to a range and using a gun," Ferns said. "What they will probably find is that they will be welcomed with open arms."

Ferns encourages women who have begun shooting to invite their friends and family members to join them. "Don't hide what you do," she said. "These camps that we put on are like the beginning of a sisterhood and allows those attending to better understand what we do with guns." Ferns is scheduled to appear on a future Rush Limbaugh show and the radio host wants to discuss page 94 of her book, which talks about the meaning of PC. "To me, PC does not mean politically correct. It means please conform and I'm not buying that anymore," Ferns said. "Don't say or do anything that other people find disagreeable. I'm okay with people agreeing to disagree."

Ferns sometimes speaks to groups of anti-gun folks and discusses the second amendment with them. "I talked with one man in California who was very much against the use of automatic weapons," she said. "When we finished talking, he bought my book. I asked him if he wanted me to sign it and he said 'no.' Then he walked off. At least he bought my book."

Ferns said that getting a woman to go to a shooting event alone is difficult because "women like to go with other women." "Women wait to be invited and they like to do things in groups, even go to the bathroom," she told the Bass Pro attendees. "And there's a lot of growth for women in shooting sports. Women make up about 14 percent of the National Rifle Association membership but we make up a whole lot more of the population the last time I checked."

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Without exception: "Last week, I was searching through news headlines when I found another story about another state working for passage of a 'stand your ground' law (that's a law that says you aren't obligated to retreat before using deadly force if you believe that deadly force is warranted). While I thought the law was a good thing, when I passed along the news to others online I also pointed out (just a little tongue in cheek) that all of us already had one of those, no matter where we lived, and that it's called 'The Second Amendment.'"

GA: Man shot by police after break-in, two murders: "The violent end of the search for a man suspected of killing his newborn's mother and grandmother capped months of violence between the couple, police and neighbors said. Edward Jenkins III, 33, was shot to death by Clayton County police Tuesday in the parking lot of the police station. Police had been looking for Jenkins, saying he kicked in the door and shot the two women to death shortly after 2 p.m. at an Ellenwood home, Assistant Chief Jeff Turner said. Anasa Williams, 32, the mother of Jenkins' eight-day-old daughter, was shot multiple times. Williams' mother, Fredia Butler, 55 - who was visiting from Oakland, Calif. - was killed as she held the infant and talked to a 911 operator. "She dropped the baby right there," Turner said. "The baby is covered in blood but is OK." The woman's 11-year-old son ran from the house to a neighbor's and called 911, he said. Turner said Jenkins appeared in the police station about three hours later, with a blue-jean jacket draped over a gun and looking around nervously, then left. "Two of the officers recognized who he was and attempted to stop him, basically to talk to him about the double homicide," Turner said. "He fled from the building and walked out into the parking lot." The officers followed and "he turned around and fired several shots at the officers," Turner said. "The officers took cover and returned fire." Jenkins was taken to a hospital where he died, Turner said.


Defense of community, family, property: "Let us examine the issue more closely. What are the deeper underlying motives of those seeking to disarm their fellow citizens? What is their reasoning for desiring this? The most apparent motive and reasoning would have to be fear. Accepting this, one then has to ask what are they afraid of? Has the person, from which this fear emanates done something which would provide just cause for retribution by their fellow citizens? Does the way in which they normally conduct themselves, on a daily basis. Aggravate those with whom they come into contact? If that is the case, then how does their fear justify the disarming of other citizens? Leaving the others wide open to the whims of those who practice evil? Can that be considered as 'Just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty?' That argument doesn't make sense. Yet, it is the commonly accepted practice."


2nd annual TCF Combat Rifle Postal Match : "The 2nd TCF Combat Rifle Postal Match will be taking place in the month of April! This match will be dedicated to the memory of Mordechai Anielewicz and the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. For those of you not familiar with postal matches, the idea is that a bunch of people all shoot the same course of fire and then mail their targets to a single person for scoring. It allows us to hold a rifle match without needing to get everyone together at the same shooting range. For the privacy-minded, you may scan your targets and email them in rather than using a mail carrier. Everyone with a military-style rifle is encouraged to participate, regardless of skill level. ... Targets must be received by April 29th to be eligible for scoring."

Kansas bartender shoots strip club patron: "The man started by harassing the dancers at Baby Dolls, a north Wichita strip club. Then he started belittling staff members and the manager, who was tending bar. When he grabbed a beer bottle, threatened her with it and then swung at her with it, she shot him once in the chest with a gun she kept at the club for protection, Wichita police said. The shooting victim and his friend left the strip club shortly after midnight Wednesday, Lt. Jeff Easter said, and were driving to the hospital when they were pulled over on I-135 by a Park City police officer. The driver ran from the stopped car, and the shooting victim slid over to the driver's side and took off for the hospital. The 36-year-old man is in serious condition at Wesley Medical Center, but Easter said he is expected to recover. The bartender was taken downtown for questioning and then released. Detectives also interviewed several witnesses to the incident. "There is a self-defense issue here, and that is why she was not put in jail," Easter said. State law permits business owners who can lawfully own a gun to have one on the premises, he said. Authorities are still looking for the second man from the car."


TX: Shooting was justified, police say: "An Irving teen-ager accused of trying to rob a man at gunpoint Wednesday night was shot by the victim in a parking lot of an apartment complex, police said Thursday. The 16-year-old remained in intensive care in critical condition Thursday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, police said. The teen suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. The man was not injured, police said. Police declined to identify the man or the teen. No other injuries were reported in the shooting that occurred about 9 p.m. Wednesday in the 9400 block of E. Valley Ranch Parkway. The attempted holdup victim, a 45-year-old Irving man, told police that he was sitting in his pickup truck in the parking lot, talking on his cellphone, when the teen walked up. The teen � armed with a semi-automatic handgun � demanded the man�s cellphone and wallet, police said. The man told the teen he would give him his wallet and acted as though he was going to get it, but instead grabbed a larger caliber revolver that was lying on the seat, police said. As he pushed the teen�s gun away, the man shot the suspect, police said.... �At this point, we believe it was self-defense,� Irving police spokesman David Tull said. The teen is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Tull said. The shooting case will be turned over to a Dallas County grand jury for consideration, Tull said."

Idaho Self-defense rights bolstered in House vote: "The House voted 61-to-just-six on Tuesday in favor of a National Rifle Association-backed measure giving Idaho residents the right to defend their homes and businesses by whatever force is necessary, without fear of a lawsuit. The bill has already passed the Senate, and heads to Governor Dirk Kempthorne for his signature. The bill was modeled after a Florida law that makes residents immune from civil or criminal prosecution if they injure someone who breaks into their home. Senator Mel Richardson, the sponsor, has said the bill comes from the doctrine that "a man's home is his castle and he should be able to defend it." The NRA has been pushing this so-called "Castle" legislation in several states. According to the bill's text, "This in no way is intended to apply to if such force is used against law enforcement officers." That was added to win police agencies' support."


CO: No charges filed in shooting : "The Craig man who shot and killed an intruder at his home in Craig last week will not be charged with a crime, the district attorney announced Tuesday. Mario Cruz Vigil, 60, was shot March 26 at a house in the 800 block of Washington Street after police say he broke into the home, armed with a gun. The homeowner, Josh Jackson, 33, shot Vigil twice, once in the chest with a shotgun and once in the thigh with a .30-06-caliber rifle. An autopsy showed Vigil died from the thigh wound. District Attorney Bonnie Roe-sink said that after reviewing police reports, her office decided the incident was "a clear case of justifiable homicide." In a statement released Tuesday, Roesink said no charges would be filed in the case. "It's not only self-defense, it's under what we call the �make my day law,'" Roesink said, referring to the Colorado law that gives residents immunity if they kill intruders. Roesink said that in her 19 years at the District Attorney's Office, she has never dealt with a case that was such a clear example of self-defense. "This is a classic case of it," she said".