Castle Doctrine Comes to Ohio

Tomorrow, September 9th, 2008, the state of Ohio will enact a version of the Castle Doctrine regarding firearms use in protecting life and home. The doctrine is based upon the belief that a person's home is a person's castle.

The law will state that a person using force against an intruder in the home or car is presumed to act in self-defense. Second Amendment advocates believe the law is "a long time coming."

Currently, if a criminal case comes from such an incident, the person who used force must prove it was self-defense.

Under the Castle Doctrine -- already in effect in several states and named for the centuries-old theory that a person must protect his or her property (or castle) -- it will be the prosecutors' job to prove it wasn't self-defense, which all admit is a much more difficult task.

"Right now, if someone breaks into your house tonight and waves a knife at you and you shoot them, you have to prove their intent," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a state gun rights advocacy group.

Although using deadly force to protect one's life and property is ages-old, a specific law is needed to prevent lawyers from prosecuting everyone who committed the act of self-preservation.

California man shoots intruder: "A Vacaville resident shot and killed a man who the resident said was burglarizing his home. The resident, who police did not identify and who lives alone on the 1200 block of Balsam Way, awoke to the sound of voices inside his home around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to a press release from the Vacaville Police Department. The resident armed himself with a handgun, confronted the alleged burglar and shot him "at least once" in the torso, according to police. The resident then called police. The Solano County Coroner has not yet released the name of the deceased and police described him only as an unidentified white male. Police found physical evidence at the home that they believe shows a second person was in the home when the shooting occurred. Police believe that person left the home through a bedroom window."


AL: Montgomery Police investigating shooting death: Montgomery police are investigating the Sunday night shooting death of an 18-year-old man. The incident occurred about 9 p.m. in the 600 block of North Bainbridge St., police reports said. The young man was shot once in the head, said Lt. Keith Barnett, a spokesman for the Montgomery police department. He wouldn't release the name of the victim. A person has been questioned in relation to the investigation, Barnett said. "From what we were told by witnesses at the scene, the victim may have been armed with a handgun, and might have been shooting at someone," he said. "We are treating it as a death investigation right now, because it may be a case of self-defense." Barnett wouldn't release the name of the person questioned, since no charges have been filed."


Black Pittsburgh: "After reaching a staggering high of 20 in the previous month, the number of homicides in August dropped to eight. However, all were Black males. As part of an ongoing effort to heighten awareness about the effects of murder in the Black community, the New Pittsburgh Courier will compile a list of homicides in the county each month. It is our hope that as the list of victims grows, so will a true understanding of how these lost lives affect the mental health, economic well-being and self-images of the region's Black neighborhoods. Out of the 78 murders, thus far in 2008-64 were Black and 57 were Black men."


Illinois counties pushing for concealed carry: "Counties within the state have gotten involved on pushing forward legislation that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons. "This is not a county board decision, it's a decision to support putting the question on the ballot and tell the General Assembly what to do," Jefferson County Chairman Ted Buck said. "Some county boards have also recommended putting the question on the Nov. 4 or the April 7 ballot advising the General Assembly for whether there should be [concealed] carry or not." Concealed carry is authorizing private citizens to carry a handgun, either on their person or in close proximity. According to Buck, the District of Columbia, Illinois and Wisconsin are the only places which do not have concealed carry. Wisconsin allows for open carry, and Illinois only allows open carry in rural areas subject to county restriction. The legislation which has prompted to move for counties to pass resolutions asking for the right for citizens to vote is House Bill 1304, which was introduced by Southern Illinois Representative John Bradley. The bill was introduced in February 2007, but has been mired down and re-referred to the Rules Committee numerous times and receive action deadline extensions on several occasions."

Obama believes in miracles

The ignoramus thinks he can come up with a law that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals! He mustn't know that the States have been legislating to achieve that for decades -- without success. How come he doesn't know that? Too busy writing multiple autobiographies about his non-achievements, I guess. He really is an empty vessel

Barack Obama wanted to talk about the economy Friday as he campaigned in Pennsylvania, especially in light of that morning's government report showing unemployment increasing to 6.1% in August. But at least one person wanted to talk instead about gun rights -- an issue Obama can't seem to avoid in the Keystone State. It was an issue that plagued him during the primaries because of his comment about "bitter" small-town Americans who "cling" to guns.

And campaigning Friday near Scranton, the Democrat was asked whether -- as some foes keep insisting -- he would take guns away if elected president. The Times' Noam Levey was on the scene at a factory in Duryea, and he reported that Obama fiercely denied any such intention, and then explained his position:

"Here's what I believe: that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right and it means something; that people have a right to bear arms." But Obama had some choice words for the National Rifle Assn., which plans to unleash a major ad campaign opposing him this fall: "Their general attitude is . . . if you even breathe the word gun control or gun safety, then you must want to take away everybody's guns. Well, that's just not true.

"But what we have to understand is that there are two realities about guns in this country. There's the reality of people who are lawfully and safely using guns for hunting and skeet shooting and protecting their families. And you've got illegal handguns being dumped in Philadelphia, in the hands of teenage gang-bangers and drug dealers who are wreaking havoc and killing people. And surely we can come up with a system that protects lawful gun owners but at the same time tries to do something about kids getting shot."

Many have thought so in the past. But so far, as Obama well knows, that's proved a challenge.

Source




Florida: Gunshot scares off burglar: "The Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on counts of Burglary Monday night. The incident took place just down the street from the burglar’s own home. Jimmy Miller was arrested at his residence on Blue Gill Drive, only a tenth of a mile away from the victim Bradley Hawthorne’s house, also on Blue Gill Drive. Hawthorne told police he heard his wife’s car door slam while standing on his porch, and then saw someone running towards the back of his property. He says he went inside his residence to get a gun and says when he came back out the intruder was coming toward him making threats. Hawthorne then fired one shot in the direction of the subject. Police arrested Miller after he was identified as the intruder. Bay County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jeremy Mathis says this was well within Hawthorne’s rights of protecting himself and his possessions, especially according to a relatively new law."


Texas Homeowner Fatally Shoots Intruder: "A home invasion on the city's east side Saturday ended in gunfire as the homeowner fatally shot the intruder, police said. According to police, the intruder broke in through a window, but he didn't make it far. The invasion and shooting happened Saturday at about 10 a.m. in the 1400 block of South Palmetto. Police said the intruder, a man in his early 30s, slipped in through the back window of the house. They said the homeowner had been sleeping inside but must have heard the intruder breaking in. "(The homeowner) woke up, grabbed a rifle, confronted the person (and) shot him inside the house," San Antonio Sgt. Steven Peterson said. "(It) looks like the person was able to get back out the window and collapsed in the back yard and died." No charges have been filed against the homeowner, police said, and officers at the home said based on the information they had, it looked like the homeowner acted in self-defense."


California: Homeowner routs burglars as bullets fly: "A homeowner who was awakened by burglars early Friday chased them away while firing his guns. Police surrounded the neighborhood in the 12000 block of San Timoteo Canyon Road and caught one of the burglars, but the other escaped, police said. About 1:30 a.m., the homeowner heard glass breaking in his home, the sound of voices and then saw a man looking through his property. He hid in the bathroom and called 9-1-1. Redlands police heard a struggle while the man was on the phone. When officers arrived, they discovered the man chased the burglars and fired several rounds from a handgun and shotgun he kept in the residence. Police said they arrested 42-year-old Timothy Hewitt of San Bernardino after finding him hiding in some nearby bushes. He had property in his possession that he had stolen from the home, police said. Officers booked him into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino on suspicion of burglary and violating parole."

ACLU very selective in upholding Bill of Rights

The American Civil Liberties Union says, "Majority power is limited by the Constitution's Bill of Rights, which consists of the original ten amendments ratified in 1791 ... The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees."

ACLU doesn't mean all of the original 10 amendments because its policy No. 47 says, "Except for lawful police and military purposes, the possession of weapons by individuals is not constitutionally protected," thereby ignoring the Second Amendment.

The U.S. Supreme Court disagrees and reaffirmed the law of the land in D.C. v. Heller, saying, "The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia." In blatant disregard of constitutional law, ACLU's new position is, "The ACLU interprets the Second Amendment as a collective (militia) right. Therefore, we disagree with the Supreme Court's decision in D.C. v. Heller."

Pardon me, but only an organization reeking with hypocrisy would claim to protect "the original ten amendments" but ignore the Supreme Court's decision that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms for self defense.

Americans who treasure all rights enumerated in the Constitution might consider ACLU's duplicity in rejecting the individual right to keep and bear arms, particularly when we receive letters soliciting ACLU membership or donations.

Source





Texas robber shoots and gets shot: "At 10:36 Sunday night, restaurant manager Katie Jeffreys left Catfish King with the night deposit after closing up. Her boyfriend, Keith Labrozzi, had come to pick her up and their next stop was the bank. But they never made it. A robber surprised them with gunfire in the parking lot. "Mr. Labrozzi had a concealed handgun permit and he was armed. He exchanged gunfire with the suspect. Mr. Labrozzi had several gunshot wounds and died a short time later at the hospital," says LT. David Young with the Lufkin Police. Young says Labrozzi fired at the suspect, 19-year-old Brian Martin Womack of Hudson, hitting him in the stomach. Katie Jeffreys was shot in the foot, but managed to crawl under her SUV and call 911 before trying to give her boyfriend CPR.... Womack dropped his gun before fleeing the scene, but he was found less than a block away after collapsing in a ditch near Ford Chapel Road. Womack is still in the hospital under 24-hour police surveillance. Once doctors release him, he will go straight to jail. He has been charged with the capital murder of Keith Labrozzi who leaves behind two young children."


Pa: Gun rights group protests arrest at Obama event: "A gun rights group is calling on Gov. Ed Rendell to "order a halt to unlawful police-state tactics at presidential campaign events" after a Beaver County man was arrested Friday for openly carrying a gun near where Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama later made an appearance. The group, OpenCarry.org, accused state police of suspending the right to bear arms in Beaver by arresting John Noble, 50, of Industry. State police said Noble would be charged with disorderly conduct for carrying a loaded, holstered and exposed 9 mm semiautomatic because he breached a secured perimeter of a presidential candidate rally, creating alarm and causing a breakdown in security. OpenCarry.org says Noble was not at the Obama event, did not attempt to enter the event area and broke no law."

Author faces a decade in prison for nonviolent firearms violations

Prolific writer Peter Manso, author of, among other books, biographies of Norman Mailer and Marlon Brando, has been indicted on a dozen firearms charges by a Massachusetts grand jury and faces years in prison. Did he brandish a gun in public? Threaten a neighbor with a drive-by shooting?

No, the guns were all stored, quite securely, in his locked and alarmed home. In fact, police discovered the weapons only when they responded to a burglar alarm while the writer was away. Either the guns were in plain view -- evidence that Manso expected no legal trouble for their possession -- or else, as Manso's attorney alleges, "Truro police searched Manso's house illegally while responding to the alarm." (The Times of London reports they were "in a cupboard.") The mindboggling criminal charges for mere possession of inanimate objects are reported by the Boston Globe as follows:

Manso was indicted on charges of illegally possessing a large capacity weapon (a Colt AR-15 assault rifle), four counts of illegally possessing loading devices for that weapon, three counts of illegally possessing firearms, one count of illegally possessing ammunition, and three counts of improperly storing a firearm, according to a spokeswoman for Plymouth prosecutors.

The most serious charge, illegally possessing the assault rifle, carries a minimum sentence of 2 1/2 years in prison and a maximum of 10 years in prison. No date has been set for Manso's next court hearing.

The main problem seems to be that Manso's Firearms Identification Card expired after the passage of new legislation in 1998 -- previously, FIDs lasted a lifetime; now they expire every six years. The new law has caused endless problems in the Bay State, since authorities have not been very effective about informing gun owners of the change. As the Globe reports, "In July 2002, a State House committee found that thousands of Massachusetts residents were probably unaware that they needed to renew fire identification cards."

The "assault rifle" is a separate issue, since that's just outright illegal in Massachusetts. Still, Manso is in good company in its possession. In Can Gun Control Work?, James B. Jacobs, Director of the Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University, reported that Boston's assault weapons ban has enjoyed a rousing compliance rate of about 1%. Challenged by a law that seems purely arbitrary and unnecessarily restrictive (banned assault weapons are mechanically indistinguishable from many perfectly legal firearms), large numbers of Americans simply shrug their shoulders and symbolically tell legislators to go fish.

Of course, heavy-handed law enforcement is nothing new to Massachusetts. When I went to college there in the 1980s (Clark University in Worcester, if you must know), the string of ominous billboards along the highway as you crossed the border was a running joke: Speed Limit Strictly Enforced, Possession and Use of Radar Detectors Illegal, Gun Laws Strictly Enforced ... "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here" would have been a fitting final warning, followed by a roadblock and a vigorous strip-search.

But a potential decade in prison for merely possessing a mechanical device is more than a joke: it's a deprivation of a man's freedom for doing nothing that caused any harm to people or property.

Manso claims that he's been maliciously targeted by the police because of his controversial work on a new book that casts a skeptical look at the work of local authorities in investigating the murder of a writer named Christa Worthington. I don't know whether there's any truth to his claim, but the sort of technical charges he faces lend themselves to such abuse. The more intricate and technical the law becomes, the harder it is to understand, respect and abide by. It's irresistably tempting for many people to ignore the law's sillier restrictions, and all too easy to unwittingly fall behind in paperwork -- at the cost of years behind bars if a local official wants to be by-the-book about such things. And, of course, offending local officials then comes to carry a hefty penalty in terms of selective enforcement of arcane law.

Strictly speaking, the recent Heller decision should have made these charges impossible. By finally recognizing that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms, the Supreme Court ostensibly put the right to bear arms on the same footing as the right to free speech -- and you can't require people to get a license to speak their minds, nor can you ban high-capacity printing presses. But we're still exploring the full implications of that decision, and Heller was worded loosely enough that it may permit restrictions of the sort that we would never permit to be applied to any other individual right.

So Peter Manso faces a potential life sentence (he's 67) for doing no harm to anybody by violating laws that few respect and even fewer understand and thereby making himself vulnerable to officials who may be out to get him. In a free country, that's not how the law is supposed to work.

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OH: Teen's death self-defense: "Judge John West on Thursday found Antonio Robinson, 32, of Northside, not guilty of murder in the fatal shooting of Logan Mathews, a 7th grader at Gilbert A. Dater High School. Robinson, a security guard at a federal government building, was accused of killing Logan in a car parked in Northside during a drug deal on Jan. 28, 2006. He then drove the car to his mother's Mount Airy home, where she gave him a ride to the hospital in her minivan, according to prosecutors. In the meantime, a relative of Robinson's hid the car behind the home, Logan still slumped over the console. Robinson alerted authorities that a teenager had been shot, sending detectives to his mother's home. There, police found marijuana in the car, along with a bloody $20 bill, said Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Mark Piepmeier. Logan had two guns, one with the serial number filed off, Piepmeier said. Robinson told police several stories about what happened, leading to his being charged. "He never would have been charged if he just told the truth," said Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Megan Shanahan. Shanahan said prosecutors suspect Logan told Robinson he wanted to buy marijuana, but once they were in the car Logan pulled out a gun and tried to rob Robinson. Robinson then hit Logan with his gun, prompting Logan to shoot Robinson and Robinson to shoot back, his shots killing the boy, Shanahan said."


Tennessee home invader killed: "West Precinct detectives continue to investigating Sunday morning's shooting death of Michael Antwan Wilson inside a home on Mercomatic Drive as a likely justifiable homicide. The investigation to this point shows that Wilson, 24, who was armed with a pistol, kicked in the front door of the residence in what detectives believe was part of a robbery plan. Homeowner Jeffrey Ham, 42, retrieved a gun and exchanged shots with Wilson. Wilson was fatally wounded and died at the scene."


FL: Armed nutcase Shot Dead: Pembroke Pines Police say they were forced to fire on a man who pulled a gun on them in a apartment complex. The incident happened Tuesday around 2 p.m. when the man, whom police identified as Alejandro Figueroa, 37, of Dania Beach, reportedly shot at two vehicles and then fled to the Archstone Harbour Cove apartments. No one was injured inside the cars. Police say when officers caught up to Figueroa, he barricaded himself in an apartment. After several minutes he emerged and reportedly drew his gun on the officers who fired in self defense, killing him. Firefighter Milton Parris was on his way to pick up his daughter from school when the suspect tried to flag him down. "As I passed him, he was cursing saying stop the car so I didn't," said Parris. "As I passed him I looked in the side view mirror and I realize he's shooting at me." Parris said the man fired at his SUV; at his vehicle's tires and the rear of his car. "He looked deranged," Parris said. "He had something on his mind. He had the look of death." Witnesses said the shooter also took aim at a couple; their car bore the scar from a bullet. No one was injured."

South Carolina: Home Invader Shot Twice: "Greenville County deputies said they are investigating a home invasion that ended with an exchange of gunfire between the resident of the home and the burglar. The break-in happened at 669 Rutherford Road at the Magnolia Place Apartments just before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators said someone forced their way into one of the apartments. They said once the burglar was inside, the resident of the apartment opened fire, hitting the burglar twice. The burglar also opened fire, they said. The intruder was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital to be treated for his injuries. The resident was not injured. Neither the name of the victim nor the injured person was released."


Texas: 2 intruders shot, 1 killed: "Police say a homeowner wrested a shotgun from an intruder and shot him and a fellow intruder in his suburban Fort Worth home. One of the men died of his wound in the shooting early Wednesday in Blue Mound, while the other is hospitalized in Fort Worth. Keith and Kellie Hoehn (HAYN) tell police the intruders kicked in their front door and pointed a shotgun at Mrs. Hoehn's head. She brushed the barrel aside, and a struggle ensued. The husband disarmed the armed intruder and shot both. Investigators say the homeowner is unlikely be charged. They say he shot the men out of concern for his sleeping children. Police say they believe the intruders had broken into the garage of another house nearby earlier in the night."


LA: Police settle open carry lawsuit: "Mark Marchiafava says he's earned the right to wear his .357-caliber Magnum pistol in a hip holster in Gonzales. And, he says at a local mall, city residents paid him to demonstrate that right. 'I wish the taxpayers of Gonzales knew just how much money it is,' the 55-year-old Marchiafava adds. In January 2006, the longtime Baton Rouge resident was at the same mall, wearing the same pistol, when a Gonzales police officer asked him why he was carrying a gun. Marchiafava says he told the officer that non-felons can legally carry firearms that are not concealed. That exchange led to Marchiafava's arrest on a count of illegal carrying of a weapon. ... But the case later was dismissed, and Marchiafava's bond and weapon were returned to him. Marchiafava didn't let the dispute fade away. He sued for violation of his constitutional right to bear arms. The city recently settled the case by paying Marchiafava an undisclosed amount of money."


Just sometimes there are better things than guns: "A 22-year-old suspected truck burglar made a dirty mistake after he tried to hide inside a portable toilet on Saturday. Tampa police said the man broke into two pickup trucks at a parking lot and the owner of the second truck fought the suspect and chased him to a nearby construction site. The suspect tried to hide in the Port-O-Let, but the victim found him and turned it over, covering him in huge amounts of human waste. The man was been charged with auto burglary and possession of burglary tools."

Indiana: Man Holds Would-Be Robber At Gunpoint: "A Muncie man whose home was burglarized Monday held a would-be robber at gunpoint after waiting in the dark for two hours to see if the burglars would return, police said. Michael Angel returned home Monday evening to find his back door open and several items missing from his home, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported. Angel said he wanted to see if the burglars would come back, so he sat in a back room in the dark with his gun. After two hours, Angel said he saw a pickup truck that matched his neighbors' pull up to the back of the house. "I heard the guy enter the house and he was shuffling through stuff in my room," he said. Angel said he walked down the hall with his rifle, cocked the gun and turned on the light. "I started screaming at him and he dove onto the ground," he said. "I didn't want to shoot anybody, but I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if the guy had a gun or not." Angel said he called 911 and held the man -- later identified as Michael Boykin, 50 -- at gunpoint until police arrived. Boykin was arrested and preliminarily charged with burglary. Police said he has a lengthy criminal history, including a previous burglary conviction and several other theft arrests. Police are investigating if he may be connected to several other break-ins in the area."


Virginia: Robbery thwarted by pharmacist with gun: "The Henry County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man who attempted to rob Harder’s Pharmacy in Bassett on Saturday morning. A white male, with his face partially covered, entered the store on Fairystone Park Highway at about 10 a.m. and demanded that the pharmacist give him all the OxyContin and pain pills in the store, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. The pharmacist pulled a handgun and the would-be robber ran out of the store and got into the passenger seat of a vehicle parked across the street, authorities said."


North Carolina: Would-be Burglar Killed: "Police are investigating a shooting that happened Tuesday afternoon in northwest Charlotte. Reports suggest a man came home to find Timothy Michael Quinn inside his house. Police say Quinn broke into the home through a side door. The homeowner confronted Quinn, telling him to get on the floor. He told police Quinn came towards him instead. That's when the homeowner shot Quinn at least one time with a handgun. Police say the homeowner called 911 and voluntarily accompanied CMPD officers to Police Headquarters for an interview. So far, no charges have been filed."

PA: Shooter claims self-defense: "An 83-year-old Penn Hills man said he shot his stepson dead to protect himself and other family members, according to court documents. Allegheny County police charged John A. Latimer with homicide in the shooting of his stepson about 11:20 p.m. Friday at a house in the 100 block of Lisa Drive, where the two lived with two other relatives. The stepson, Roy C. Wright, 62, died at the scene, officials said. Latimer told police that a family argument escalated into Wright threatening to kill the three other occupants of the house... Wright started threatening everyone in the house. Latimer went to his upstairs bedroom to get his .32-caliber revolver and returned downstairs. Wright had started going upstairs but turned around and came toward Latimer, threatening him and the others, Latimer told police. Wright said, "You better shoot me or I'm gonna kill you," according to Latimer's account to police."


TX: Man Questioned In Brother's Shooting: "A 20-year-old man was shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex on the city's south side late Wednesday. Police said the shooter was the man's brother, but charges may not be filed against the sibling since the shooting appeared to be in self-defense. The victim told police that he was sitting in the parking lot of the New South Point Apartments in the 5500 block of South New Braunfels around 11:30 p.m. when two men opened fire on him from a far distance. The man was hit in the upper chest and was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in good condition. But during the investigation, police discovered that an older brother of the victim tried to kick his sibling out of the apartment they shared, and that's when the victim pointed a gun at him. The older brother then shot his sibling. Detectives are sorting out the men's stories and evidence to determine if charges, if any, will be filed."


SC: Drunk shot in self-defense: "Tenth Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams has issued her final ruling in a shooting that left 25-year-old Jon Limbert of Bluffton, S.C., dead. Though a news release, Adams said she has ruled that Limbert was shot in self-defense. Toxicology results from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division showed that Limbert's blood alcohol level was at an "impairing level" at the time he was shot. Witness statements and evidence at the scene also show that he was armed with a knife when he was shot twice, which left him dead at the scene. According to reports, Limbert was shot twice with two different pistols at 423 Williford Road in Starr on Oct. 29, 2007. There were six other people at the residence at the time of the shooting. He reportedly was shot after drinking during a hunting trip and a fight with the homeowner. Since her son's death, Evva Anderson of Bluffton has argued that her son could not have been a threat to anyone. Limbert suffered a traumatic brain injury 10 years ago and had paralysis on his left side. But the injury to his brain caused recurring problems, including a string of traffic crimes, including driving under the influence between 2000 and 2006. In information released earlier by the Anderson County Coroner's Office, Limbert's blood alcohol content was .542 percent at the time of his death. That is almost seven times the legal limit of .08 percent in South Carolina."


GA: Teen pleads guilty to 2007 home invasion : "An Augusta teenager who participated in a home invasion that left him and his partner and a homeowner with gunshot wounds pleaded guilty Thursday. Montrelle L. Teasley, 17, pleaded guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to all charges filed for the Nov. 16 assault on a Tate Road couple and their baby. Judge Carl C. Brown Jr. accepted the plea negotiation for a 20-year prison sentence. The judge also sentenced Mr. Teasley to serve 10 years on probation when he completes the prison term. Accomplice Marcus Turner, 23, was convicted at trial and sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years earlier this year." [Previous report here]

Maryland garage owner fatally shoots would-be robber: "Baltimore police say the owner of an auto repair shop fatally shot a man trying to rob his business. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday at Joe's Garage in northwest Baltimore. Police spokesman Sterling Clifford says this was the second time that owner Joseph Goldman has shot someone trying to rob his business, but he did not have further details about the first shooting. In Friday's incident, police say two men entered the business and displayed a handgun, but Goldman grabbed his own gun and fired at the men, hitting one. The injured man was taken to Sinai Hospital where police say he was pronounced dead. Police did not release that man's name. The second man fled and police are still looking for him."


Indiana: 2 robbers flee, 1 finds a fight: "A homeowner and his son fought off a robber Wednesday night during an attempted home invasion in southern Allen County. Police from several local agencies flocked to the Pheasant Run housing addition south of Dunkelberg Road after an officer who responded to the robbery reported hearing shots fired and that an officer was in trouble. Police later learned that no one was shot and the officer was OK, police said. Several people, including teenagers, were home when three men tried to enter the home. Two of the robbers fled, leaving one behind. The homeowner and his teenage son wrestled with the man and at some point the homeowner was hit in the head with an unknown object, police said. The homeowner suffered a cut to his head and was treated and released. No one else was hurt, Fries said. When police arrived, the remaining robber ran and the officer began to chase him. That’s when a neighbor thought he’d help and fired a shot toward the suspect, Fries said. Police dogs were used to try and track the three robbers but none had been found by midnight. It was unclear whether they were armed, Fries said."


Texas Man Shoots, Kills Neighbor's Dogs: "A North Texas family is mourning the loss of two of their pets. The nine-month-old pit bulls were shot and killed by a neighbor who says it was self defense. The shooting happened in a neighborhood off Ten Mile Bridge Road in northwest Fort Worth. The man who pulled the trigger says he didn't have any choice. But the dogs' owners disagree. Kristopher Harrison has a six-year-old daughter. He says that's why he was upset when two pit bulls wandered into his backyard Saturday afternoon. Harrison says he told his next door neighbors, if it happened again, he would shoot the dogs. And that's exactly what he did around 4 a.m. Sunday morning. Harrison says he and a friend were taking a break from watching the Olympics when the nine-month-old dog named 'Scarface' crawled under the fence. Harrison had his shotgun with him, so he says he shot the dog and the dog's sister, 'Lady'. "He was showing his teeth, growling and he was coming at me," Harrison explained. "The second dog, I didn't know. I didn't think I was going to have to shoot him, because he seemed a little hesitant. But then he looked at the hole in the fence. I thought he was going to go back under, then he turned around and started coming at me and that's when I shot him." Fort Worth Police are reviewing the case, but they say if the dogs were in the neighbor's yard when they were shot it's unlikely that any charges will be filed."


SC father/son shooting ruled self-defense: "Charges will not be filed against a Belton father who fatally shot his 26-year-old son earlier this year. Tenth Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams said witness statements and evidence show that 53-year-old Daniel Bratcher shot his son, Bryan Bratcher, in self-defense. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division test results show that Bryan Bratcher’s blood-alcohol level was .228 percent, a news release from Adams said. In earlier reports in the Independent-Mail, officials indicated that Bratcher’s blood-alcohol level was .18 percent. Bratcher was shot on April 21, after he reportedly came home from work and became combative with his family. Reports stated that Daniel Bratcher tried to shoot his son once, aiming the gun low in an attempt to stop him but not kill him. Then Bryan Bratcher started choking his father, reports stated, and his father fired another shot. That one was fatal. “The forensic evidence, along with the autopsy results were consistent with witness statements,” Adams said in her release."

Obama's slippery stand on guns

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign just won't let the gun issue rest. Mr. Obama and his campaign surrogates continue to assure gun owners that he is on their side, and it appears to be paying off. John McCain only leads Mr. Obama among hunters by 14 percentage points, just about half the 27-point lead that President Bush held over John Kerry in 2004. If Mr. McCain had a similar lead, he would be ahead in most polls, particularly in many battle ground states. Yet, despite all the Democratic claims to the contrary, Mr. Obama is undoubtedly the most anti-gun candidate ever nominated by a major party for president.

A couple of weeks ago, Brian Schweitzer, Montana Democratic governor, told national reporters that Mr. Obama "Ain't ever going to take your gun away." An Obama adviser, Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig, said recently on Hugh Hewitt's national radio show that "I think that he has always been an individual rights person on the Second Amendment." Another advisor, Professor Cass Sunstein at Harvard, told Time Magazine in June: "Obama has always expressed a belief that the Second Amendment guarantees a private right to bear arms." The list goes on.

The day the Supreme Court struck down Washington, D.C.'s gun ban, Mr. Obama claimed the court's decision merely ratified his own position. He told Fox News he had "said consistently that I believe that the Second Amendment is an individual right, and that was the essential decision that the Supreme Court came down on." So, has Mr. Obama consistently supported individuals' rights to own guns and opposed the D.C. handgun ban? Last November, Mr. Obama's campaign told the Chicago Tribune that "Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional." After the Illinois senator's statement supporting the Supreme Court striking down the ban, the campaign quickly disowned the Chicago Tribune quote as a staffer's "inartful attempt" to characterize his position.

Yet, Mr. Obama personally voiced support for the D.C. ban at other times. In February, he did this himself, not something that he could blame on a staffer. ABC New's local Washington, D.C. anchor, Leon Harris, asked Mr. Obama: "One other issue that's of great importance here in the district as well is gun control ... but you support the D.C. handgun ban." Mr. Obama's simple response: "Right." When Mr. Harris said "And you've said that it's constitutional," Mr. Obama again says "right" and is clearly seen on tape nodding his head "yes."

But this is not new. Mr. Obama has a long history of supporting city gun bans. The Associated Press described his 2004 vote on a gun control bill: "He also opposed letting people use a self-defense argument if charged with violating local handgun bans by using weapons in their homes. The bill was a reaction to a Chicago-area man who, after shooting an intruder, was charged with a handgun violation."

A candidate questionnaire shows that Mr. Obama supported a ban on handguns in 1996. In 1998, he backed a ban on the sale of all semiautomatic guns (a ban that would encompass the vast majority of guns sold in the U.S.) In 2004, he advocated banning gun sales within five miles of a school or park (essentially a ban on all guns sold in almost all the states). Possibly, even more importantly, he served on the board of the Joyce Foundation, probably the largest private funder of anti-gun and pro-ban groups and research in the country.

The Obama campaign "flatly denied" the 1996 statement supporting a ban on handguns, blaming it instead on a staffer from his state senate race who they said had incorrectly filled out the candidate questionnaire. But the Politico obtained a copy of the statement and found Mr. Obama's own handwritten notes on it indicating that he had personally checked and corrected answers.

His newfound support for gun ownership raises serious questions; not only where he stands on the gun issue, but also how trustworthy he is. With new legal cases being filed against Chicago's gun ban over the last couple of weeks, will some reporter finally ask Mr. Obama why he has not only never spoken out against Chicago's ban, he actively supported it? The release of the new Democratic National Platform's discussion of "what [gun control] works in Chicago" implies Mr. Obama still supports Chicago's gun ban. The platform also wants to take away so-called "assault weapons." Also unclear is what his position means for who he would nominate to the Supreme Court. Mr. Obama's recent comments to Rick Warren, pastor of the evangelical Saddleback Church, showed he opposed nominating those members of the Supreme Court who voted that the Second Amendment is an individual right.

Mr. Obama doesn't even admit that he has changed his position on guns. In a July interview on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," the senator admitted that there has been a "shift in emphasis" on various issues, but on guns he held firm: "There wasn't a shift there." Mr. Obama's campaign can ill afford the opposition that gun owners showed toward John Kerry. Yet, when did Mr. Kerry ever support a ban on handguns or all semi-automatic guns?

Source






Sarah Palin, a moose-hunting, lifetime NRA member guns for D.C.: "Like many Alaskans, Gov. Sarah Palin is a lifelong hunter and strong proponent of Second Amendment rights. A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, she told USA Today when she was running for governor as a Republican in 2006 that "We hunt as much as we can, and I'm proud to say our freezer is full of wild game we harvested here in Alaska." Her own parents had just returned from hunting caribou when they learned that she had been tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate. Most Alaskans wouldn't bat an eye at such a lifestyle. (Palin's favorite food? "Moose stew after a day of snowmachining," she told Vogue.) .... Palin publicly applauded the Supreme Court's recent 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller that struck down the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns. Obama hedged, stating that he "always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures." His supporters describe Obama's stance on guns as nuanced; opponents call it deliberately vague. Eugene Volokh, a legal commentator and UCLA law professor, described Palin's stance as "very mainstream, while Obama has been cagier."


Wyoming loses gun rights case in federal court : "A federal appeals court in Denver has ruled against Wyoming in a lawsuit over a state law that seeks to allow people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to regain their gun rights. A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled that the procedure spelled out in Wyoming law fails to expunge the criminal record of people convicted of domestic violence. The ruling is a victory for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The agency had informed Wyoming that if it persisted in using the state law, that the federal government would no longer accept Wyoming concealed weapons permits as a substitute for instant background checks for gun purchases."


CA: Road rage defense: "The family of a San Diego policeman charged in the off-duty shooting of a woman and her 8-year-old son said Friday the officer and his wife were victims of road rage and called on authorities to drop the charges against him. White's wife, Jacquellyn -- herself a police dispatcher with the Carlsbad Police Department -- was with her husband when the traffic dispute and shooting took place. Speaking publicly for the first time, Jacquellyn White's two sisters and father told reporters they kept quiet because they thought justice would be served and were sure Rachel Silva would be found to be the aggressor and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.... She said Frank and Jacquellyn White were on their way to the grocery store when they were confronted by the 27-year-old allegedly drunken woman. Buckingham said the couple had reason to fear for their lives because Silva, according to the Oceanside police account of events of that night, cut off their car, chased them into a parking lot, screamed and cursed at them, revved her engine, "squealed" her tires, threatened them with her car and ultimately rammed into them. His family contends White identified himself as a police officer and ordered Silva to stop, to no avail, leaving him with no other choice than firing his gun in self-defense to protect himself and his wife. According to Buckingham, White didn't know Silva's son was in the car when he fired his weapon. The family suggested that District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis filed criminal charges against White for political reasons, in the wake of the public outcry over the shooting of Chargers linebacker Steve Foley by an off-duty Coronado police officer."

FL: girlfriend of car owner shoots thief: " A car owner, angry that his car was being burglarized for the second time in a month, confronted three men overnight outside a northwest Miami-Dade home. Danny Llerena got into a confrontation with the three burglars around 1:30 a.m. after he said he caught them taking stereo equipment out of his Dodge Charger. Llerena's girlfriend came outside with a gun to back him up. The owner of the home at on NW 172nd Terrace, Iliana Lopez, said, "When they came out they said they had a gun, they were firing, his girlfriend came out and started firing back." The girlfriend had run back inside the home to get her gun, which she has a concealed permit to carry. She rushed back to Llerena's defense, shooting and critically injuring one of the burglars. Police say that's when the three suspects jumped into their getaway car and drove away. Police say the getaway car was stolen in Opa-locka. An alert Miami-Dade officer spotted the car and pulled them over at 183rd and 47th avenue. Two suspects were arrested and the injured suspect was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police say charges are pending against the three burglars. Police said the woman, who acted in self-defense, is not likely to face any charge.


Seattle detective charged in South Dakota biker shooting: "A grand jury indicted a Seattle police detective and a Hells Angels member whom the detective shot and wounded in a bar fight at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. The detective, Ron Smith, 43, was charged with aggravated assault, perjury and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. The Hells Angel, Joseph McGuire, 33, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was charged with aggravated assault, the Meade County state's attorney reported Thursday. The shooting happened about 1 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Loud American Roadhouse, a crowded bar in Sturgis. The detective, a member of the Iron Pigs motorcycle club, said several Hells Angels jumped him and that he fired in self-defense after being beaten. The South Dakota grand jury met Wednesday to hear from 10 more witnesses before the indictments were issued. It was the grand jury's second hearing since 25 witnesses, including Smith and other officers, appeared on Aug. 10. McGuire was shot twice, with one round striking his abdomen and another shattering his femur. He spent several days in intensive care after making the trip to the rally from the San Diego area. His brother said it was McGuire's first trip to Sturgis. Smith has been disciplined twice before for unprofessional behavior."




Pennsylvania: Alleged teen robber shot by Wal-Mart shopper: "Police say Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg was unloading groceries at his car shortly before 12:45 a.m. today when Reneau Jean Jacques [above], 17, of 77 Symphony Circle, East Stroudsburg, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he hand over his money. Eastman looked around for help or someone to yell to. The alleged robber continued to demand money. Eastman replied that he did not have any money - that he used a debit card to pay for his purchases. Jacques became more threatening, pointing the gun and using a more menacing tone of voice. Eastman then took out his wallet and pushed the door of his truck more open to put it between himself and the suspect. Jacques pointed his gun at Eastman's face. Eastman dropped his wallet and started ducking down. Jacques fired a shot that went through the window of the door almost striking Eastman and causing flying glass from the car window to cut his face. Eastman pulled out a handgun he was carrying and fell to the ground. He returned fire under the truck's door with his pistol while the teen continued to fire his weapon. Eastman shot Jacques in the lower leg and foot. Then Eastman ran back toward the store as the teen fled towards Friendly's restaurant.... Jacques was taken to Pocono Medical Center for treatment. Police detained two other youths for questioning. They were in a car, trying to flee the scene, according to witnesses and police."


NJ Homeowner shoots intruder: "As the intruder attempted to make his way farther into the Ponce Inlet house, Kenneth Nunnelley -- a senior assistant attorney general -- feared for the lives of his wife and children and shot the stranger in the stomach, police said Wednesday. Nunnelley, the lead prosecutor in the Florida Supreme Court for death penalty appeal cases including local murderers Troy Victorino, Jerone Hunter and Anthony Joseph Farina, was armed with a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun when 43-year-old Roman Nowak pushed his way into the house. No one in Nunnelley's family was hurt, police said, but Nowak was listed in critical condition at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach on Wednesday.... a police report shows the 50-year-old prosecutor for Attorney General Bill McCollum warned Nowak several times to leave his house, or he would shoot. It was about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when Nunnelley, already in bed for the night, heard a knock at the front door of his house on Jennifer Circle. When Nunnelley looked through the peephole, he saw no one outside. Nunnelley told investigators he had his weapon at the ready just behind his right leg. At that moment, Nowak pushed the front door and made it inside the house. Again, Nunnelley ordered the stranger to leave, to no avail. He yelled for his wife, Cecilia Nunnelley, to call 9-1-1. He then shot Nowak, the report states."

OK home invader shot: "A Muskogee man was being treated Wednesday night at Muskogee Regional Medical Center for gunshot wounds he sustained during what appears to be a home invasion, police said. Anthony Irving, 36, was listed as stable, but his condition was not available, a hospital spokeswoman said. Police Lt. Bert Poole said the investigation so far shows that Bernard Harlin, 36, was in the house at 1420 Fremont St., when Irving entered the residence. Poole said Irving came into the residence carrying a gun, which discharged as he scuffled with Harlin. It went off again, striking Irving. Harlin then ran outside, yelling for a neighbor to call 911. District Attorney Larry Moore said the evidence so far in the case indicates the homeowner was defending himself against an intruder. Moore said he doesn't expect to file charges against the homeowner but will consider charges against the intruder. According to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records, Irving has prior convictions for drug possession and distribution of drugs. His last conviction in Muskogee County was in 2006, when he received a suspended sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance."


Crazy Canada. Intruder shot. Shooter charged: "Niagara police are investigating a deadly home invasion that left an intruder dead and a resident of the home charged with manslaughter. Police said four men entered a home on Carlton Street, between Lake and Geneva streets, around 2 p.m. Saturday. They held four people captive for a short time before Pedro Bello, 19, was shot and killed. He was discovered in the basement when police arrived after receiving a 911 call. A 22-year-old, who suffered minor injuries, has been charged with manslaughter. Three other men, ranging in age from 19 to 23, were caught in a vehicle after fleeing the scene. One neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said he saw men running from the home. "I walked out, two guys were running on the street with masks on." Yesterday, police said they were still investigating whether the 22-year-old resident was the target of the invasion. Three men are facing charges in connection with the home invasion. They are all from St. Catharines and charges include forcible confinement, robbery with a firearm and breaking and entering and committing an indictable offence."


Texan shot in break-in: "Sheriff's deputies in Bastrop are investigating a fatal shooting that happened Tuesday when a man fatally shot another man he says was trying to break into his residence on John Croft Road near the city of Bastrop. A dispatcher said that Dillian Wilhelm shot James Nauer, of Bastrop, around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when Nauer reportedly entered his house with a club. Nauer was critically injured and taken to the University Medical Center at Brackenridge where he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff's office. The Bastrop County sheriff's office and the district attorney's office are investigating the case to determine if charges will be filed, investigators said."


NV: Law may allow homeowners to shoot intruders: "There's a popular phrase that says 'A man's home is his castle.' One Valley lawmaker is trying to get a new law passed that goes even further to protect homes and homeowners' rights. It's called the Castle Doctrine, and it's been passed in more than a dozen states, but not without some controversy. The law would allow homeowners to use deadly force on a home intruder, with no regard to whether he or she's retreating. 'I keep a gun in my house. It's close at hand. My children are gone, so it's ready ... Not cocked, but it's ready,' said assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Nev."

Another case of police making up gun law as they go along

A hunter in Denver, Colorado walked into the hotel where Nancy Pelosi was staying with a rifle case. Secret Service freaks, evacuates the hotel, the guy gets arrested on weapons charges and has been released on $10,000 bond. The stories on this are here, here and here. So far. David has more as well. As does Bitter.

First, I want to fisk elements of these articles. Emphasis in all cases is mine. From the WTOP News article:

Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said 29-year-old Joseph Calanchini of Pinedale, Wyo., faces a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon after police officers at the Grand Hyatt hotel noticed him carrying a rifle-type case while checking in. Calanchini did not have a concealed weapons permit, said Lance Clem, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Wiley said authorities were not releasing information about whether the weapons were loaded because the case remained under investigation. Wiley said the charge is the same whether the weapons were loaded or unloaded.

Is a concealed weapon permit required in Colorado for the transport of any firearm in a case? If not, the charge should have never been brought. From the 9NEWS article:

He says he had just picked up his rifles from the Sportsman's Warehouse and had them in a locked gun case when he checked in at the Grand Hyatt. The clerk checking him in noticed the rifle case and called security.

Locked case. Answers the questions for the rifle(s).

Police say Calanchini had permits for the rifles, but did not have concealed permits to carry two pistols that were found in his luggage. Calanchini says he forgot they were in there.

Are permits required to own rifles in Wyoming? Otherwise, they are confusing a concealed permit with purchase paperwork. They are not the same thing. As to the pistols, unless Colorado state law and/or Denver local law required the owner to have a concealed permit for mere possession of the pistol off one's person, how have any laws been violated here?

Calanchini, who sells drilling tools across Colorado and Wyoming, says he is a frequent guest at the Grand Hyatt. But the Grand Hyatt General Manager says he was not a registered guest at the hotel. "We don't know why he was walking through our hotel," said General Manager Ed Bucholtz.

Because he was looking to check in and get a room probably, you nitwit! And lastly, from the Fox News article:

Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said 29-year-old Joseph Calanchini of Pinedale, Wyo., faces a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon after police officers at the Grand Hyatt hotel noticed him carrying a rifle-type case while checking in. Calanchini did not have a concealed weapons permit, said Lance Clem, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Wiley said authorities were not releasing information about whether the weapons were loaded because the case remained under investigation. Wiley said the charge is the same whether the weapons were loaded or unloaded.

Sure, the police don't have to release any information that might weaken their case and show they overreacted but it is perfectly acceptable for the Colorado Department of Public Safety to dig into Mr. Calanchini's background and release the results of that investigation when it doesn't or may not favor him. Double standard at work here?

Authorities were investigating a report that Calanchini was in town on business and had had the weapons worked upon to prepare for the trip.

How is the fact he had a gun worked on prior to the trip have any bearing on this situation? I believe it is an attempt by the media to ascribe a sinister tendency in the readers mind of having the gun worked on just prior to coming to the hotel. Neutral and objective, my ass.

You good and mad yet? No? Fine, let's make you mad. This is a wake-up call. This is not a Democratic vs. Republican issue. This is an authority issue and no gun owner is safe from it. Hunters, sportsman, you think you are safe in your gun ownership and usage? Think again. What follows is my own opinion. I am hoping readers in Colorado can help me correct any bad assumptions on my bad.

How did this man violate any laws? From where I am sitting, if all his guns were unloaded and no ammunition in the same cases, then he adhered to the law. Federal transport law, specifically. And if no permits are required in Denver and Colorado as a whole for the possession of those arms, then he should have never been arrested. All of his actions would have been protected under FOPA'86.

The fact that he was arrested indicates authority gone mad and that should terrify you. Yes, I understand the Secret Service is institutionally paranoid and given recent events, probably reacted sharply at the prospect of an armed man in the hotel. But upon questioning, it should have gone no further than a stern warning to behave.

If my transport assumptions are correct, the Colorado and/or local police are way out of line charging this guy with a concealed weapons charge. Concealed generally means "carried upon one's person". Pistols in luggage and rifles in cases is not concealed carry and any attempt to stretch that meaning to encompass it is a pure abuse of authority.

I am certain the Pelosi or the Democrats in the vicinity had a hand in this. I am sure if this had been any other week, the nosy clerk would have likely said nothing. Or maybe not. Maybe they hated guns and was alarmed at being in their mere presence? Who knows? There is still no excuse for their over-reaction to a benign situation.

The truly frightening part is they are going to destroy this man's life to make an example out of him for daring to have legally owned firearms where it made someone uncomfortable or near a government official who might feel that it is wrong. Generally, $10,000 bond means they are going to carry through on the charges. Otherwise, those in power will lose face by having made a mistake and heaven forbid the police or prosecutors make mistakes! Then they'll get sued. Oh no, better to prosecute him on a technical violation than to admit they were wrong and overreacted. And because they have the power, they can. And will.

And do you think this will be remembered by Nancy Pelosi next year the next time the prospect of a gun control bill comes up? I do. Maybe she'll think something needs to be done about these reckless hunters and their high-powered weapons.

I love this country but I am flat-out terrified at the chasm I see growing between those with authority that is supposedly granted to them by the People and the rest of us unable to challenge it. We've lost our ability to challenge it. If the government juggernaut chooses to come down on you, you lose. It will grind you up, wear you down until you whimper for mercy and then they'll either release you or imprison you. Either way, you'll be broken in spirit and never rise up again. We don't need gulags in this country to break you. Crossing someone in authority who feels you're too uppity for your own good will do the job just fine.

All we can do now as law-abiding citizens and would-be citizens is hope we aren't the ones they choose to come down on and hope we can live our lives and pursue our interests in peace.

That isn't freedom, folks. It is merely slavery without the chains. If the best we can hope for is that the master won't beat us and we get another day without pain, we are no longer free.

This must stop! We must organize, write letters and do everything in our power to pressure our legislatures to reign in these abuses of authority. To return to a time where the primary duty of a police officer is to maintain the peace, not engage in law-enforcement to the exclusion of all others and place themselves above us because of their profession. We're rapidly losing respect for such authority. Those authorities have forgotten that respect is earned, not bestowed. It cannot be forced upon the citizen by baton, pepper spray, taser, gun or the threat of arrest. All that does is widen the chasm. And yet, respect or not, they will persist in these actions unless something is done.

"With regard to firearms, the citizen acts at his peril.". I thought we only had to fear and avoid New Jersey. It seems those words have infected the country as whole and we seem powerless to stop it.

We must stop it. Otherwise, all I am working for to become a citizen of this nation will be for naught. I left Canada and gained freedom. I did not come all this way only to have shackles placed upon me and be told by those unelected authoritarians that I must behave or else. It is not their place to decide such things on a personal level.

We have to stop this. It is becoming too frequent, too close to home. The most frightening part of this is: "What if the usual methods fail? If this status quo remains? What then?!?".

Source (H/T Strange Justice)





Texas: Tattoo Parlor Owner Shoots, Kills Intruder: "A 27-year-old man who police said tried to torch a tattoo parlor on the city's near north side was shot and killed by the business owner early Tuesday. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office identified the deceased man as Rickey Davis Jr. Police said Shawn Deegan, the owner of Perfection Tattoo in the 3500 block of Blanco Road, woke up to sound of breaking glass at 2:30 a.m. Moments later, Davis tossed a Molotov cocktail, which crashed through the window, police said. Fearing for his life, Deegan opened fire on Davis with a shotgun, police said. Davis was struck once in the neck and died at the scene. Charges are not expected to be filed against Deegan, police said."


NY: Homeowner fires at robbers: "Gunfire broke out on a quiet block in West Hempstead, with a bullet boring a hole into a neighbor's toilet, police said. No one was shot, and the suspects, who were trying to rob the owner of a check-cashing business, fled empty-handed, police said. The firing began when two men confronted the victim outside his house on Oakford Street around 9:25 p.m. Monday, and the victim pulled a weapon from his waistband, police said. Panicked, one of the robbers began firing, police said. "The bottom line is, they didn't expect him to be carrying a weapon, and I think that's what initiated this confrontation," said Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a police spokesman. The would-be robbery victim, 35, owns a check-cashing business in Astoria and is licensed to carry the Glock 9-mm pistol, police said. He appears to have been justified in firing to defend himself and he isn't expected to be criminally charged, police said. The armed robber fired his .45-caliber firearm three times, and the victim fired his Glock four times, police said. Jose D. Celis, 30, of Woodfield Road in West Hempstead, was arrested about 15 minutes after the shooting on nearby Elm Street, where plainclothes officers spotted him, police said. Detectives are still searching for the second attacker. In addition to attempted murder charges, Celis was to be arraigned yesterday at First District Court in Hempstead for attempted robbery, criminal use of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon, police said."

OK: Man shot after arguing with woman : "Officers said a man and woman were fighting at Northeast 28th Street and Santa Fe Avenue when another man pulled up in a truck. The woman got into the truck, police said, but the man she was fighting with broke the back window and tried to pull her through it. That's when the truck's driver shot the man twice."


NY man escapes flurry of bullets but accidentally shoots himself: "A man escaped a flurry of shots fired at him in a drive-by shooting, but when he tried to return fire, he accidentally shot himself, The Buffalo News learned today. The man was in the 100 block of Hagen Street, in the Bailey-Delavan neighborhood, at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday when a burgundy vehicle pulled up to him and a gunman inside fired shots at him, according to Northeast District Police. The man, whose identity is being withheld by The News for his protection, told detectives that he attempted to return fire and suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No charges have been filed against the man nor has the gunman who fired from the vehicle been located. The man was treated in Erie County Medical Center and released."


California gun control: "Gun control laws frequently require the use of technology by law enforcement, as well as placing requirements on manufacturers and, ultimately, the consumer. Are these effective? Since I live in California I will focus on local laws, the #1 state for the Brady Campaign. Registration - Many states, including California, require gun registration, most often just for handguns. There are several problems with registration. Who must register? Who maintains the records? How to handle private sales or transfers? How to handle lost/stolen weapons? The main problem is the thousands of hours of administrative burden. And what are the real benefits? Professor John Lott found that in Chicago and Washington D.C., there have been no crimes where tracing a gun back to the registered owner was instrumental in identifying someone involved in a crime. ("Gun Licensing Leads to Increased Crime, Lost Lives", L.A. Times, Aug 23, 2000). And there is always the question if the lists of gun registrations could be used later for confiscation. If you do not think guns will be seized from lawful gun owners without just cause, just look at the fiasco in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. [Much more at the link]


WA: Seattle holds off on gun restrictions : "As summer began, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said he was taking steps to prohibit guns on all city-owned property after three people were injured in a shooting at Seattle Center's Northwest Folklife festival. But as the Center's summer festival season concludes with Bumbershoot this weekend, no prohibition has taken effect. . In the state Legislature, representatives and senators have asked state Attorney General Rob McKenna to issue an informal legal opinion on whether state law pre-empts Nickels' executive order. . Also, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, both based in Bellevue, have notified Nickels they intend to mount a legal challenge to the executive order."

OK man killed in shooting: "An Alderson man is dead following a shooting on Friday. Deputies responded to a shooting call on Friday morning in the High Hill-Bache area, said Pittsburg County Sheriff's Investigator Jeremy Webb. The deputies found James Lee Short, 30, dead when they arrived at a residence at the scene, apparently having died from a gunshot wound, Webb said. "Evidence and witness statements indicate Short had made a forced entry into the residence," Webb said. No arrests have been made and the shooting is still under investigation, Webb said late Friday afternoon. "The investigation currently suggests that the death resulted as an act of self defense," Webb said."


CA: No charges to be filed in shooting of bear at Lake Tahoe: "A 59-year-old California man has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the shooting of a bear last month at Lake Tahoe. El Dorado County Chief Assistant District Attorney William Clark says they reviewed the case and decided not to file any charges against Danny Lukins of South Lake Tahoe. The state Department of Fish and Game submitted a complaint to the district attorney after the shooting on 31st. Lukins says he shot the bear once in self defense when it started charging at him. Clark says Lukins immediately called 911 and reported the incident. He says Lukins told them the bear was about 28 yards away when he shot it. He says there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he was lying."


GA: University gun bans in sights of pro-carry effort : "Legislators looking to expand where Georgians can carry guns may take aim at university campuses.Carry a gun on or within 1,000 feet of any campus now and you could be charged with a felony, spend up to 10 years in prison and pay as much as $10,000 in fines.But a panel of lawmakers conducting a wholesale review of Georgia's gun laws soon will solicit opinions on removing or altering the ban.State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, who chairs the Senate Firearms Committee, sees nothing wrong with allowing a licensed gun owner to visit a college campus while carrying a concealed weapon. Students should be allowed to stow hunting rifles in their cars parked on campus, Seabaugh said."


FL: Taking back the streets : "Leaders of a crime-plagued neighborhood near downtown are tired of talk and task forces. Instead, they're taking up arms and preparing to become a `lock and loaded' community.Members of the Royal Poinciana Civic Association say they want to start working with a Texas-based gun-rights organization and a local weapons-training academy to verse residents on gun laws and self-protection. .After the meeting, Royal Poinciana leaders said they're moving ahead with plans to become an armed community. .A number of residents have already signed up for courses at . a weapons shop and training center. The group has also been in contact with the Texas-based Second Amendment Sisters to teach them about gun laws."

Gun Rights on Trial

A homeowner suddenly confronted by a knife-wielding intruder reaches desperately for a handgun with which to defend himself. But the firearm lies disassembled and unloaded in a drawer, useless. Before the homeowner can reassemble and load his pistol, and confront his attacker, the assailant strikes, and strikes again - with fatal results.

The real cause of the homeowner's death in this scenario? That he had the misfortune to reside in the District of Columbia. For besides banning most semiautomatic pistols (the type of firearm that most knowledgeable Americans prefer for personal self-defense), the District requires that all registered handguns possessed by its civilian residents remain unloaded and either disassembled or fitted with a trigger lock unless there is a "reasonably perceived threat of immediate harm to the person."

Precisely how, except as a club, is an individual supposed to use a handgun that is unloaded and disassembled or trigger-locked to protect himself from immediate harm? The District leaves that to speculation. But the District's attorney general has explained that "we are trying to balance the right to have a handgun for use of self-defense in the home, with protecting our citizens."

One might have thought that having "a handgun for use of self-defense in the home," fully loaded and ready to fire at a moment's notice, is one very good way of "protecting our citizens." Apparently the District's officials imagine otherwise, and they intend to enforce their fantasies on the city's crime-plagued residents, even if the consequence is those citizens' otherwise preventable deaths or severe bodily injuries at the hands of homicidal criminals.

To be clear, the above scenario pertains to what could happen in Washington, D.C., today . or tomorrow. Amazingly, this is the selfsame District of Columbia that on June 26 lost the landmark Second-Amendment case District of Columbia v. Heller in the U.S. Supreme Court. But perhaps not so surprisingly, after all. Though Heller struck down the then-existing D.C. prohibition against handguns, it also allowed for the regulation of guns. D.C.'s post-Heller regulations still make it virtually impossible for a law-abiding citizen to have a gun ready for immediate self-defense in his home, and Dick Heller - the named party in District of Columbia v. Heller - and two other plaintiffs have already filed a complaint to this effect in U.S. District Court.

Could Heller allow gun regulation to the point that the regulation could become a prohibition for all practical purposes? What effect will it have, if any, on existing or future gun laws in other jurisdictions throughout the country?

Exactly what Heller means seems to be an open question. "Anti-gun politicians can no longer deny that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right," exults the National Rifle Association's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox. Nonetheless, Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, promises that "our campaign to enact sensible gun laws will be undiminished by the Supreme Court's decision in the Heller case." And the National Association for Gun Rights warns that Heller "is far from a victory for gun owners. It is already being used successfully to infringe upon the rights of gun owners across the country."

Certainly Heller did not hit what patriots hoped would be its target: a thoroughgoing and correct construction of the Second Amendment

Much more here




Mississippi: Car Burglar Shot by Owner: "A 22-year-old man will face burglary charges once he is released from a Jackson hospital. Police say Mario Lampkin was shot in the leg by the owner of a car who claimed Lampkin was breaking into the vehicle. After he was shot, Lampkin walked to the Baptist Medical Center. The shooting happened just before 6 a.m. today at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of N. Jefferson St. The car owner was questioned and released. That person has not been charged. Two other cars at the apartment complex also had been burglarized. Police say they suspect Lampkin may be responsible for those, too."


Idaho man arrested after handgun standoff: "A 37-year-old Boise man is being held in the Ada County Jail on a felony aggravated assault charge after a handgun standoff late Wednesday night on Table Rock. Damon Glenn Smith was also charged with felony DUI and misdemeanor resisting arrest after the incident, which occurred at 11:48 p.m. Wednesday on top of the Table Rock mesa, a popular sightseeing spot overlooking Boise. Witnesses told police the trouble started when a car passed Smith's truck as both vehicles were on the way up to the top of Table Rock. Witnesses said when Smith got to the top of the mesa, by the giant fluorescent cross which overlooks the city, he got out of his truck and pulled out a handgun, first threatening the driver of the other car, and then pointing it at other people on top of the mesa and threatening them. At that point, witnesses said the driver of the car Smith first threatened pulled out a 9 mm handgun, pointed it at Smith, and told him he was going to disarm him. That man then took the handgun from Smith and determined it was fake. Witnesses told police Smith got into his truck and tried to drive away but was stopped by police, who were responding to a 911 call about the fight. Smith, who appeared visibly intoxicated had a hard time standing and failed field sobriety tests, according to police reports. When officers went to take him into custody, Smith resisted arrest and had to be physically restrained, Boise Police spokesman Charles McClure said. The other man involved in the confrontation displayed his handgun legally and police determined he was fully within his rights to defend himself at the time, McClure said."

Rochester man who claimed self-defense cleared in shooting death: "A grand jury has cleared a Rochester man who claimed self-defense in the shooting death of a friend last month. Monroe County grand jurors on Tuesday refused to indict Edel Gonzalez, 24, who had been charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Omar Luna, 30, on July 27. Luna was shot outside his apartment at 448 N. Clinton Ave. Gonzalez has been released from County Jail, where he had been held since he turned himself in to police three days after the shooting. His lawyer, Thomas J. Cocuzzi, said Gonzalez shot Luna in self-defense. Luna was arguing and fighting with another friend, who dropped a gun, Cocuzzi said. When Gonzalez picked up the gun and Luna lunged at him with a knife, Gonzalez shot Luna in the head. "It was a very thorough and exhausting examination by the grand jury," he said. "Mr. Gonzalez's claim of self-defense was verified by an independent police investigation."


Georgia shooting death justified: "On Tuesday, August 12, the Morgan County Grand Jury ruled not to indict Stan Schroeder, 33, of Buckhead, on charges of voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter (both felony and misdemeanor grade). By voting "no bill," the jury indicated they believed the March 6, 2008 shooting death of 37-year-old Greensboro resident Eloy Escobido to be self-defense. Bright said the shooting death of Escobido occurred on March 6 at Schroeder's Blue Springs Court residence. Schroeder's home is also the headquarters of his home-based concrete business, Concrete Constructors, Incorporated. Escobido was a subcontracted laborer who had worked with Schroeder for seven years and was paid by the job. According to Bright, Schroeder alleged that on the day of the incident, Escobido called him at his home at 6:20 a.m. asking to be paid for a job he had recently completed on a concrete wall. Schroeder was not satisfied by the job and requested that Escobido go back and finish the wall before he would be paid. According to Schroeder, Escobido then threatened him saying, "You gonna pay me or I'm gonna do something I don't wanna do." Schroeder then alleged that when he went outside to put his lunch in his truck before leaving for a job site, Escobido drove up. Once Escobido got out of his truck, he and Schroeder began to argue more about their business dealings. Schroeder then alleged that Escobido shouted "Pay me, yes or no" and pulled out a gray and black silver-handled folding pocket knife and began slashing at him with his right hand while holding onto his turtleneck shirt at his throat. At some point during the altercation, Audrey, who was watching through a window, came out into the yard with the gun, a black and silver Taurus 45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Schroeder alleged that he kicked Escobido in the groin and retrieved the gun from his wife. At that time, Escobido turned to run and Schroeder shot once, hitting Escobido in the back and killing him. Schroeder alleged in court that he had aimed for Escobido's legs."


Media bias: "On Thursday's "Good Morning America," the ABC morning show provided a detailed account of an 85-year old great grandmother who thwarted a burglar by pulling a gun on him and then kept the criminal at bay while waiting for police. CBS's "Early Show," however, has thus far ignored the story. On NBC, "Today" provided a scant 15 second news brief on Wednesday. GMA co-host Robin Roberts appeared impressed with Pennsylvania resident Leda Smith. She interviewed the grandmother and listened as the senior citizen recounted arriving home to find someone inside her house: "...I had my gun under a cushion on a chair. I picked up the gun. I turned around and I snapped it shut and I cocked it and when I did that, he turned around and his eyes were kind of big and he said, 'I didn't do it! I didn't do it!'" Generally, the three network morning shows have shown an aversion to positive gun news. In late June, when the Supreme Court historically declared that the Second Amendment is an individual right, "Good Morning America," "Today" and "The Early Show" devoted a combined three minutes and 33 seconds of coverage. Back on June 27, the day after the decision came down, "Early Show," which skipped any reporting of the armed grandmother, featured a mere 30 seconds on the Supreme Court's ruling, a total that came nowhere near the four minutes they used to discuss how to Feng Shui your house for pets."


There is an argument here that revolvers have some advantages over pistols.

Texas store owner fatally shoots robber: "Confronted with a pistol and bound with duct tape, the owner of a northwest Harris County store decided not to quietly submit and hope his attacker would show mercy. The businessman worked himself free, got his own gun and killed the robber in a shootout, sheriff's deputies said. The incident happened about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when a man walked into the cellular phone store in the 12000 block of Veterans Memorial Drive near Antoine, pulled out a gun and tied up the owner, sheriff's detectives said. "He (the robber) was in the process of trying to disable the surveillance equipment when the owner was able to free himself,'' said Sgt. Ben Beall. The owner grabbed his own pistol and opened fire. The robber did the same, but was fatally wounded. "The owner is fine. He was not injured,'' Beall said. Investigators are trying to determine whether the dead man is the same person who held up a number of other cell phone stores in the area recently, Beall said."


Pennsylvania road rager shot: "We were driving to nearby Hanover to visit my mother when we came across what looked like a rear-end traffic accident. Instead, a man, Douglas Need, had been driving recklessly when he swerved in front of a car and was hit in the rear. In a fit of road rage, he stormed out of his car, went back to two young women and a baby in the car that hit his, reached through the driver's window and started beating the driver very violently. She was able to break free and drive her car to the only place she could go -- the parking lot next to the street. Need ran back to his car, squealed his tires into the parking lot and looked as though he was going to broadside the women's car with them still inside. At the last moment, he swerved his car around and blocked hers from going anywhere. I pulled into the parking lot, got out of the car and yelled at Need to leave the women alone while Need's passenger was in the parking lot. My gun was still holstered by my side. The woman got out of her car and escaped into the store. He followed but only moments later exited the store back into the parking lot. Both Need and the man with him were uncontrollably enraged and seemed deranged past the point of caring who they hurt. As they continued to threaten that they had guns and were going to kill people, for some unknown reason Need ran to the driver's side door of my car and started pounding on the window, shouting at my fiancee who was inside the car with the engine running. Fearing that Maria's life was in danger because of his previous death threats, that's when I drew my weapon. I ordered Need to step away from my car, which he did. He then returned to the center of the parking lot, according to witnesses, and continued with threats and deranged behavior. I went to my car and stood at the driver's side door. Need turned back to me and started coming at me with his arms waving and shouting "just shoot me." I ordered him to stay back, but he kept coming. Then, when he was about four or five feet from me, he put his hand into his pants pocket, and that is when I fired my first shot into his left thigh. It didn't stop him from coming at me. He grabbed my shirt, ripped off the top button and grabbed my right arm. That's when I shot him the second time point-blank into his thigh. I was told later that the bullets had severed his femoral artery and he had bled to death at York Hospital. I was truly sorry he died, but knew I had made the right decisions."


OBAMA ON GUNS: "Just how does The Chosen One feel about the 2nd Amendment? After the Supreme Court ruled on the DC gun ban Obama was somewhat trapped. His previous position in favor of the ban was inoperative, so he had to come up with a new position. So ... what would that be? The Big BO's position on guns is that nobody in this country should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon unless they are retired law enforcement officers or members of the U.S. military. We could phrase this another way: Nobody can carry a concealed weapon unless they work for the government as a member of the U.S. military or civilian law enforcement, or used to work for the government as a police officer. This is Obama, folks. Privileges for government and those who work for government ... but for the common man, not so much. Ahhhhh"


A video here about the Dillion M134 Gatling Gun... "The world's fastest firing gun is now lightweight, reliable, versatile and lethal"

Texas: Apparent intruder fatally shot: "A case in which a southwest Harris County apartment dweller shot and killed a neighbor after an argument will be referred to a grand jury, the Harris County Sheriff's Office announced today. The pair were involved in an argument in the parking lot of the Sierra Pines Apartments at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies reported. One man retreated to his apartment, in the 6400 block of Sierra Blanca near Alief Clodine, but the other forced his way in, deputies were told. The man who had retreated pulled a pistol and shot the other man."


Virginia: Two shot in argument: "They used to live together as boyfriend and girlfriend. But early Wednesday morning, it appears a Suffolk man tried to force his way into his ex-girlfriend's apartment. Both ended up shot. They remain hospitalized in serious condition, city spokeswoman Debbie George said. Police responded at 4:28 a.m. when a young girl called to say a man broke into her home and her mother had been shot. When they arrived at the Hardy Court apartment, they found Juanita Everett, 33, lying in the roadway and suffering from two gunshot wounds. Aubrey L. McQueen, the man police say forced into the residence, was found inside with one gunshot wound. Four children, who range in age from 10 to 15, were found unharmed inside the residence. McQueen, 30, was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with injuries that were initially described as life-threatening. Everett was taken by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Police believe McQueen is Everett's former boyfriend. He has not lived there since last month, when police took out warrants for him in connection with a staged 7-Eleven robbery. He's wanted for two counts of embezzlement and one count of forgery and uttering. Last month, police say a 7-Eleven employee staged her own robbery with the help of McQueen." [The intruder later died]


Louisiana: Neighbors blame store rather than robbers: "On Sunday, around 10:30 p.m., New Orleans Police Department officers say two hooded men robbed an employee of the Soprano's Meat Market at gun point at 2703 Ursulines Avenue. Store owner and brother of the employee, Rick Abraham, says surveillance video captured the entire incident. "They robbed him, beat him with the gun, threw him on the floor, and demanded the money," he said. But Abraham says his brother was only carrying $50, and so when the robbers demanded more, his brother pulled out his own gun to defend himself. "What happened wasn't just some gunfight; it was a matter of life and death situation." But on Tuesday night, a handful residents showed up to the First District police station, arguing otherwise. During the New Orleans Neighborhood and Police Anti-Crime Council Meeting (NONPAC), residents argued that the store employee should not have continued to shoot at the robbers, especially if the two men were fleeing the scene. "What we don't understand is how it's possible that a business owner feels it's the safe and right thing to do to chase a robber down a full city block shooting in a residential neighborhood," said Kate Parker, President of the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association. While surveillance video does not show the store employee running after the robbers, neighbors say the gunfire did result in at least one bullet entering a home down the block. NOPD officers also found several other bullet casings in nearby vehicles. During the NONPAC meeting, officers told residents the store employee, legally, did nothing wrong. New Orleans police Sgt. Cyril Davillier said the man did not have a concealed weapons permit, but said so long as a person is carrying a gun from their work to their vehicle, or from their home to their vehicle, they do not need one."


California: Would-be robber flees store after employee shoots him: "A man was shot Tuesday morning as he tried to rob a Coachella convenience store, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The man entered the Y and M Market in the 1500 block of Second Street about 10:40 a.m. and brandished a handgun. Gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and a store employee and the suspect was shot, according to the sheriff's department. The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle with a woman. They did not get away with any money. No one in the store was injured. The man is described as a Hispanic male in his 20s with a thin build. He wore dark clothing and a fedora-type hat. The woman is described as a heavyset Hispanic adult with dark hair."

WI: What a feisty lady!: "For the record, Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk doesn't recommend what 18-year-old convenience store clerk Ashley Salmonson did Friday night. Still, her actions interfering with a would-be armed robber led to an arrest after an unsuccessful armed robbery. Now Mitchell T. Larson, 19, is in custody, held on $30,000 cash bail and facing possible charges of armed robbery, endangering safety by use of a deadly weapon, and criminal damage to property. Larson is accused of entering the Wissota Express store at 17255 County X at about 9 p.m. Friday, wearing dark clothing and a ski mask and carrying a rifle. He is alleged to have pointed the rifle at a clerk, identified in court as Salmonson, and demanded money. He then fired a round into a display of soda, according to Assistant District Attorney Wade Newell, because Salmonson, who was stocking a cooler at the time, wasn't moving fast enough for him. Salmonson gave him a bag of money, but as he started to leave, she confronted him by the door. A struggled ensued. Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk said Monday that the struggle continued outside, all the way over to the edge of a wooded area by the store. In the process, she got the man's mask off, and later identified Larson from a high school yearbook photo. She also got the gun away from him, and he dropped the money. Salmonson retrieved the money and the man picked up the rifle and fled. Salmonson then called law enforcement and Larson was later arrested at his home at 8154 193rd St. without incident."


GA: Road-rage death of Iraq veteran ends in mistrial: "A Fulton County superior court jury couldn't decide if an Atlanta man accused of fatally shooting an Iraq War veteran three years ago during a traffic argument was guilty. The case against 27-year-old Charles Anthony Key ended Tuesday in a mistrial. Key is accused of shooting Jack Snook, 24, in 2005 as the two drivers engaged in an argument at a Midtown red light. While a defense attorney characterized Key's actions as self defense from road rage, prosecutors sought involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault against the father of two. Snook, a U.S. Marine, had returned from duty in Iraq three months before the shooting. Key was released, following the jury's decision. Key's attorney, Dennis Scheib, said he wasn't surprised by the outcome. "I didn't think they'd find him guilty," Scheib said. "The DA didn't prove their case." On the two counts Key faced, the jurors voted 9-3 that he was not guilt for the involuntary manslaughter charge, and were split 6-6 over the aggravated assault charge, court officials said."


Dubious murder charge in Wisconsin: "Sixty-two-year-old Francis Reeves is charged with murder. It started at the Reeves' family lake house Friday night. Investigators say Reeves' son was hosting a party. They say a fight erupted between Reeves' daughter's boyfriend and Deshaun -- possibly over a cell phone. Reeves said he got a call that his daughter got knocked out and suffered a black eye. In court, Reeves' lawyer said his client went to the house and when he got there a group of about a dozen teenagers grabbed his son. Officers say Reeves fired a handgun and hit Deshaun in the stomach. Reeves' lawyer, Dick Harpootlian, says it was self-defense. "This was on his property -- his one child was knocked out, the other was being beat up -- he had a right to get in self-defense," Harpootlian said."


MI: 75 open carriers have nice picnic in Michigan public park : ""They came, they saw, they carried - and they didn't cause any problems.Members of OpenCarry.org peacefully set up shop Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park in Warren to prove a point about the Second Amendment and Michigan's gun laws.About 75 gun enthusiasts strolled through the park throughout the afternoon with sidearms strapped to their belts in plain view. The goal was to underscore that Michigan is among 44 states where it's legal to carry a gun in public without a permit, as long as it was legally purchased and registered."