Wednesday, January 11, 2023

LA: Mother Shoots, Kills Career Criminal who was on Parole

HAMMOND - A convicted felon was shot to death after he forced his way into a house while armed with a shovel and lug wrench, deputies said.

According to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies found Robert Rheams, 51, dead at the home on Klein Road after responding to a reported home invasion early Sunday morning. Deputies later learned the victim was there with her two young children when Rheams got into the home.

 

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NJ: Homeowner Fires Shot at Intruder

Officials said the burglary suspect was looking for a key fob to steal a BMW parked in the resident's garage.

The terrified homeowner grabbed his handgun and fired a shot at the intruder. The bullet appeared to miss the suspect, but the thief jumped out of the same window he entered and got away in a vehicle waiting outside.

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Tuesday, January 10, 2023

AL: Domestic Defense in Murder-Suicide occurs at Home on Greenway Drive in Foley

He says several relatives were attending a family function at the home when Scott Blackwell’s behavior suddenly changed.

“He was armed with a weapon and it was more of a welfare check is what they were asking for. Within a few minutes the situation turned deadly,” Reid explained.

When deputies arrived they found Scott and his wife Cindy shot to death inside. “Mr. Blackwell ended up shooting and killing his wife and in turn a family member ended up shooting and killing him,” he said.

 

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Monday, January 09, 2023

Officials react to Coyote Infestation in Nahant Massachusetts

 Image by Joyce Hinds, 2017, facebook, as warning to cat owners near Boston

In 2022, the officials of Nahant, Massachusetts started noticing they had a coyote problem. The coyotes had become so disdainful of people they had snatched, killed and eaten three pets directly from leashes. Numerous other pets were killed and eaten. No one knows precisely how many.  From December 15, 2022,  abcnews.go.com:

Local officials said eight to 12 coyotes inhabit Nahant, a densely settled town of about 3,300 people on a peninsula about 15 miles north of Boston. The animals have killed pets, including three that were taken straight from leashes held by their owners, said Antonio Barletta, the town administrator.

Coyotes populations are on the rise all over the country. They are causing problems, killing pets and livestock and even attacking the occasional person, from California to Texas, to now Massachusetts.  Several coyote attacks against people prompted a program to drastically reduce the coyote population in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Nahant town officials decided they needed to reduce the coyote population. They decided to hire federal agents of he Department of Agriculture. From cbsnews.com:

NAHANT - The town of Nahant will become the first community in Massachusetts to bring in trained marksmen to shoot and kill habituated coyotes. Town officials voted Wednesday night to enter into an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture.

"We have risen to a level of public safety threat in the town," said resident Vivien Gere who lost her dog Snoopy to an aggressive coyote back in June. "I had him on a short leash and the coyote just took him off the leash and slaughtered him and ran off with him right in front of me."

(skip)

 Nahant is a densely populated, square mile peninsula where coyotes have multiplied and gotten used to humans. Officials say trapping has proven ineffective, and local law enforcement doesn't have the necessary training.

Trapping of coyotes, using traditional leg-hold traps, is very effective, given a skilled trapper. But Massachusetts banned the use of leg-hold traps in 1996. The ban was by initiative and passed with 54.7% of the vote. Massachusetts law prevents the hunting of the coyotes and trapping is only allowed by professionals. From necn.com:

But Tom O'Shea with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife says coyotes can't be hunted in Nahant and they can only be trapped by professionals.

Pet owners and animal lovers are upset at the widespread killing of their pets by animals who see the pets as just another food source. From extra.ie:

'It was heartbreaking,' she told the publication. 'He proceeded cruising down my street, carrying this cat in his mouth, and went in and out of people’s yards like he was trying to get back to his den.

Other animal lovers insist there is no reason to be alarmed.  From May 1, 2022 msn.com:

“I feel like why get upset?” Ford said. “Let them live. But a lot of people won’t agree with me on that.”

But Suzanne Walsh would.

“My feeling is, if we’re responsible pet owners and we’re aware and treat coyotes with respect, we’ll all get along fine,” she said.

Cleveland Amory lived in Nahant.  Amory was a famous and rabid "animal rights" promoter who pushed for the hunting of hunters.

Amory proposed, on air and during viewers' breakfast hour, the formation of a hunt club where human hunters would be tracked down and killed for sport, arguing that killing hunters in cold blood would be humane and kind owing to their overpopulation.

Estimated household income in Nahant is $103K with an average home value of over $500,000.

Opinion:

Officials believe there are eight to twelve coyotes on Nahant. That is one or two family groups. With an intense hunting and trapping campaign, the coyote problem could be eliminated until the next intrepid mated pair make it to the coyote heaven from the mainland.  The coyotes have plenty of water, no danger from humans, no natural predators, and plenty of food provided by the clueless humans, often in the form of pets.

There are about 470,000 carry permits in Massachusetts, out of a population of about 5.5 million adults. A permit holder might be hesitant to shoot a coyote in a densely populated area such as Nahant.

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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CA: Armed Homeowner Shoots man who attacked him with an Axe

Police in the northern part of California’s central valley say that an ax-wielding man was shot after allegedly attacking a property owner who has a concealed-carry permit.

In a Facebook post, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department says deputies received a call Tuesday evening of an assault taking place in the city of Dos Palos, California.

On the way to the scene of the incident, deputies were informed by dispatch that the victim was a legally permitted CCW holder who shot the adult male in self-defense.

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Sunday, January 08, 2023

Fl: Armed Citizens Hold Man who was Shooting at Bingo Paradise for Police

Deputies said they spoke with a witness who was inside the business calling out bingo numbers. The witness said he heard a commotion outside, at which time he turned around and saw Wilkerson pull a firearm from his pants and begin shooting. The witness said he told everyone in the building to get on the ground. According to the arrest report, two minutes later, Wilkerson came into the business and then two citizens pulled concealed weapons and held Wilkerson at gun point until deputies arrived.

During the investigation, other deputies on scene discovered “numerous” .380 caliber shell casings in the parking lot and near the front entrance to the business. Deputies said a firearm was located in the dumpster where Wilkerson said he threw the gun.


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Saturday, January 07, 2023

Judge in DC Claims "Lack of Standing" in Second Amendment Public Transportation Case

 


On June 30, 2022, four plaintiffs filed suit against the District of Columbia, claiming their right to bear arms, protected by the Second Amendment, are being violated by the District of Columbia's ban on the carry of concealed weapons on public transportation in the district. The case cites the previous cases of Heller, McDonald, Caetano, Wrenn, and Palmer. The crux of the argument presented, from the complaint, is this:

Under the Second Amendment, the District of Columbia retains the ability presumptively to regulate consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation the manner of carrying arms, including handguns, and may prohibit certain arms in narrowly defined sensitive places, and prohibit the carrying of arms that are not within the scope of Second Amendment’s protection,such as unusually dangerous arms, and disqualify specific, particularly dangerous individuals from carrying arms. See Bruen, slip. op.at 13;Heller,554 U.S. at 627;Wrenn, 864 F.3d at 662-63 & n. 5. However, when such regulations impinge on the ability of law-abiding persons to protect themselves and their loved ones, such laws are invalid unless supported by the text of the Second Amendment or by historical analogues existing at the time of the founding. Bruen, slip op. at 13.

On December 28, 2022, Federal Judge Randolf D. Moss, of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, has denied the plaintiffs in Angelo v. DC motion for a preliminary and permanent injunction on the District of Columbia's ban on the carry of concealed weapons on public transportation. His decision depends on the District of Columbia precedence that mere threat of prosecution is not sufficient to establish standing to sue in the District of Columbia. From the  opinion and order:

  As a result, even under the standard set forth in United Farm Workers, the Court is unpersuaded that Plaintiffs have shown that they face a “credible threat of prosecution” or civil fine. See 442 U.S. at 298 (“[P]ersons having no fears of state prosecution except those that are imaginary or speculative, are not to be accepted as appropriate plaintiffs.” (quoting Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 42 (1971))).

In sum, then, Plaintiffs have failed to allege that they satisfy the imminence requirement as articulated by the D.C. Circuit in Navegar and Seegars; have failed to persuade the Court that the D.C. Circuit’s precedents are no longer good law or do not control this case; and, indeed, have failed to offer any evidence regarding whether and how § 7-2509.07(a)(6) is enforced. Because “an inability to establish a substantial likelihood of standing requires denial of the motion for preliminary injunction,” Food & Water Watch, 808 F.3d at 913, the Court will deny Plaintiffs’ motion for temporary and permanent injunctive relief. 

In effect, Judge Moss is stating a plaintiff will need to be arrested for violating the District of Columbia's ban on carrying concealed weapons in order to challenge the ban. From law.cornell.edu/constitution:

Although the Court has been inconsistent, it has now settled upon the rule that, “at an irreducible minimum,” the constitutional requisites under Article III for the existence of standing are that the plaintiff must personally have:

1) suffered some actual or threatened injury;

2) that injury can fairly be traced to the challenged action of the defendant; and

3) that the injury is likely to be redressed by a favorable decision.

The plaintiffs in the case allege the threatened injury is clear and traceable to the DC ban on the concealed carry of  arms on public transportation.

It is unknown if the case will be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

 

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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NM: Man who Shot, Killed Oscar Trujillo, Acted in Self Defense.

CLOVIS, N.M. — A man who was seriously injured in a New Year’s Day shooting in Clovis has died, officials said. The Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office said the shooter, Ian Michael Downs, 30, of Littlefield, Texas, acted in self-defense.

 According to a press release Thursday evening, Downs was initially charged with Aggravated Battery and the charge was changed to Murder when the victim, Oscar Trujillo, 28, passed away. 

The DA’s office said law enforcement were able to collect video from doorbell cameras and other security cameras during the investigation. No camera captured the entire event, officials said, but investigators were able to confirm Downs’s side of the story after reviewing multiple videos.

 

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IA: Shooting in Grinnell was self-defense

Police in Grinnell say a shooting at an apartment complex was self-defense.

Grinnell police say Cody McCall and Logan Moline broke into the victim's apartment on Dec. 29 and attacked him.

Criminal complaints show McCall tried to stab the victim in the throat with a kitchen knife.

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MO: Intoxicated Intruder, Shot Killed in North St. Louis

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — The man shot to death this week at a north St. Louis County home was an intruder who was killed in self-defense by the homeowner, police said Wednesday.

The dead man was identified as Frank Campbell Jr., 43, of the 900 block of Pike Court in unincorporated St. Louis County.

Campbell’s family told the Post-Dispatch that Campbell apparently was intoxicated and wandered into the wrong apartment, thinking it was his, and was shot.


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Friday, January 06, 2023

TX: Homeowner Shoots Alleged Intruder, Suspect Intruder Arrested

BOSQUE COUNTY, Texas (KWTX) - William Strauser, of Valley Mills, was booked into the Bosque County Jail on charges of attempted burglary of a habitation, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass after Strauser was shot by a local homeowner, Sheriff Trace Hendricks said.

At approximately 6:50 p.m. on Jan. 3, Bosque County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call from a resident on County Road 3505 regarding an attempted burglary resulting in the homeowner shooting the alleged intruder.


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SC: Domestic Defense, Woman Shoot Man as He Drives Car

Detectives said Boyd was driving with a woman and physically and verbally assaulted her inside the moving vehicle.

Remien said the man then pulled a weapon on the woman.

"After Boyd threatened the victim, she acted in self-defense and shot the man inside the moving car," Remien said.

No other details about the shooting were released.

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Kevin McCarthy is Compromised Because of his Girlfriends/Mistresses

Kevin McCarthy and Family, Image from Republican Leadership

On the Russ Clark Radio Show, on Thursday Morning, at about 7:30 a.m., George Braun, Russ' Washington Correspondent, revealed why Kevin McCarthy is unsuited to be Speaker of the House.

Braun alleged it is an open secret inside the beltway, that McCarthy, who George has known for a long time, is a serial womanizer with multiple girlfriends/mistresses. George claimed McCarthy's wife, Judy McCarthy, in California, has had her silence purchased with a cushy Republican Party job to the tune of $300,000 a year. Emily Judy stays in California and plays the dutiful wife, while Kevin plays in the District of Columbia. McCarthy is one of the richest members of Congress, with a reported net worth of 95 million dollars.

It is not unusual for powerful, wealthy men to have multiple girlfriends/mistresses.  It is dangerous for them to be in positions of political power where their weakness can be leveraged by the Media and Deep State operatives.

What makes the allegations so toxic is infidelity was precisely the excuse used by Democrats against one of the most effective Republican Speakers of all time, Newt Gingrich.  

This gives a partial explanation of why Democrats and Deep State operatives are happy to have McCarthy as speaker. His numerous infidelities render him vulnerable to being compromised. Thus, He is potentially controllable. 

The New York Post reported it was an accusation of an affair with another House Member in 2015, which caused McCarthy to withdraw his bid for the House Speaker position. 

Kevin McCarthy runs as a devout Catholic. So did Nancy Pelosi. But Nancy Pelosi's hypocrisy in supporting abortions for all, without any limits, was protected from criticism by the dominant Progressive Media. 

Kevin McCarthy cannot count on Progressive Media allies to protect him from exposure and a strong political media campaign. He is a Republican. Thus, he is vulnerable, unlike Nancy Pelosi. This makes Kevin McCarthy unsuitable as Speaker of the House. He has too much baggage, rendering him subject to leftist and Deep State pressure. 

Infidelity is one of those issues to which the Democrats gleefully apply double standards. When it is a Democrat such as Bill Clinton, infidelity is a private affair, only about sex, which "everyone" lies about.

When it is a Republican such as Newt Gingrich, then infidelity is a serious matter, showing lack of character, for which the perpetrator should be stripped of office.

Opinion: 

This is how the Deep State/Progressives use the Media to control politicians and policy.  Previously, it was famously stated that a scandal is not a scandal until the Washington Post says it is a scandal. The Washington Post has lost tremendous credibility throughout the United States and the world. But, inside the Beltway, the post is emplematic of the ability of Progressives and the Deep State to decide what is a scandal, and what is not, by the old legacy media. 

 

©2023 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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Thursday, January 05, 2023

Open Carry of Firearms is Strong, Protected, Political, Symbolic Speech

 

 

The open carry of firearms is strong, protected, symbolic, political speech. It sends a clear, specific political message:

The power of government is limited by the Constitution.

The government is not allowed to disarm free people who are peaceable. 

Symbolic political speech is protected by the First Amendment. From mtsu.edu:

Symbolic speech consists of nonverbal, nonwritten forms of communication, such as flag burning, wearing arm bands, and burning of draft cards. It is generally protected by the First Amendment unless it causes a specific, direct threat to another individual or public order.

The simple wearing or carrying of firearms is not a direct threat to any individual or to public order. If it were, the open carry of firearms by police would be a direct threat to individuals or public order.

Pointing firearms at individual persons or even in their general direction, could be a direct threat. Holstered sidearms and slung rifles are not a direct threat.  They are an expression of political power and limited governmental power.

The Supreme Court has ruled symbolic political speech in can be limited, if very specific qualifications are met. The case was United States v. O'Brien. The qualifications are:

  • Any limitation has to be allowed by the Constitution.
  • The limitation must be necessary for an important government interest
  • The governmental interest is not related to the suppression of free speech
  •  The restriction is limited to the minimum necessary to meet the important government interest.

Open carry of firearms has been the most protected part of the right to bear arms. It is difficult to see an important government interest served by banning open carry, especially as part of demonstrations.

There are only four states which ban the open carry of firearms. They are California, New York, New Jersey, and Florida. This strongly implies there is no compelling government interest in banning the open carry of firearms.

California specifically banned the open carry of unloaded firearms, as well as loaded firearms. This strongly implies the purpose of the California ban was the suppression of strong, symbolic, political, free speech.

There is no right, in the United States, to be free from being offended or to be free from irrational fear. In an opinion piece in the Daily Montanan, there was what appears to be a case of projection. From opinion in the Daily Montanan:

Second Amendment supporters say they believe in the Constitution enough to exercise their rights by carrying a gun, but what happens when I believe in those same laws enough to trust law enforcement or believe in the peace of the country enough to be certain that there are few instances where I need a weapon?

A gun isn’t a sign of solidarity for the Second Amendment, instead it’s more of an affirmation of fear.

Who is showing they are afraid, the person who is open carrying or the person who is afraid of people who open carry?

It reminds of the joke, where a state trooper stops an older woman, and asks her if she has any weapons in her car.

She says, I have a 9mm pistol on my person.

The trooper asks: Do you have any other weapons?

She says, I have a .38 revolver in the glove box, a 12 gauge shotgun and an AR15 in the trunk of the car.

The trooper asks: what are you afraid of?

She says, absolutely nothing.

In Maryland, the editorial board of The Daily Record attempts to make the case that open carry of firearms terrorizes the population. They claim the ability to ban open carry comes from old English common law, which they mischaracterize.  The crux of the argument is: people fear the open carry of firearms, so open carry can be banned. From the dailyrecord.com:

Public safety and breach of the peace are not the same as physical
harm and injury. Public safety as well as preventing physical harm must also be a goal of modern gun regulation. Such a goal helps protect the constitutional order and provides a feeling of security to citizens within their communities.

Imagine speaking ill of certain politicians at rallies attended by their heavily armed supporters. The  government’s interest in regulating the ability to carry any weapon, in any manner and for any purpose is strong, and it is needed to protect against intimidation in addition to physical harm.

The editorial board does not see the irony of politicians, surrounded by armed government agents, as possibly intimidating, when those government agents have far more legal power and protections than armed citizens who open carry.

People who are terrorized by the open carry of firearms are a tiny minority. If it were otherwise, police would be required to conceal their duty weapons. The fear expressed is not for openly carried weapons. It is a fear of ordinary citizens having political power.

The open carry of firearms is strong, protected, political, symbolic speech. It is protected by the First Amendment as much as by the Second Amendment.

 

 ©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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Polar Bear Attack on Russians stopped with .30 caliber Handgun and Rifles

 Image from wikimedia naturepics online, 2010

On 28 August, 1990, three Russians were in the Svalbard Archipelago at Agardh, doing research for about a month. Agardh is about 80 miles northeast of Longyearbyen. There had been many visits by polar bears, and bears had stolen food from the food tents.  Because the bear problem was so bad, they were allowed to use the cabin "Nye Agardh". 

 


The incident was found in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by AmmoLand. The names of the people involved were redacted. The text appears to be a translation. Because of spelling and grammatical errors, and awkward wording, the account has been edited for readability. Fictitious names have been substituted for the redactions.  The incident is number 148 on the FOIA release.

The incident is a rare documentation of the use of a 7.62 mm (.30) caliber handgun in a defense against a polar bear. 7.62 mm rifles were also used. Unfortunately, the cartridge designations are not included in the FOIA release, only the caliber.

The two most common 7.62 caliber pistols in use in Russia are the 7.62x38R Nagant revolver cartridge and the 7.62x25 Tokarev pistol cartridge. It is possible a different 7.62 caliber pistol was used. Similarly, the most common 7.62 rifle cartridges in use in Russia are the 7.62x54R and the 7.62x39. Both are common military calibers in Russian service, but a different 7.62 cartridge could have been used. The incident involved a single boar polar bear.

Here is the incident, lightly edited:

Around 1PM Alek and Boris woke up from banging on the door. Alek got up and went to the door and discovered there was a polar bear outside. He had a signal flare in his hand. When he was about to open the door he heard the bear snorting and thought that the bear's head was at the same height as his. He  didn't dare to open the door. He didn't set off the signal flare. When the bear continued to hit the door, the two others got up. Alek accessed a 7.62 mm handgun and Boris and Igor each took a 7.62 mm rifle.

They had sausages, butter and other groceries in the hallway.  The bear was probably smelling this and trying to reach the food. The people thought if the bear broke through the door and into the cabin, the situation would become life-threatening. There would be very little time to aim and fire. The cabin was already crowded.

Considering the situation, Alek fired one shot through the door with the pistol. He fired upwards, so that the shot would go through the door at approximately head-height, angled upward. The bear continued to hit the door and Alek now fired a shot with the rifle. He was scared and shaken. He was convinced the bear was standing on two legs, and that its head would be at the height of the middle of the door. He thus fired through the door at that height, to hit the bear in the head/ neck region. He was scared for his life, and so were the others, this is why he tried to kill the bear.

Boris then opened the window on the other side of the cabin, stood in the window and looked over the roof. He then saw the bear was lying on the ground about 10m from the cabin. The bears eyes were open, and the bear was not dead. He could not see if the bear was injured. Alek then opened the door and fired one shot in the ground besides the bear. It then got up and started walking away. He could see that it was injured, there was blood on the left shoulder. The bear walked towards "Myklagard" and disappeared behind the hill. Alek, Boris and Igor went up on the hill and could then see the bear lying on the ground about 100m from "Myklagard".

--------------------------------------

Opinion:

As an official research expedition, it is likely the pistol was a 7.62 Tokarev and the rifle was a 7.62 x 54R Nagant. The Nagant bolt action rifles are common in Russia. They are similar in power to the .30-06 (7.62x63) or the .308 (7.62x51) cartridges and rifles. All three rifle calibers meet the energy requirements imposed by the Svalbard governor for protection against polar bears.  The 7.62x25 Tokarev pistol cartridge does not meet the Svalbard energy requirements for pistols, but it is a powerful pistol cartridge, known for penetration and breaking bones.  The military loading develops about 400 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. The 7.62x38R revolver cartridge is fairly common in Russia, but is far less powerful.  The military loading is said to develop about 250 foot-pounds at the muzzle.

A polar bear attempting to break into your dwelling is a deadly threat.

 

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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AL: Fatal Shooting in Triana was Self Defense

TRIANA, Ala. (WHNT) — The Madison County District Attorney (DA) has declined to prosecute the person accused in a fatal Triana shooting, according to authorities.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) confirmed with News 19 that the DA ruled the incident was in self-defense.

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FL: Homeowner in Lady Lake Shoots, Kills Ryan Michael Baldasare in Justifed Defense

A Lady Lake homeowner fatally shot an intruder during an apparent break-in.

Lake County sheriff’s deputies received a call at about 5:30 p.m. Monday about the shooting at a home on Lakeview Street, which is located off Rolling Acres Road, not far from the Rolling Acres Apartments.

The intruder, 34-year-old Ryan Michael Baldasare was pronounced dead at the scene.

Baldasare “forcefully” entered the home through a window and was confronted by the homeowner and shot, according to the sheriff’s office, which has declared this a case of self-defense. The homeowner is cooperating with detectives.


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Wednesday, January 04, 2023

President Teddy Roosevelt's Smith & Wesson #3 Sold at Auction for $910,625



Youtube video of Teddy Roosevelt's Smith & Wesson #3 going for a total of $910,625 ($775,000 before buyers premium) at Rock Island Auction Company on December 9, 2022. The buyers premium is fifteen percent.

Theodore Roosevelt is the president most associated with personal arms and with promoting that Americans should be armed and trained in the use of arms. He became the President after the assassination of President Mckinley, the youngest president in US history. He was an early adopter and user of silencers.

 


The Smith & Wesson #3 was clearly linked to President Theodore Roosevelt. From Rock Island Auction Company:

“Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most beloved and influential men in American history, and having documentation of the shipment makes this gun something incredibly extraordinary and valuable,” said Kevin Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company. “This is a crown jewel in fine arms collecting. Not only is it a rare chance to own a presidential firearm, but of a president who embodied the spirit of a nation. You don’t need to look further than Mt. Rushmore to understand his significance.

The Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 revolver is chambered in a .38 Long Colt, the U.S. service cartridge at the time, but scarcely seen in this particular model. Roosevelt’s revolver also has distinct combat target rear sights – both features indicating that this revolver was intended to be carried into the war against Spain. Roosevelt instead famously carried a Colt double action revolver that had been salvaged from the wreckage of the USS Maine battleship, allowing this revolver to remain in excellent condition.

Documentation shows that the revolver was purchased from the descendants of James E. Amos, the bodyguard and valet of President Theodore Roosevelt. Amos was very close to Roosevelt and was by his bedside shortly before he died. He received the revolver as a present from Roosevelt’s wife Edith, after the former president’s death. According to Amos, “…while president, he often went armed. I have in my home now a large revolver that Mr. Roosevelt placed at the side of his bed every night while in the White House. It was given to me by Mrs. Roosevelt after his death." 

The pristine condition of Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 revolver reflects the statement that the firearm served as a “nightstand gun.” The revolver would not have been used or exposed to natural elements, preserving its condition. 

Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC) has become the premier auction house for firearms in the world. This is not surprising, as the United States is the premier country for firearms in the world.

President of RIAC, Kevin Hogan believes collectible firearms are greatly undervalued in the United States, compared to other collectables. He cautions, however, that collectible firearms should be purchased to enjoyed, as profits from collectables are never certain.

Opinion:

Collectables are a way to hedge against inflation. With inflation roaring in the United States, smart money seeks ways to preserve value.  If the republic is preserved, ammunition can always be used for recreation. If hard times ensue, there may be more dire uses of the product.

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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WI: Victim Shoots Attacker, Attacker takes gun and Flees

TOWN OF ELDERON, Wis. (WAOW) — A 22-year-old man is dead after it is believed he followed a 79-year-old man home from a local establishment in an armed robbery and home invasion attempt early Tuesday morning in Elderon, according to the Marathon County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched at approximately 2:37 am to a residence in the Town of Elderon for a report of a man who was assaulted and stabbed in the face as he exited his vehicle in his garage, the Sheriff's Office said.

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FL: Another write up of Michael Roberts Justified Shooting o Andrew Karacsonyi

Michael Roberts, 63, has been cleared by the Florida State Attorney’s office for a shooting that occurred in January of 2022 outside of his home in Stuart, Fla. Roberts was assaulted by his neighbor in front of his home and shot Andrew Karacsonyi, 65, killing him. 

The two were embroiled in an ongoing dispute, which turned violent. The State Attorney’s office recently announced that they would be declining to file charges, as Roberts’ actions met the “reasonable person” standard and thus was excusable under Florida law.

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