CO: Man Shoots, Kills, Bear in Self Defense at campsite

It appears this was a "problem bear" who was acclimated to humans.

BOULDER, Colo. — A man shot and killed a bear on Monday morning after it scavenged through his campsite and threatened him and his dog.

According to the police report, the bear tried to attack the dog before lunging at the owner.

"The bear got 10 to 15 yards away as it was running to him," said Jason Clay, the public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Officials said there are no charges being brought against the camper because he acted appropriately.
More Here

North Carolina Governor Vetos Volunteer Security in Churchs Co-Located with Schools

Image from flickr.com, CC 2.0 5 June, 2007 by Jim Bowen, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

On 2 July, 2020, the Democrat Governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, vetoed Bill H652, also known as "The Second Amendment Protection Act".

From the Bill:

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO HAS A CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUN PERMIT MAY CARRY A HANDGUN ON EDUCATIONAL PROPERTY THAT IS THE LOCATION OF BOTH A SCHOOL AND A PLACE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND TO ENACT THE 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT OF 2020.

H625 has three other mild and incremental reforms of North Carolina weapons law.

1: Allows a person who allowed their permit to carry to lapse, to renew it within 60 days after the permit expires, without penalty. Similarly the permit may be renewed for up to 120 days, if a qualified refresher course is taken before renewal.

2. The bill allows the head of law enforcement agencies to designate non-sworn employees who can carry with a concealed carry permit in law enforcement facilities. 

3. The bill also allows emergency medical services personal to carry with a concealed carry permit if they have completed an approved course.

None of these reforms is a radical transformation of the law. They are reforms which make the law a bit less restrictive. The bill passed with veto proof majorities in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Governor Cooper is at odds with the majorities.

On 25 June, the North Carolina House voted to pass H652,  Yes-77, No-38, and  5-absent.

On the same date, the North Carolina Senate voted Y-33, No-14,  and 3 absent.

After Govenor Cooper vetoed the bill on 2 July, the General Assembly received H652 back from the Governor the same day. H652 was placed on the calendar for a veto override vote in the House scheduled for 8 July, 2020.

A veto override requires 3/5ths vote of the members present, in both houses. In this case, the bill goes to the House first. 

There are 64 Republicans and 56 Democrats in the House. A maximum of 72 votes is needed to override the veto, less if some members are not present.

In the Senate there are 28 Republicans and 21 Democrats with 1 vacancy. A maximum of 30 votes is needed to override the veto.

Governor Cooper has vetoed five other bills which will be on the Calendar for veto review.  In addition to the 2nd Amendment Protection Act, there is H918, H806, H686, H258, and H612.

Governor Cooper has has placed the Democrats legislators into a lose - lose situation. If they vote to override the veto, they can be accused of being disloyal to the Democrat Party. If they reverse their previous vote for the bill, they show themselves to be untrustworthy.

Second Amendment rights are popular in North Carolina. It remains to be seen if party loyalty or the desire to be re-elected will win.

The Democrats in the House, who voted for the Second Amendment Protection Act were:

Rep. Beasly,  District 92
Rep. Bell, District 21
Rep. Brewer, District 66
Rep. Farmer-Butterfield, District 24
Rep. Floyd Elmer, District 43
Rep. Graham, District 47
Rep. John  Sr., District 40
Rep. Lucas, District 42
Rep. Pierce, District 48
Rep. Queen, District 119
Rep. Russell, District 93
Rep. Turner, District  116
Rep. Wray, District 27

Of those 13 Democrats, 8 will need to vote with all 64 Republicans, to ensure a veto override if all members are present for the veto override.

If the 5 Democrats who were absent for the vote to pass the bill remain absent for the veto override vote, only  5 of the 13 Democrats who originally voted for the bill will be needed to override the veto.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

MO: Off Duty Deputy Shoots, Kills Carjacking Suspect

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — An off-duty St. Louis city sheriff’s deputy driving to work Monday fatally shot a carjacking suspect who tried to run over a man and his 10-year-old grandson on a north St. Louis County sidewalk, authorities said.
More Here

KY: Armed Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder at 2:30 a.m.

JENKINS, Ky. (WTVQ) – A homeowner apparently shot and killed an intruder early Monday morning in Letcher County.

According to the Kentucky State Police, James Duncan entered a home belonging to Justin and Kimberly Robinson without permission at about 2:30 a.m.
More Here

TN: Bear Attack, Bear Driven off by Gunfire

Marvin told News Channel 11’s Bianca Marais that his first response was to keep his five children, who remained asleep in a tent only feet away, safe.


“When I got up, after he put his teeth in me, I kicked him in the middle — right between the eyes, and he let go,” Marvin said. “I got up and I shot, and I hit him. He screamed pretty loud, and I went over there shortly after — 5 to 10 minutes after — and there was a good blood trail, and it stormed later on that evening, so it doesn’t surprise me [TWRA] didn’t find anything.”

More Here

Did Seattle Left Wing "Security" Murder and Assault Black Children?

Image from KOMO news, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

At 03:00 a.m., in the Seattle lawless zone, known as CHAZ or CHOP, two children were killed by what some refer to as CHOP security.

A couple of minutes before 3 a.m. in the early morning of June 29,  according to the clock on a surveillance camera, the latest shooting at the CHAZ or CHOP occurred just outside the border of the lawless zone. Two teenage boys in a Jeep Cherokee were gunned down. The 16-year-old is dead, the 14-year-old is in critical condition.

Video of CHAZ/ Chop Shooting where you can count the shots.

The Seattle Police Chief said it was obvious the crime scene had been disturbed by numerous people.

No one has reported finding any weapons at the scene. The car window on the passenger side of the Jeep was rolled up, as can be seen by the shattered glass around the frame. 

A car's headlights come around a corner, perhaps 15-20 mph, a bit fast. There is a single shot at 0:54 in the video. A few seconds later, the vehicle appears to bump in a barricade at a slow rate of speed, then two shots,  then another bump into a barricade. The vehicle stops. Then, another seven shots. After a couple of seconds, the vehicle backs up slowly, stops, gets back into gear,  and at a few miles per hour, bumps the barricade again. The Jeep stops for a final time. Then from 1:18 to 1:24 another controlled string of 10 shots.

It is impossible to tell if any of the shots come from the vehicle.  No muzzle flash was noted in the video. The sequence of shots is compatible with two ten round magazines.  One shot, then two then seven for a total of ten; then a spaced sequence of 10, as the vehicle is stopped in the final position where it came to rest.

The last 10 shots do not appear to be justified at all. The driver seems impaired. No gunfire can be discerned coming from the vehicle. After the vehicle is stopped, it seems the last 10 shots are fired into it to finish off the occupants. 

Given the rolled up passenger window, the idea that shots came from the vehicle first, if at all, seems unlikely.

Two members of the Seattle City council refused to express any responsibility for the deaths, or to hold anyone in CHAZ/CHOP responsible.  On KOMO, Lorena Gonzales, City Council President, claimed unscrupulous gun dealers and too many guns were to blame.

Council member Kshama Sawant proclaimed the "movement" was not responsible for any of the violence.

Leftists are quick to claim someone else is responsible. They are never responsible, at least in their own minds.  One of the major purposes of Leftist movements is to eliminate personal responsibility, and replace it with group responsibility, which is to say, no one is personally responsible, and whole groups can be punished for perceived  or imaginary problems.

One of the problems with defunding the police, in a sane society, is it is difficult to assign responsibility for any action without proper investigations and evidence. No one has responsibility to collect evidence. No one at CHAZ/CHOP seemed concerned with gathering evidence.  Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said the "protestors" were not cooperative. From bbc.com:

Chief Carmen Best, from the Seattle Police Department, said they had found a white Jeep "riddled with bullet holes" near one of the concrete barriers to Chop.

She also accused protesters and residents of "not being cooperative with our requests for help", and said the zone was now "not safe for anybody".

It appears bystanders are protecting the killer/killers identities. No reports identifying the killer/killers has surfaced, to my knowledge.

People at CHOP were quick to claim the vehicle was the same one involved in another incident, earlier. That is far from clear. Some commenters are saying the vehicle merely looked similar.

If police had shot two black children in similar circumstances, killing one and critically wounding the other, there would be riots across the nation. Shoot two black children on the edge of a lawless zone supported by local far-left politicians, and no one in the media seems to care or be curious about the circumstances.

If the 14-Year-old survives, he may be able to tell us his side of the story. 

The audio of the gun shots and the rolled up window in the Jeep make the working hypothesis of murder a valid one.


©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

George Floyd Case: MPD Allowed Neck Restraints; Follow Due Process

Image is screenshot from video cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

More facts are surfacing in the George Floyd case. We need to step back, allow a critical examination of evidence and allow the criminal justice system to be applied.

It is important to follow proper procedure, rules of evidence, allowing of the defense to present its case, and an adversarial examination at trial.  It is irresponsible for national media figures to proclaim guilt before a trial is conducted or the defense is heard.  Here are some reasons to withhold judgement.

Having studied self-defense doctrine, and having some familiarity with police policy, it was not surprising neck restraints are allowed by the Minneapolis Police Department.

Numerous people have claimed no department allows neck restraints.  The Minneapolis Police Department explicitly allows neck restraints, including the kind arguably used in the restraint of George Floyd.

Link to  mpd policy  

Update: The link has been removed from the police site. Here is a saved screen shot:




The policy says light pressure applied by the leg or arm, to the side of the neck, is allowed to restrain a person who is actively resisting arrest.

There is video showing Floyd initially resisting arrest as he is taken from the car he was in. Two passengers come out of the passenger side and are not handcuffed.

Floyd resists arrest. It takes two officers to remove him from the car. They handcuff him. One officer moves away, and Floyd appears to be somewhat impaired, because he stumbles and slumps down next to the door.  The officers treat him with care, rather gently it appears.

Floyd violently resisted the officers when they attempted to place him in the police vehicle, after some time where he is siting, handcuffed next to the building. Video of that period has surfaced. Some claim it shows Floyd being beaten, inside the car.  Prisoners must be restrained (in seat belts) inside of the car to be transported. Remember Fredy Gray in Baltimore, where police where criminally charged when Gray was not restrained, and died in police custody. It is very difficult to place a struggling prisoner in a seat belt, especially if they are are large and muscular.

There is at least one photo of three officers restraining Floyd on the ground. It appears it took three or four officers to subdue Floyd on the ground next to the police car, even though he was handcuffed. At about this time, the officers call an ambulance.

On the video showing the officer with a knee on Floyd's neck, one officer at the scene, can be heard to say they attempted to place him in the vehicle for ten minutes.  Without video, it is difficult to be certain of the timing. When in a violent struggle, a person's sense of time tends to change. The phenomena is called tachypsychia.

George Floyd was a very large, reportedly 6'6", muscular man, with a long history of violence and a violent rap sheet.

The police did not move him from that location until the ambulance arrived.

Floyd appears to be resisting arrest for at the first four minutes of the video, where he is on the ground, and the officer has his leg on the back of the shoulders and the side of Floyd's neck.  What is unclear is how much resistance Floyd put up over the entire time period.

The officer can convincingly argue he was following department policy. The police had called an ambulance. The officers knew Floyd had medical issues, suspected drug involvement, and that an ambulance was on the way.

There are two minutes and 43 seconds after that where Floyd was not resisting.
Those minutes will be the strongest argument the officer did not follow policy.

It cannot be determined, from the video, how much pressure was being applied to the neck. It has been argued there was little pressure and that there was strong pressure.  The optics of the video look very bad, but they are not conclusive about how much pressure was applied.

Floyd repeatedly saying "I can't breathe" can be consistent with heart failure. We know it was not blockage of the airway.  Blockage of one of the arteries to the brain is possible. Blockage of both is less likely.  The fact Floyd could speak and move his head some amount, indicates the pressure on his neck was not extreme.

Floyd saying "I can't breathe" is dramatic. It appears very bad in the video. It does not prove the officer's actions were the reason for the complaint.

All the evidence will be exhaustively examined at trial.

We do not know how many times the officer may have heard similar complaints from other suspects, attempting to manipulate him. The phrase gained a lot of "street cred" after the Eric Gardiner case resulted in a large payout.

The autopsy did not find any damage to the neck, and did not find evidence of strangulation or asphyxiation. It found underlying problems with Floyd's heart, and suspected drug involvement.  This does not mean the pressure on Floyd's neck was inconsequential. It leaves room for doubt as to the cause of death.

The toxicology report in the autopsy shows Fentanyl at 11 ng/mL, Norfentanyl at 5.6 ng/mL, and Methamphetamine at 19 ng/mL.  It does not show any alcohol in Floyd's blood.  Lethal doses for Fentanyl, especially as part of a drug cocktail, show a wide variation.

What is needed is a careful examination of the evidence, due process, and the rule of law. Here is a link with a detailed examination of evidence which has not been given much publicity.

All of those things are destroyed by the mob rule and electronic lynching that is happening as I write.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

MO: Independence Homeowner Wounds Intruder

An Independence homeowner shot and injured an intruder who broke into a home early Wednesday.

At about 4 a.m., a man forced his way through the front door of a home in the 1300 block of South McHenry Street in eastern Independence.

“At some point there was a confrontation between him and the homeowner,” said Independence police spokesman Tom Gentry. “The homeowner had a weapon and shot the intruder.”

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article697043.html#storylink=cpy

More Here

Powerful Black Woman is Ready to Stand up to Rioters and Looters

This photo was presented on Twitter by John Burnett.

The image has so many things right about it. A successful Black woman, wife, and mother exercising her Second Amendment rights to protect family and the success she has worked so hard to obtain.

She has much to lose to looters, and she is not going to let it happen.

Dean Weingarten

World Traveler Reports on Wisconsin Open Carry and Walmart Request

A Wisconsin Walmart manager recently followed store policy in Northern Wisconsin. They interacted with a long term friend of mine.

He is an accomplished world traveler, due to his vocation as a missionary. He has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has often remarked about how little freedom most of the world has, compared to the United States.

He is a brave man. I marvel at the dangers he considers routine.  When in the United States, he openly carrys a sidearm, most commonly a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.  He says liberty, unclaimed and unused, is easier to lose.

Here is his report of open carry experiences in Wisconsin over the last six months:

I open carry in Wisconsin on a very regular basis, rarely do I have someone say anything to me about it, but every now and then... 

Last fall I was standing in line to pay for a coffee at our local Kwik Trip convenience store. I was openly carrying my Glock 22. I noticed a man look at me and then go about his business. As I went out to my truck he came outside.

He said, "sir, is it legal to carry a pistol like that in public?" 

I replied yes it is, both our American constitution as well as our Wisconsin constitution protect the right to keep and carry arms. 

"He then said oh, you have a permit to carry." 

I replied, no permit is required to carry openly in the State of Wisconsin. 

This man was both shocked and excited. He thought he must have a permit to carry, and confided that he was wanting to do that, but was afraid the process would be long and expensive. I informed him it is not; while waiting, he should study up on our gun laws and carry. He was very thankful.

Several weeks ago I walked into an Aldis grocery store. Several people took note I was openly carrying, but did not say anything. 

As I walked out of the store, a car was approaching. I waited for it to pass and then proceeded to cross the parking lot. 

The driver of the vehicle got out of his car and crossed the parking lot and said, "sir, I want to thank you." 

I asked him "What for?"  

He replied, "I want to thank you for carrying your sidearm in plain view. It does my heart good when I see people doing that. I feel safe and comforted in knowing if a wacko walks into an establishment with malicious intent, and sees someone who is armed, most likely he will change his mind, as he is looking to hurt, not be shot.  Thank you for using your rights." 

As we talked he thanked me again for open carrying and said that I had given that push he needed to start carrying himself. I told him, more people need to be using their liberty. Liberty unclaimed, unused, is easier to lose.

Today, a buddy and I walked into Wal-Mart. 

I go into Wal-Mart several times a week open carrying.  

I have never had anyone say anything to me, but today was different.

I was carrying my Glock 22. Today was a two mag day. 

My buddy was carrying his nickle plated .45 Long Colt on a western style gun belt. It is a very flashy pistol. 

 

We did our shopping. Upon entering the checkout line, a look of panic appeared on the face of a cashier standing near by.  She called the manager.

The manager came over and said, "men, I expect you, but we have a policy that you not carry openly in our store. So, I respectfully ask you to conceal your pistols." 

We pulled shirts out of pants and covered up the guns. I said, "concealed". 

I asked why there was no sign. She said there is a sign on the door. 

I had never seen such a sign on the door. I asked her to point it out. 

It was a 2 inch phrase in the corner of a general sign. I had never seen it before. 

The lady was very respectful, as were we. She said she has a concealed carry permit and frequently carries. 

She said, she understands our desire to carry. She thanked us for exercising that right, but apologized and referred to store policy. I told her I believe their sign does not meet the legal requirements. We talked some more and parted ways. 

Open carrying a sidearm is a wonderful way to educate the public on liberty and our God given rights. Brush up on talking points and Carry on.

Not everyone is as brave as my friend. As the exercise of Second Amendment rights becomes more common, less courage is required. 

A pleasant conversation with a friendly store manager is nothing compared to being locked in a Russian jail, or using a knife to fight off attacking dogs. 

The fight for liberty in America is still at the talking, writing, and voting stage.  It is better and easier to win at those stages, than to go through the horrors of war our forefathers experienced.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

OK: Pregnant Woman Shoots Man who Attempted to Break in

The woman told police a man she didn’t know knocked on her door, but she did not answer. Police said the woman later took her dog out for a walk, when she went back to her apartment the man returned and tried to force his way inside, according to the report.

Police said the woman retrieved a gun and shot the suspect in the shoulder. He was taken into custody.
More Here

Oklahoma Supreme Court Stops Initiative Designed to Kill Constitutional Carry

On 23 June, 2020, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dealt another blow to the efforts by  Democrat Jason Lowe and others to kill Constitutional Carry in Oklahoma.

Constitutional Carry is the right to carry a loaded handgun in most public spaces, concealed or openly. It is the state of law that existed when the Constitution was written and when the Bill of Rights was ratified.
On 27 February, 2019 Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed HB 2597 into law. Oklahoma became the 15th member of the Constitutional Carry club.

The bill had become very popular in the legislature. It had passed with veto proof majorities in the House, 70 to 30, and in the Senate 40 to 6.

It had been a long, hard, fight, with Governor Mary Fallin vetoing Constitutional Carry on 11 May, 2018.

Oklahoma law allows for a veto referendum to repeal bills passed by the legislature.

On 12 August, 2019, Democrat Jason Lowe, District 97, Oklahoma City, filed a petition for a veto referendum. It was only two weeks until the deadline to collect the signatures necessary.

Two weeks later, the signatures were filed, but fell far short of the number necessary to hold a veto referendum, with 37,057 signatures. 59,320 signatures were required.  The referendum was dismissed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on 7 October, 2019.

Jason Lowe and others then sought a temporary injunction the prevent Constitutional Carry from going into effect. The temporary injunction was denied by the district court. Lowe and others then applied for an emergency stay and temporary injunction. Those were denied by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on 31 October, 2019.
Lowe and others then filed initiative No. 425 to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to reverse the Constitutional Carry law, at least in part, on 3 February, 2020.

The Oklahoma Constitution grants broad initiative and referendum powers to the electorate. Oklahoma law requires the gist of the initiative (the statement of the changes being made and the effect on existing law), to be accurate to prevent fraud, deceit, or corruption of the initiative process.

Petition No. 425 was challenged by the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association (OK2A), on 21 February, 2020. The case went directly to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.  On 10 March, 2020,  the Oklahoma Attorney General filed a notice of intent, which resulted in a brief to the Supreme Court, generally supporting the OK2A position.

On  23 June, 2020, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma decided, in an opinion, that Initiative No. 425 violated the requirements for a gist that is free of misleading terms or deceitful language. From the opinion:

IV. CONCLUSION

¶28 The gist suggests a change to the law that is not being proposed, does not accurately explain the proposal's effect on existing law, and is misleading.

INITIATIVE PETITION NO. 425, STATE QUESTION NO. 809
IS DECLARED INVALID AND ORDERED STRICKEN FROM THE BALLOT

Seven judges concurred in favor of the opinion, one judge recused themselves from the opinion, and  judge concurred in part and dissented in part.  From

Whether this is an end to the ongoing attempts by Democrat Representative Lowe and others to end Constitutional Carry in Oklahoma remains to be seen.

Initiatives and referendums are expensive.

It is not clear who is paying the bill, and how much money they are willing to expend in these attempts to end Constitutional Carry in Oklahoma.

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

AZ: Gunfight, Scottsdale Robbery Suspect, Victim Dead, Armed Samaritan Injured

At the same time, two men pulled into the parking lot of the store. The passenger in the car, later identified as 35-year-old Joseph Toki, entered the store. The second man stayed in the car.

When Toki got into the doors he shot and killed by Blackwater, who was trying to leave. When he got outside, Blackwater noticed the man waiting in the car Toki had arrived in and began firing shots at him. That man was able to return fire from his own gun, hitting Blackwater. He died from his injuries.
More Here

TX: Intruder Shot, Killed, Breaking into Home on Galveston Island

Police say a resident reported that an intruder had been shot while breaking in through the window of a home.

Crews arrived to find one person dead at the scene.
More Here

TN: 72-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Intruder who Lunged at Him

Police say they are classifying a deadly Nashville shooting as justifiable homicide after a man shot and killed a burglar in his home.

More Here

MI: Couple with CCW Permits Charged with Assault

Both Wuestenbergs have been charged with felonious assault Thursday.

Another video from the scene shows the mother and daughters become frustrated at the Wuestenbergs and accuse them of bumping into one of the teenagers. The situation escalated. A thump from the back of the van can be heard in the video as the couple tries to back out. That’s when the woman exited the vehicle and pulls out her handgun.
More Here

MI: Road Rage Leads to Defensive Shooting

He shouted at them and one of the cyclists shouted back, prompting the man to get out of the SUV and confront the vocal cyclist with a knife.

The cyclist's girlfriend, who was an armed, Concealed Pistol License holder, fired a single shot killing the man. Detroit police placed her under arrest.

Attorney and firearms expert Terry Johnson said he believes the shooting was justified.
More Here

CO: Domestic Defense? 14-Year-Old Shoots Stepfather

Deputies responded to a call that a 14-year-old male had shot his stepfather with a 0.22 rifle at around 8:15 p.m. The man was flown from the scene to a medical facility in Loveland and later died, according to Sheriff Garrett Wiggins.

Nearby campers reported to law enforcement that the mother and stepfather had been arguing all afternoon and appeared to have been drinking. Those campers also reported witnessing what appeared to be a struggle between the man and woman.
More Here

TX: Gunfight, Clerk Shoots, Kills Robbery Suspect

A Texas corner store clerk shot and killed a robbery suspect Monday night who allegedly first fired at him after trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill, according to reports.

The Houston Police Department responded to calls about a robbery taking place at the Super Qwik Food Store off Fulton Street and Julia near the North Freeway around 10 p.m.

By the time officers arrived at the scene, a man had been shot and was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
More Here

CA: Domestic Defense, Estranged Family Member, Breaks in, Shot, Killed

“An estranged family (member) arrived at the location and broke into the residence while threatening to cause harm to the occupants,” a sheriff’s statement said. “The occupants confronted the estranged family member who became hostile. During the altercation, a resident used a firearm against the assailant.”

Deputies found Cesar Acosta, 43, of Moreno Valley suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

More Here