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31 March, 2009



FL: Home Invasion Leaves Invader Dead, Homeowner Arrested on drug charges: "A home invasion left one invader dead, the two residents of the home under arrest and detectives seeking one or more suspects who fled after the shoot out. Derek Wimes [above right], the homeowner who was arrested on drug and gun charges. Dead is Jameel K. Young [above left], 20, who was pronounced dead outside the home, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported. Under arrest are the homeowner, Derek Wimes, 32, who faces drug and other charges, and his live-in girlfriend, Michelle Smith, 38, who faces drug charges, the Sheriff’s Office said. About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Young and another man kicked in the door from the carport to the kitchen of the duplex at 3637 N. Frontage Road. When Wimes heard the commotion, he grabbed a handgun and ran into the kitchen, firing several shots at the suspects, at least one of whom was armed. Young was hit. After the gunfire, the two suspects fled toward a black SUV parked at the end of the driveway. One of the men got into the SUV, which drove off, leaving behind Young, who had collapsed just outside the vehicle. Young was pronounced dead on scene of a gunshot wound. During the investigation, deputies discovered that Wimes had marijuana. He was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Smith was charged with possession of cocaine."



Changes in DC prompt run on guns and ammo : “Concern that the Obama administration could impose a new ban on some semiautomatic weapons is driving worried gun owners to stockpile ammunition and cartridge reloading components at such a rate that manufacturers can’t meet demand. Attorney General Eric Holder last month suggested that the Obama Administration favors reinstituting a U.S. ban on the sale of assault weapons.”



CO: Bill aimed at easing gun buys: “After Columbine, Colorado voters approved a measure requiring background checks on all gun-show sales. But as the 10th anniversary of the high school massacre approaches, lawmakers are considering a bill that would waive the checks for anyone holding a concealed-carry permit. Police chiefs and sheriffs are among those who testified against the measure, which is scheduled to be heard by the full Senate next week. Among law enforcement concerns: Colorado does not have a standard concealed-carry permit or a centralized database with information on whether a permit is still valid.”



WA: Nickels’ proposed gun ban not worth a dime: “Once again when faced with a controversy, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is reviving his plan to ban legally-carried firearms from city property, and the Second Amendment Foundation today promises once again to immediately take him to court. ‘This time around,’ said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, ‘Mayor Nickels needs to raise this issue to distract public attention from the political smell arising from the snow plowing investigation. We remind the mayor that his office has been warned by Attorney General Rob McKenna that neither he, nor the city, has the authority to enact such a ban under state preemption.’”



30 March, 2009

TX: Prosecutors drop charge against man who had shootout with cop: "Travis County prosecutors on Friday dismissed the case against David Lozano, who lost his leg in a late-night shootout with an Austin police officer at Lozano's Northeast Austin house in 2007. "We believe that Mr. Lozano maintained a reasonable belief that on that day and time he was defending himself, his wife and his property," Travis County Assistant District Attorney Steven Brand said. The dismissal came after a series of expert witnesses for the state and defense cast doubt on whether officer Roger Boudreau told the truth about the confrontation, according to lawyers in the case. Lozano, 48, spent 13 months in jail before he was released on bail last year.... Last year, an expert witness for the defense analyzed the audio and the crime scene and determined that Boudreau fired the first three shots in the incident. Prosecutors dismissed the initial charges and acknowledged inconsistencies in the evidence and in Boudreau's account... Deck said that further analysis by his expert witness found that Boudreau fired the first five shots. In recent weeks, he said, Brand told him that state experts had independently determined that Boudreau fired at least the first three shots, prompting prosecutors to abandon the case. Deck said he doesn't think it was an innocent mistake by Boudreau, but that Boudreau intentionally lied about who fired the first shots.... Last week, Lozano filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Austin, Boudreau and Boudreau's supervisor, Sgt. Stephen Deaton, claiming, among other things, that he was a victim of excessive force and that his civil rights were violated."



OH: Off duty officers had bad aim: "Two off-duty Akron police officers who chased a robber out of an Ellet bar earlier this week did not fire until the suspect aimed his shotgun at them, the police chief said Friday. The officers, who were bar patrons at the time of the robbery, also did not appear to be intoxicated and, therefore, no blood-alcohol tests were administered after the shooting, Police Chief Craig Gilbride said. The official internal investigation into the shooting is expected to take several weeks before it is concluded and released to the public. Gilbride, however, said preliminary interviews show the officers acted appropriately after witnessing the robbery early Tuesday morning inside the Holiday Lounge on Hilbish Avenue and chasing the armed robber. The man escaped with a getaway car driver, but two suspects were arrested the next day. Brian C. Goodwin, 34, and Brian Gumpl, 32, both of Akron, are charged with five counts of aggravated robbery. Police say one man came into the bar armed with a shotgun and demanding the bar's cash. The off-duty officers followed the bandit outside, where he ran to an awaiting car. Gilbride said only one of the officers fired on one of the suspects. The shots came after the foot chase in which the robber turned and aimed a shotgun at the officers, he said. The officer fired about 10 times, but the suspects were not struck."



TX: Owner kills store robber: "Sheriff's department officials say two men dressed in black and wearing ski masks entered a Mobilecom cell phone store. At least one of the men was armed with a gun. They successfully robbed the store of a couple of cell phones and computers. Several people were inside that store, including employees and witnesses. But the owner was there, and he also had a gun. He chased after the two men into the parking lot. One man was able to get into a dark colored car and drive off. But the owner apparently shot the other man in the parking lot. The suspect didn't stop running. He ran into the street on Barker Cypress and was struck by a car that was headed southbound, but the man kept on going. "After he hit the car, he rolled over the hood," recalled Jason Karim, the driver of the car. "He hit the windshield, landed on the back. He got right up. He just kept right on running across the street to the other strip center, and that's where he collapsed in the driveway." "At this point we're early in the investigation," explained Det. Craig Clopton of the Harris County Sheriff's Department homicide division. "We have to talk to all the witnesses and get everything straightened out. But I can't say that (the owner) would be charged with anything. From the outside looking in, I don't see where he did anything wrong." Authorities say the suspect who died at the scene did have a weapon."



NC: Robber shoots his partner: "Authorities said a suspected armed robber pulled a gun Friday afternoon, but instead of shooting the victim of the robbery, he shot his partner. Officers said four men walked into Carolina Industrial Supply on Parkside Drive and tried to rob Thomas Campbell. During the robbery, the gunman fired a shot at Campbell, but shot another would-be robber in the face. That’s when all four suspects took off in a light blue Ford. “Twenty minutes or so after the call, someone did show up at University Hospital that may be connected to this case as well, and that’s part of this investigation that we hope to clarify,” Capt. Bruce Bellamy said. Police said Roman Johnson was dropped of at CMC University for treatment. He’s now under guard at CMC Main and will be charged with armed robbery when he’s released. Police have issued warrants for Martin Lee Reid, Jr. for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery."



29 March, 2009

Oklahoma: Man fends off knife-wielding intruder during home invasion: "A Metro man takes on a man with a knife and wins. Maurice Johnson was catching up on some sleep Thursday afternoon when his burglar alarm sounds. He awakes to a man in his house in the 4300 block of North Blackwelder. "I see a guy in a big black jacket holding a knife about that size and he tells me basically turn the alarm off and give me money." Johnson, keeping his wits about him, tells the man to follow him to the back bedroom where there may be some cash. The suspect keeps the knife held tightly against Johnson as they walk through the house. Johnson says he pretends to rifle through his drawer to get money but got his gun instead and fires a shot at the suspect. The suspect takes off immediately. No word on if the suspect was hit."



FL: Teen robber killed at Burger King had lengthy juvenile record: "Long before Johnny Jean-Baptiste was shot dead trying to rob a Burger King on Tuesday, the Miami teenager was a familiar face to police... On Tuesday, Jean-Baptiste was out on bond awaiting trial for the carjacking charge when he walked into a Burger King at 5398 Biscayne Blvd. around 4 p.m. Wearing a ski mask and black gloves, say police, the teen pointed a semiautomatic Bryco .380 at the people behind the counter. Customer John Landers, armed with a 9 mm Glock and a concealed weapons permit, saw the teen and confronted him, telling him to put down the gun. Jean-Baptiste refused and fired his weapon. Landers, 45, fired back. Within moments, Jean-Baptiste lay dead on the floor of the fast-food restaurant, while Landers had bullet wounds to his chest, shoulder and arm. No one else inside the store -- which is usually crowded with children leaving a nearby school and adults getting off work -- was injured. [This story was posted here on 26th but no names were available at that stage]



IN: Father shoots son, claims self defense: "A Muncie man was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis on Friday morning after being shot by his father following an argument. Muncie police released Michael L. Thomas, 61, after questioning about shooting his son, Andrew, 29, following a confrontation in their south Muncie home in the 2200 block of South Windpoint Drive around 4:42 a.m. "He is claiming self defense," said police detective Sgt. Mike Engle, about the father who told police he was afraid of his son. According to police, Andrew Thomas apparently confronted his father and mother, Mornie, as they lay in bed, following a dispute over a disconnected phone and the trash being taken out. As the son lunged at his father, the elder Thomas pulled out a handgun and shot his son in the stomach. Andrew Thomas underwent surgery Friday and was listed as a "no information patient." Michael Thomas, who declined to comment, put down his gun after calling emergency dispatch. Police Sgt. Jay Turner said the victim was conscious and talking before he was taken to the hospital. Engle said the case would be turned over to the county prosecutor's office to determine whether formal charges would be filed in the shooting. Police are looking into reports of whether the younger Thomas might have threatened his parents before."



Gun rights and the Constitution: Was Heller insignificant?: “Has the Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller … been of almost no significance? So claimed the New York Times in a recent article by Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak. Unfortunately, Liptak’s article followed in a long New York Times tradition of credulously reporting the claims of one anti-gun professor, without conducting sufficient research to see if the claims hold up. Let’s start with the most obvious facts which the Times overlooked. On the day that Heller was decided, the citizens of five Chicago suburbs … were prohibited from owning guns. … Today … [i]n four of the five Chicago suburbs … the handgun bans have been repealed. Yet according to the Times, ‘So far, Heller is firing blanks.’”



28 March, 2009

South Carolina Couple shoot, Stab black intruder: "Deputies said a man who attempted to rob a Spartanburg couple ended up shot, stabbed and arrested. Spartanburg County deputies responded to a call of an attempted robbery at a home on West Croft Circle. Travis Morrow, who lives in the house, and his girlfriend, Aiyetoro Ross, told deputies two men tried to rob them. Morrow said as he struggled to disarm one of the men, the gun discharged, and hit the suspect. Ross grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed the suspect. Both of the robbery suspects then ran from the house. Deputies were later called to Mary Black Hospital where man had come into the Emergency Room suffering from a gunshot injury and a stab wound. The injured man was identified as 20-year-old Ronald Deshawn Rice, of Spartanburg. Rice is charged with one count of attempted armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to kill. The second suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Ryan Dwight Ross of Pacolet, SC. He is also charged with one count of attempted armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to kill.



NRA Files 2nd Amendment Complaint in Heller v. D.C. Gun Case: The National Rifle Association filed a second amended complaint in Dick Anthony Heller et al v. District of Columbia in U.S. District Court. NRA and other plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a preliminary and permanent injunction to prevent the D.C. Council from implementing laws that violate the Second Amendment and from enforcing its prohibitions on the possession of commonly owned firearms. Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist, said, “It's time to fully restore the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding residents in the District of Columbia. The D.C. Council’s latest gun registration scheme is proof of D.C.’s continued contempt for the Supreme Court.” NRA filed the original suit last summer after D.C. enacted a restrictive gun registration law in response to the landmark Supreme Court decision in the first District of Columbia v. Heller. The historic Heller decision struck down D.C.’s long-standing ban on handguns and self-defense in the home. The second amended complaint challenges D.C.'s current laws, which will become permanent in early April if not vetoed by Congress."



IL: House votes down gun control measure : “For the second time in a year, an attempt to toughen state gun laws fell short of passage in the Illinois House.The proposal, which failed on a 55-60 vote Wednesday, aims to close the so-called private-sale loophole. … Supporters say current law allows guns to get into the hands of criminals who would otherwise not be able to buy firearms. … A majority of lawmakers, however, doubted additional gun laws would stop the violence. … Downstate lawmakers argued that Chicago-area lawmakers are trying to impose stricter gun laws on the rest of the state when the problems of gun violence are primarily limited to within the state’s largest city.”



Self defence a precarious right in New Zealand: "My congratulations this morning to stabbed shop owner Virender Singh, who fought back against intruders into his shop only to have to fight back against police who charged him for having the temerity to defend himself. Just as they did when Greg Carvell defended himself and the occupants of his family’s gun shop. Just as they did when Paul McIntyre defended his property and his family. Just as they did when Michael Vaimauga was arrested for assault after he stopped a burglar breaking into a shop. And just as they would have if the late Navtej Singh had managed to fight back successfully against the armed intruders into his bottle store. As an Avondale dairy owner said when a colleague was stabbed in the neck and back by a robber, “When we protect ourselves, we get charged - and if we don’t we get stabbed. What do we do?” So my congratulations to Mr Singh not just for being cleared in a depositions hearing at the Manukau District Court, but for having the gumption to defend himself and his young nephew when the police have already made it perfectly clear they view anyone who does as a criminal. Make no mistake, Virender Singh’s exculpation yesterday by Manukau JPs was not a ringing declaration of your right to self defence – despite the Crimes Act allowing it, and basic human rights demanding it. No, his case was not dismissed based his right to self defence, but only because there was insufficient evidence to charge him."



27 March, 2009

RI: Aggressive neighbor gets shot: "Attorneys for an ex-Providence policeman say he was afraid for his life when he shot and killed his neighbor in a dispute over a children's ball game in May 2008. Nicholas Gianquitti will argue during his murder trial that he was acting in self-defense after his firefighter neighbor, 44-year-old James Pagano, punched him in the face. Attorneys gave opening statements in Providence Superior Court on Tuesday. Prosecutors said children at Pagano's house hit a tennis ball into Gianquitti's car. Both sides in the case agree that Gianquitti then cursed at the children. When Pagano found out, he went to Gianquitti's house to confront him. Pagano allegedly punched Gianquitti, who pulled a gun from a holster and shot him."



Republican Enlists 65 Pro-Gun Dems to Oppose Assault Weapon Ban: "U.S. Representative Mike Ross (AR-04) led a group of 65 pro-gun Democrats in denouncing recent comments made by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s on February 25 that the Obama administration intended to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. The group of 65 pro-gun Democrats, led by Ross, sent a letter to the Attorney General on March 18, 2009, urging him to abandon any effort to reinstate the assault weapons ban and to focus instead on effective law enforcement strategies to enforce the nation’s current laws against violent criminals and drug traffickers. “Firearms are an important means of self defense and, as an avid hunter and outdoorsmen, an important part of our way of life,” said Ross. “I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and will continue to fight any efforts in Washington that restrict our right to own and bear arms.” The group argued that the ban was ineffective during the 10 years it was law, and that crime began falling before the ban was passed in 1994, and continued falling during and after the ban. The last time the murder rate was at its current level was more than forty years ago"



Texas may loosen laws on storing guns: Texans would be allowed to stow their guns and ammo inside their locked cars or trucks while at work and parked on employer property under a controversial bill passed Wednesday by the state Senate. The Senate voted 31-0 to prohibit employers from enforcing restrictions against employees possessing a legally owned handgun or ammunition inside a locked vehicle while in a company parking lot. Firearms and ammo must be stored out of sight. “Here in Texas people like their firearms and … if they want to bring them to the workplace they are going to do it whether there’s an employee policy against it or not,” said state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, the measure’s author. “This is designed to stop employers from punishing employees who legally bring weapons to work .” Supporters say employer rules banning guns in a company parking lot infringe on their Second Amendment right and their ability to protect themselves as they travel to and from work."



MA: Gun dealers feel regulatory pinch: “Fifteen years ago there were 23 federal firearms licenses issued in Belchertown. Today, there are three. ‘I would say that’s a pretty major decline,’ said Rich Kimball … one of the three remaining license holders. Stricter federal licensing regulations dating back to 1993, plus the overall climate in Massachusetts with some of the toughest firearms laws in the country, have made it tough for gun dealers in the Bay State, according to Kimball. The combination, he says, ’caused a lot of dealers to get out of the business.’ … Kimball, a gun dealer for 25 years, said that in the last decade the amount of paperwork and forms to fill out every time he receives an order of guns or sells one has increased dramatically.”



26 March, 2009

Florida: 1 dead, one injured in Miami Burger King shooting: "One man was killed and another seriously wounded in a shootout inside a Miami Burger King on Tuesday, officials said. Police said a man wearing a ski mask walked into the store at Biscayne Boulevard and 54th Street and demanded money from a clerk. A customer, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled a gun, said Officer Jeff Giordano, a Miami police spokesman. The customer and robber exchanged fire. The robber was shot dead at the scene. The customer, who had several gunshot wounds, was taken to Ryder Trauma Center in serious but stable condition, said Lt. Ignatius Carroll, a Miami Fire Rescue spokesman."





Arkansas: Man Defends Wife, Wounds Would-Be Robber: "According to the police report, a husband and wife were unloading groceries into their Jeep when a man wearing a wig and cap allegedly confronted them, pointing a gun. At that point, the report says the suspect said "'This is a robbery'" and went after the woman's purse. Police say the suspect allegedly hit the woman and ripped the bag from the woman's arm. Police say that's when her husband took action. Sgt. Cassandra Davis says the husband fired at Jonathan Terry [above], hitting him in the rear end. "The husband than retrieved his own personal weapon. He did ask the suspect to release his wife and the purse. The suspect refused," says Sgt. Davis. Police say Terry jumped into a waiting car and his friends, Sherry Battle and Tequila Rice drove him to UAMS. "They were at the hospital and our officers took those individuals into custody also," explains Sgt. Davis. All three are facing Aggravated Robbery Charges. Police say Battles and Rice fought with officers and are also facing battery charges. Today's THV has the couple's names, but since they haven't been charged with a crime, we've decided not to mention them"



Ohio: Would-Be Robber Ends Up As Shooting Victim: "A would-be thief ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound after a failed robbery attempt in Mt. Auburn overnight. Police say the would-be robber, 20-year-old Anthony Walker of Corryville, approached two men at a home in the 120 block of Malvern Place and threatened them with a gun. One of the men, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, reportedly shot Walker during the altercation. Both of the intended victims then drove to the Cincinnati Police District One station and reported the incident. Rescue crews transported Walker to University Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the chest. He is now facing charges of aggravated robbery."



WV: Delegates want to bear arms without permits: "Controversy often inflames passions, and mindful of this lawless age and a propensity of some in society to go over the edge, a few lawmakers want the right to arm themselves without a weapons permit. One sponsor of such a House bill, in fact, Delegate Mark Hunt, D-Kanawha, relayed a personal threat directed at him and his family, penned by the hand of a convict. A self-described ‘monster,’ the man behind bars warned of what he intended to do to Hunt and his children. Hunt decided to leave nothing to chance and get a firearm, but was told he had to wait during a two-month concealed weapon application process.” [Poor bubby!]



25 March, 2009

PA: Shooter faces drug charges: "Johnstown police and Cambria County prosecutors are investigating whether a Johnstown man was justified in using deadly force when he shot and killed a man believed to be attempting to break into his apartment Sunday evening in the city’s West End. Until that issue is resolved, the police are not filing any shooting-related charges against 27-year-old Andrew Herdman, District Attorney Patrick Kiniry said Monday. However, Herdman has been arrested on drug charges for the large amount of heroin found inside his apartment. The police found a large amount of heroin – packaged into 259 folded, wax paper “stamps” for street sales. Kiniry estimated the street value at $5,000. The victim was identified as 29-year-old David Edward Turner of Johnstown’s Moxham section. Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said that Turner died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. A report of the shooting was called to Cambria 911 by the mother of a juvenile girl who had been inside the apartment with Herdman. The girl had called her mother after the shooting, Kiniry said. When police arrived, they found Turner collapsed on the floor on an outside porch at the entrance to the apartment, officials said. Herdman had shot through a metal door, and the slug hit Turner in the chest, it was reported... Turner had two criminal convictions in county court and was placed on probation for 14 years on charges of criminal mischief and receiving stolen property. He was ordered to pay costs, fines and restitution totaling more than $17,000."



Tellers botch attempted robbery at Crofton bank: "Quick-thinking tellers trapped a gun-toting, masked man between two doors of a Crofton bank during an attempted robbery this morning. The man eventually shot his way out of the Arundel Federal Savings Bank, but didn’t get away for good. County police caught up with the suspect and his alleged accomplice within minutes on Route 50 near Interstate 97. A witness told police he saw a man walking on Davidsonville Road just after 10:30 a.m. and watched as the man put a ski mask over his face, cut through a small parking lot and headed to the front entrance of the bank at 2046 Davidsonville Road, said Justin Mulcahy, a county police spokesman. The man walked into the bank and the front door shut behind him, Mulcahy said. But he had another door to go through before he could reach the bank’s lobby. Employees, tipped off by the man’s ski mask and his handgun, refused to “buzz” him past the second door and then tapped a button to lock the main entrance to the bank.



NRA Appeals Ruling Blocking Guns in National Parks: "The National Rifle Association on Friday appealed a federal court ruling that blocked a Bush administration policy allowing people to carry concealed, loaded guns in national parks. The decision, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, halted a regulation from the waning days of the Bush administration. The rule, which took effect in January, allowed visitors to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge as long as the person had a permit for a concealed weapon and the state where the park or refuge was located allowed concealed firearms. Previously, guns in parks had been severely restricted. Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said the group will pursue all legal and legislative options. The NRA had pushed for the Bush rule change and was granted legal standing in a lawsuit brought by gun-control advocates and environmental groups. "We didn't give up in the fight to change the old, outdated rule and we are going to pursue every legal and legislative avenue to defend the American people's right to self-defense," Cox said Friday."



CA: Proposed easing of concealed-weapons law draws fire: "What issue could unite a Republican lawmaker from Southern California and a 46-year-old lesbian from Natomas? Guns, of course. A bill introduced in the state Assembly last month aims to make it easier for Californians to obtain a concealed weapons permit. Assembly Bill 357 – yes, the number is right – would change a state law that currently gives county sheriffs or chiefs of police final say in who can carry a gun. By stripping the local law enforcement discretion, the bill would mandate that any Californian who passes a training course and demonstrates "good moral character" can tuck a pistol into his or her waistband. Even though the bill won't be heard in committee for a few weeks, it has raised ire among law enforcement officials, including Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. Police chiefs and sheriffs can be more effective at screening out people who shouldn't have concealed weapons, he said." [But some of them screen out most people]



24 March, 2009

Lack of gun bans keeps New Mexico safe: "During a recent visit with my sister in Oakland, Calif., our conversation turned to the crime rate in her city. She told me that the trend among armed robbers was what are termed "take over" robberies, during which one or more armed thugs would brandish weapons in a restaurant and not only rob the cash box, but also all of the customers. Any attempt to resist is likely to result in the shooting of an unarmed customer or worker. She was somewhat taken aback when I told her that that type of robbery "wasn't allowed" in New Mexico. I further explained that since we weren't in a (safe?) gun-free city, I could sit in any of my favorite cafes and count at least a half dozen people who were carrying firearms, concealed or openly. Our criminals in New Mexico are at least bright enough to see that the odds are against them in a take-over situation. Referring to the front page article in The Daily Times of March 15, I would first like to voice my support of our legislators who are supporting a revision of the law that would allow a concealed carry permit holder to have lunch or dinner in a restaurant where alcohol is served. Kudos to Sen. Bill Sharer for his belief that responsible adults are not the enemy."



Government taking guns: Ya gotta ask why: "What I want to know is why so many in government even want to take away guns at all. They'll never get the guns out of the hands of criminals, and there's no point in disarming the voters. Unless . naah, that's just conspiracy talk. What happens in other countries can't happen here. Just because their countries began with crisis, doesn't mean our similar crises will follow the formula and lead to taking our weapons. Just because their leaders lied to them about trust and transparency doesn't mean it will automatically happen here. Just because the people there didn't see it coming doesn't mean we . well, you fill in the rest."



NC: Bill to extend concealed carry sidetracked: “Gun supporters aiming to extend the right to carry concealed handguns into restaurants and parks where they are now banned had their hopes sidetracked. A measure to allow concealed-carry permit holders to carry their gun while visiting city and county parks was postponed Thursday in a House Judiciary committee. The sponsor also wanted to include state parks. Supporters also want to carry guns when eating in a restaurant that serves alcohol. A permit holder could lose that right for having a gun where alcohol is sold. That bill was sent to a subcommittee. Opponents said driving-while-impaired laws show people still drink when they shouldn’t, and mixing gun rights with alcohol sales is a bad idea.”



An alternative to “guns at work” laws: “Frankly, although I consider myself a fairly hardcore gun rights advocate, I am torn when it comes to this kind of law. I cannot easily dismiss the argument that a property owner has the right to prohibit pretty much anything on his or her property … On the other hand, some argue that fundamental human rights … are always inviolate, and that property owners cannot legitimately demand the surrender of such rights, even on their own property. It’s always a dilemma when rights collide. It seems to me that there is a way around the dilemma, though. Let property owners ban guns on their property, but in doing so, they take on the responsibility for the protection of anyone legitimately on that property.”



23 March, 2009

NV: Married couple foil home robbery attempt: "A local couple came home from work last Saturday night to find not one but five people burglarizing their home. Emery Childress III and his wife Brenda knew right away that something was wrong. "Saturday evening I picked my wife up from work. She was going to take the evening off. We pulled up to the garage, we opened the garage door. When the garage was half-way up, the dogs ran out to us. And normally, the dogs are inside the house." "He went in first so I opened the door and let him in," continues Brenda. "And then I shut the door and...it only took about three seconds and I heard him say...Freeze. I use foul language - I say get on the ground, drop it. I walk over...to these guys...and I have them at gun point." Inside their Henderson home were four perpetrators, all holding valuable weapons: guns, knives, and even a sword that belonged to them. "I then entered from the garage, came around the corner where he had two suspects laying down on the floor," says Brenda. "They had our .45 down there and I picked it up." While Emery's wife held the two perpetrators at gun point, he ran outside with the other gun and tried to catch two more that were waiting outside in an SUV. "We had two adults and two juvenile girls were arrested," confirms Keith Paul, Henderson Police Department. "There is one suspect that is outstanding." 27-year-old Billy Hicks was booked on conspiracy; 18-year-old Avion Wilkins was booked on burglary, home invasion, conspiracy, and grand larceny of a firearm; and a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl were taken to the Clark County Juvenile Hall."



CA: Oakland Robbery Victims Fight Off Robbers: "The owner of Oakland's Gourmet Market wishes it didn't happen. He says his nephew should have never fought off the suspected robbers when they came into his store at 1549 Jackson St. Thusday night. Two armed men barged into the store around 9:30 p.m. but their plan to hit the store and run off was foiled. Two customers and a cashier started punching the robbers. The robbers fired off shots striking the men, but they wouldn't stop fighting. Eventually one suspect escaped but the heroes were able to hold on to one robber, grab his gun and subdue him until Oakland Police got on the scene. One victim was shot in the chest, another in the neck and the last one in the arm. The store owner says the injuries weren't serious and that they are all in good condition".



Obama gunning for the Second Amendment: "This will seem like a strange way to open a piece of commentary, but the gun owners who voted for Barack Obama believing he respected Second Amendment rights remind me of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. Specifically, I think of the scene from The Return of the Pink Panther in which Clouseau was getting a real dressing down from his superior, Chief Inspector Dreyfus. The issue was that Clouseau had naively stood by talking to a `blind' organ grinder outside a bank while the institution was being robbed. After Dreyfus pointed out that the organ grinder was the lookout for the thieves and Clouseau said that such a thing was impossible because the beggar was blind, Dreyfus asked how Clouseau knew this. Clouseau replied, `He told me so.' Quite frankly, this wasn't nearly as stupid as believing that a member of Chicago's socialist New Party, who was weaned in a black power church, was a gun caesar and not a gun seizer. And now Obama is in fact striking a blow against the Second Amendment."



DC: SAF challenges handgun ban scheme: “The Second Amendment Foundation and three Washington, D.C. residents today filed a lawsuit challenging a regulation by District of Columbia city government that arbitrarily bans handguns based on a roster of ‘acceptable’ handguns approved by the State of California. The District is using this list despite a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer that protects handguns ‘that ordinary people traditionally use for self-defense.’ This scheme could eventually bar the ownership of any new handguns.”



22 March, 2009

FL: 19-year-old burglar shot, killed in North Naples: "For the second time in six months, Sterlin Misener Jr. heard an alarm sounding at his North Naples property Friday morning. And for the second time in this short period of time, the 44-year-old found himself face to face with an apparent burglary. In the first incident in October, four men, one with a gun, were arrested. Friday, Misener had his own gun and shot the alleged intruder, 19-year-old Patrick Hutchison, dead. Around 4 a.m., according to the Collier County Sheriff’s office, Misener caught Hutchison coming out of a family camper parked in the driveway at 91 Willoughby Drive. Misener told deputies Hutchison lunged at him and that’s when he shot him. Hutchison was pronounced dead at the scene. Though some friends and neighbors say Hutchison had been running with a bad crowd of late, they described him as a “good person,” happy and funny, who wasn’t aggressive.... According to Collier County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karie Partington, the determination as to whether or not Misener would be charged with Hutchinson’s death would be up to the State Attorney’s Office. “The Sheriff’s Office does have an option of turning anything they’ve discovered over to us for review,” said State Attorney’s Office Spokeswoman Samantha Syoen. “At this point, we haven’t been contacted.”



Texas: Clerk trades gunfire with robbers: " Robbers used a shotgun Thursday evening to blast open the glass door of a west-side retail store in west Fort Worth, but a clerk shot back, police said. The two robbers fled the CC 99 Cent Plus Store in the 5700 block of Lovell Avenue, and the clerk was not hurt, said Lt. Paul Henderson, police spokesman. "It's unknown," he added, "if either suspect was hit." The incident happened around 8:35 p.m. at the store, which is near Lovell Avenue's intersection with Camp Bowie Boulevard. The two men wearing hooded sweatshirts breached the glass door and entered the store. They pointed the shotgun and a handgun at the clerk and demanded "all the money," Henderson said. But the 38-year-old clerk, crouching behind a counter, grabbed his own gun and fired several shots at the robbers, Henderson said. "The two would-be robbers fled the store as bullets flew past them," Henderson said."



Case Against Gun-Store Owner Dismissed: "An Arizona court on Wednesday dismissed the case against a gun-store owner accused of looking the other way while front men purchased weapons to deliver to Mexico's drug cartels. At the heart of the case was the X-Caliber gun store, where prosecutors alleged more than 700 high-powered rifles were sold to purchasers whom the owner, 47-year-old George Iknadosian, should have known were acting as so-called straw buyers for Mexican customers. Sales of most weapons to non-U.S. citizens north of the border are severely constrained, as is gun possession by civilians in Mexico. To get around those restrictions, Arizona officials alleged, Mr. Iknadosian allowed Arizonans with clean criminal records to buy weapons they would resell in Mexico, first by falsifying forms attesting that the firearms were for the purchasers' personal use. Witnesses in the case included several of these alleged straw buyers, who have pleaded guilty to charges that bring a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment. Yet in dismissing the 21 counts against Mr. Iknadosian, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Gottsfield ruled that the evidence prosecutors presented wasn't "material," and therefore didn't support charges against the defendant. "The state's case is based upon testimony of individuals who [alleged]...that they were the actual purchaser of the firearms when they were not," Judge Gottsfield wrote. He then indicated that such testimony, by itself, failed to establish that any additional unlawful conduct transpired.... State and federal authorities, including a task force supervised by the Phoenix office of the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, worked for 11 months with local police building a case against X-Caliber."



TN: House OKs loaded shotguns, rifles in cars: “The Tennessee House voted Thursday to allow people with handgun carry permits to also carry loaded rifles and shotguns in their vehicles. Representatives voted 82-10 to pass the bill sponsored by Rep. Henry Fincher, D-Cookeville, who said the change is needed to bring the law into line with what he called ‘common rural practices.’ Under current law, rifles and shotguns are considered loaded if ammunition is in the ‘immediate vicinity’ — even if the chamber of the weapon is empty. That means hunters and farmers are technically in violation if they carry both guns and ammunition in the cabs of their pickup trucks, Fincher said. … ‘We have a law that doesn’t make common sense, and is therefore at odds with common rural practices.’”



21 March, 2009

OK: Thief dead. Owner shot: "One man, just identified by police as 40-year-old Rodger Dale McKnight, Jr. is dead. Broken Arrow Police say the other man, Randy Bryant, is considered the victim in this case. This all happened this morning around 7:30 in Broken Arrow at the Johanna Woods mobile home community. “Broken Arrow Police tell me no charges are expected to be filed against Randy Bryant, the owner of this home. “In critical condition at St. Francis, Bryant was shot in the chest with the same .32 handgun that killed McKnight. Police say, at this point, it’s being considered a case of self-defense....they learned that the homeowner just three doors down had been shot after a struggle with a man believed to have been trespassing and trying to break into a vehicle on the property”



Florida: Armed Homeowner Drives Away Intruder: "A Tampa man faces felony armed burglary charges after a home invasion in Lake Wales this morning. Police said two children, ages 3 and 3 months, were inside the home at 1261 Grove Ave. about 10:30 a.m. when a burglar pried open a rear sliding glass door with a crowbar. The startled homeowner fired off seven rounds from a .380 handgun. "It's a disturbing scene especially with children inside. I know the homeowner is shaken up right now," said Lake Wales Assistant Police Chief Christopher Velasquez. The bullets hit the suspect, 45-year-old Michael Collins, in the head and arm, police said. Collins had parked his van in the home's driveway and tried to drive away but crashed a couple hundred feet away in an orange grove, they added. Officers apprehended Collins, who was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Hospital for treatment for his injuries. He is expected to recover. Collins is charged with first-degree felony armed burglary and possession of burglary tools. Detectives said the homeowner did not know Collins prior to the home invasion."



Court decision blocks guns in national parks: “A judge on Thursday blocked a federal rule allowing people to carry concealed, loaded guns in U.S. national parks and wildlife refuges. The decision by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly halts a change in regulations issued in the waning days of the Bush administration and orders further review. She set an April 20 deadline for the Interior Department to review the rule and indicate its course of action in response to the injunction.”



Feds lift rule that threatened ammo shortage: “Gun owners concerned about growing shortages of ammunition nationwide got a bit of a reprieve this week when the Defense Department rescinded a rule requiring that spent military bullets be destroyed rather than reloaded for sale … That rule temporarily had cut off major ammunition manufacturers from their largest supply of brass casings, used to make popular .223- and .308-caliber ammunition for the public and law enforcement. Also hit hard under Defense’s no-sale rule were the folks at Georgia Arms, the … ammo dealer that is among the nation’s largest supplier of reloaded military cartridges. With no used brass coming in from government liquidators in recent weeks, the company’s production ground to a halt.”



20 March, 2009

Obama secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns: "After the September 11 attacks, commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into buildings. Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology. The Obama administration this past week diverted some $2 million from the pilot training program to hire more supervisory staff, who will engage in field inspections of pilots. This looks like completely unnecessary harassment of the pilots. The 12,000 Federal Flight Deck Officers, the pilots who have been approved to carry guns, are reported to have the best behavior of any federal law enforcement agency. There are no cases where any of them has improperly brandished or used a gun. There are just a few cases where officers have improperly used their IDs. Fewer than one percent of the officers have any administrative actions brought against them and, we are told, virtually all of those cases "are trumped up."



TN: Fingerprinting for gun owners could come to an end : "A 1998 state law that requires gun buyers to provide a fingerprint could soon be a thing of the past. A bill that passed 82-11 in the State House is now headed for the Senate. It says firearms dealers in Tennessee would no longer be required to take thumbprints from people buying a gun. . Although thumb printing is required, it's not part of TBI's background check for a gun purchase. The dealer calls in the information provided by the potential buyer."



One more hoop for you: ""A recent article by the Portland Progressive Examiner unwittingly illustrates an underappreciated problem with the concept of the concealed weapons permit: privacy, not from the government, but from the public. Prospective applicants' apprehensions about privacy from the government - the whole `why on earth would I volunteer to be on a government list?' problem - is well-understood and generally self-articulating. But how about this problem: what happens when someone decides (usually post facto and unilaterally, such as the judge in this case) that the records are suddenly public domain? It was almost certainly not the intention of the author to talk seriously about this topic, but his commenters did not let him get away with the rather standard-issue, thinly veiled contempt that most `progressives' seem to have for what I like to call `enforceable individual sovereignty.'"



Why people carry guns : "Most people who choose to carry a firearm for self defense will, sooner or later, have someone ask them the question, `why do you carry a gun?' Sometimes it will be asked accusingly by an anti-gun person seeking to ridicule them. Other times it will be by someone who has been lead to believe that guns are bad and the people who carry them are, but they're not really sure and are genuinely curious. . The anti-gun crowd will tell you it is because of paranoia or that [gun owners] want to feel big and powerful. I've never found either to be the case. For most, it is because they want to feel safe."



19 March, 2009

Washington crook finally picks the wrong man: "Bus driver Jelani K. Slay, 34, of Clinton was fatally shot March 8 by an off-duty D.C. police officer. Police said Slay, wearing a mask and brandishing a gun, tried to rob the officer in the 5300 block of B Street SE. Slay was hired as a Metrobus driver in March 2007. Slay, who had a record of armed robberies and other crimes dating back to the 1990s, was hired as a Metrobus driver two months after getting out of prison, where he spent nearly 11 years. Court records show that he was charged with voluntary manslaughter after he fatally shot an armed man during a dispute on a D.C. street in March 1992. A grand jury declined to indict him in the case.



Missouri Homeowner Shoots At Burglars, Hits Friend: "A man is in the hospital after he was accidentally shot when his friend tried to shoot two burglars, Oklahoma City police said. It happened around 12:30 a.m. Monday morning when two men broke into the house near Northeast 42nd Street and Prospect Avenue, police said. The homeowner heard the burglars, grabbed a gun and allegedly began firing. Instead of hitting the burglars, a bullet hit the homeowner's friend. The burglars ran away from the house. The homeowner and his friend got into a car and drove to the hospital. Their trip was delayed when they were pulled over by police for speeding a few blocks away, police said. The victim was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Police do not have a description of the burglars. Charges are not expected to be filed, police said."



Rethinking original intent : "After the Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban last June, gun-rights advocates trained their sights on similar restrictions in Chicago and Oak Park, Ill. Last month, the National Rifle Association received ammunition from an unlikely source: the Constitutional Accountability Center, a liberal litigation shop. In a brief filed with the federal appeals court in Chicago, the center not only argued that gun ownership is a constitutional right, it also employed the legal method popularized by such conservative icons as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. That method is originalism, which seeks to apply the law today according to the text's meaning at the time of its adoption."



Obama's gun ban list is out : "Here it is, folks, and it is bad news. The framework for legislation is always laid, and the Democrats have the votes to pass anything they want to impose upon us. They really do not believe you need anything more than a brick to defend your home and family. Look at the list and see how many you own. Remember, it is registration, then confiscation. It has happened in the UK, in Australia, in Europe, in China, and what they have found is that for some reason the criminals do not turn in their weapons, but will know that you did."



18 March, 2009

Virginia: One burglar shot, another stabbed : "Police say one burglar was shot and another stabbed breaking into a Woodbridge home Sunday night. James Baumann Jr., 28, and Jason Lewis Presley, 32, are accused in a burglary in the 15100 block of Georgia Road about 11:30 p.m. Police say one of them was armed with a knife. The 41-year-old resident of the house heard the burglars and went to investigate, said Erika Hernandez, Prince William police spokeswoman. When the victim saw the two men, a fight ensued. Police said the resident grabbed a knife from one of the burglars and stabbed him. Baumann suffered stab wounds and the victim had cuts on various parts of his body, Hernandez said. After fighting one burglar, the victim grabbed his shotgun and shot the second burglar as he attempted to run. All three men were taken to the hospital. Presley and the resident were treated for their injuries. The resident was released. Baumann remained hospitalized Monday suffering life-threatening injuries. Presley, of 14205 Chesterfield Road in Woodbridge, was charged with burglary while armed with the intent to commit larceny. He was held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April, 29. Warrants were obtained for Baumann, of 1302 Oregon Avenue in Woodbridge, charging him with malicious wounding and burglary while armed with the intent to commit larceny."



New Jersey Clerk shoots robbery suspect: "A knife-wielding robber who entered the Windsor Pharmacy on Wednesday night was taken down by a store clerk using a handgun, police said. Matthew Perry, a 21-year-old Middletown Township resident, allegedly went into the pharmacy just after 8:30 p.m., displayed a knife, and demanded the pill oxycontin. Police said he began to struggle with a store clerk who resisted him. A second store clerk, who had a valid permit to carry a weapon, pulled out a handgun and fired one shot at Perry, hitting him in the arm and chest, according to police. Police said Perry fell to the floor, and was taken to a local hospital by the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad. Perry is being guarded by Bristol Township Police, and will be charged pending a review by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office after his release."



Texas: Black Soldier Arrested After Woman Shoots Would-Be Burglar: "Fort Hood soldier Jamar Mcnair Jones, 18, was in the Bell County Jail charged with burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit theft Monday after a Killeen woman shot a man who tried to force his way into her home. The woman called 911 early Friday morning after the would-be burglar fled. She told officers she was awakened by the doorbell around 4 a.m. Friday. The front door of the woman's home had a viewer, but she told officers she was unable to see who was ringing the bell so she opened the door slightly. When she did, the man attempted to force his way in. That's when she fired. While officers were interviewing the woman, other officers at Metroplex Hospital advised them that a man matching the description of the would-be burglar had just arrived at the emergency room for treatment of a gunshot wound. The man was transferred to Scott & White Hospital where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet, police said. Jones was arrested after he was released from Scott & White Monday evening, police said. His bond was set at $500,000."



Kentucky Homeowner Holds Burglary Suspect At Gunpoint: "A burglary suspect doesn't get far after breaking into one Georgetown home. Just before 2 a.m. Monday, Georgetown Police said Joshua Slone stood at the back door of a house on Citation Court knocking on it. When he didn't get a response. police said Slone kicked in a window and made his way into the living room. Around the same time, the homeowner met Slone with his shotgun and held him inside until police arrived. No one was hurt. Joshua Slone is being held in the Scott County Detention Center facing burglary charges.



17 March, 2009

Ill: Invader Shot, then run over by accomplices: "Derrick Murray got a rude awakening when a group of men busted through his back door ran into his home pointed guns claiming to be police officers. "The yelled this is the police! They kicked the door in, broke the glass and I was hiding in the bedroom," said Murray. This home owner fought back. "I grabbed my gun and shot at them and everyone ran out," he said. 27-year-old Derek Clark was shot in the stomach. Murray says Clark then crawled out the door. "He left a trail of blood everywhere," said Murray. What happened next is something neighbors will never forget.... When Kathy looked out she saw a man knelt down where there's still a blood stain in front of her home. He then crawled to the road where there is another blood stain. Witnesses say he was then ran over twice by the same people he came with. "They were driving a gray Lincoln and were trying to get away. I ran out after them and started yelling. Those dudes dropped that guy and jumped in their car and ran over him. Then, they drove towards me and saw I had a gun and they backed up and ran over him again. So, that guy got ran over twice," said Murray."



German minister: No need for stricter gun laws: "Germany does not need to tighten its gun laws in response to school shootings by a teenager in southwestern Germany on Wednesday, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said. Some German politicians have called for a ban on private gun ownership and urged authorities to set up airport-style security systems at schools in response to the massacre, which left 16 people dead, including the killer. `I can't see how a change in weapons rules would contribute anything to solving the problem,' Schaeuble, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, told Reuters . `It used to be sex. Now violence seems to be the new temptation,' he said."



ID: Red's gun shop, ATF thugs reach settlement: "An Idaho gun shop that went to federal court to keep the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from pulling its gun license has reached a settlement with the agency. Terry and Ryan Horsley of Red's Trading Post in Twin Falls asked the court to review their case in 2007, after the ATF revoked their license. The ATF said the shop had repeatedly violated gun sales rules. The Horsleys said they had been targeted by the agency and that most of the problems were clerical, such as using abbreviations on gun sale documentation. Red's Trading Shop attorney Christopher Chiafullo wouldn't discuss the terms of the settlement."



Holding gun manufacturers responsible for crime : "If someone tried to sue Ford because a drunk driver got into an accident, the case would go nowhere. If someone tried to sue Cooper Hand Tools because a nutjob took a hatchet to a rival, no lawyer would touch the case. If someone sued Krylon because a vandal ruined the paint job on their car, the judge would immediately toss the case. Trying to hold a manufacture responsible for the criminal misuse of their product is unacceptable to most people. So why is it so different when a criminal misuses a firearm to commit a crime?"



16 March, 2009

Pa.: Teen Robbery Suspect Shot, Dies: "A 16-year-old boy shot in what police said was an attempted robbery died Saturday from complications related to his injury. According to police, on March 1st, a group of males, including James Owens, shot a man in the leg while he was standing outside a home in the 3700 block of Millerton Avenue in Pittsburgh's Brighton Heights neighborhood. When police arrived on scene they also found Owens lying on the ground shot in the back with a gun next to him on the ground. Reports said Owens was wearing black a ski mask over his face when he was discovered by police. Homicide Detectives investigated the shooting and arrested Owens at Allegheny General Hospital where he was being treated. The Medical Examiner told WTAE Channel 4 that Owens was pronounced dead at 4:10 p.m. Saturday at Allegheny General. Investigators said robbery was likely the motive for the shooting and that Owens was possibly shot by one of his accomplices."



NY: Two shot during attempted home-invasion robbery: "Two men were injured by shotgun pellets and three other males were arrested following an attempted home-invasion robbery at a Rochester apartment building about 1:40 Saturday morning. The incident occurred at 70 Lakeview Park, near Dewey Avenue, on Rochester's west side. Lt. Mark Dibelka of the Rochester Police Department said that the two injured men -- a 35-year-old resident of the apartment building and a 25-year-old visitor, were each hit by shotgun pellets fired during the attempted robbery. The two men were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "It appears to have been the result of a home-invasion robbery where other residents reported hearing people screaming and hearing doors being kicked open," Dibelka said. Each of the shooting victims was outside the building when police arrived."



Louisiana: Gunfire exchanged at car dealership: "It's a miracle no one was killed or injured last night at Billy Navarre Chevrolet in Sulphur. That's where shots were exchanged between a police officer and an employee.. It was a miscommunication that could have been deadly. It all started after a burglar alarm at the car dealership on East Napoleon. An employee arrived ahead of police and went inside to check the business. He had a flashlight and a gun. When police saw the employee inside they thought he was an armed burglar and fired shots, while the employee thought he was being fired at by a burglar. General Manager Ryan Navarre says the employee was crouched behind a desk. "I get the most horrific phone call I have ever gotten in my life. An employee is telling me that he's being shot at and he had already called 911 and he still was trying to get help. He was hunkered down in the service department telling me somebody was shooting at him and he returned fire. It was just a horrible situation. While a Sulphur police officer fired first Assistant Chief Glenn Berry says he had good reason to do what he did. "There's no doubt in my mind the officer was justified. He felt that this man was about to shoot his partner in the back. He felt that with every fiber of his being. And he fired in defense of his fellow officer." Police say once officers have been summoned to a building an employee should never go inside-- but should always wait outside with a key. Berry emphasizes, "Do not go into the business. Do not arm yourself when you go there. Wait in your vehicle until police arrive. Then open the door for them. Speak with the police. Don't go into the business. In this case this could have been just a terrible tragedy."



Idiot pols seek victim disarmament, drug war escalation v. border violence : "Legislators in Southwestern states concerned about drug violence in Mexico spilling across the border recommended tighter gun control and stronger law enforcement yesterday. The violence - which has claimed thousands of lives, mostly south of the border - has been attributed to Mexican drug cartels, which one Homeland Security official described as the biggest organized-crime threat facing the United States. Roger Rufe, Homeland Security's head of operations, outlined the agency's plans for protecting the border, a response that includes - but only as a last resort - deploying military personnel and equipment to the region if other agencies are overwhelmed."



15 March, 2009

California: Suspected Drunk Driver Shot In The Arm By Home Owner: "San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Deputies and officers with the California Highway Patrol are investigating a bizarre incident that left one homeowner cleaning up a mess and sent a 18-year-old driver to the hospital with a gunshot wound. Sheriff Investigators are trying to figure out why Los Osos' resident Chris Saletta shot 18-year-old Nicole Galvez in the arm. According to Saletta, Galvez plowed her PT Cruiser through Saletta's fence and into the backyard of his home on the 2000 block of Sombrero Road. Saletta says, he awoke to find Galvez driving her car wildly through his back yard and he was forced to shoot her because he thought she would crash her car into his children's bedroom. Saletta told investigators, the female driver of of the Cruiser collided with a water well pump, ran over his kids bikes and hit the rear porch support to his home. Saletta called 911 to report the rampage then armed himself and tried to approach Galvez. According to Saletta, Galvez refused to get out of her car and continued to drive towards Saletta's home. Saletta said, fearing for his families safety, he then fired one round from a .22 caliber rifle through the passenger side of the car. He told investigators he fired the shot because Galvez was headed straight for his children's bedroom. The Cruiser came to an abrupt stop after Saletta fired the shot. Saletta wounded Galvez with a single shot to her upper arm. Galvez was taken to Sierra Vista Hospital, was treated then arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. A preliminary investigation by the Sheriff's Department reveals that Saletta lawfully fired his weapon in self-defense.



After attacks, Europe panics, escalates victim disarmament: "Several European countries have restricted gun laws in the wake of school massacres, gang violence and other gun-related crimes: Finland announced plans Wednesday to impose stricter restrictions on firearms .. Germany, where a gunman killed at least 11 people Wednesday, raised the legal age for owning recreational firearms from 18 to 21 following a 2002 shooting in Erfurt that killed 16 people, including 12 teachers. Belgian lawmakers passed strict new gun control laws in 2006 in reaction to the racially motivated shooting deaths of a toddler and her black baby sitter in Antwerp. Swiss citizens are demanding a referendum aimed at confining army weapons to military compounds and banning private purchases of pump-action rifles and automatic weapons - following a spate of suicides and homicides. The Portuguese Parliament is currently discussing a government proposal to tighten gun laws .. Denmark's government said last week it will raise the penalty for illegal gun possession .. European Union lawmakers proposed tighter gun control across the bloc last year, including guidelines saying that only people over 18 not deemed a threat to public safety could buy and keep guns. EU members have until 2010 to adopt the measures."



AR: Bill to permit guns in churches revived in wake of pastor's shooting: "An Arkansas lawmaker says she will reintroduce a bill to allow concealed weapons in churches after a deadly Illinois church shooting .. State Rep. Beverly Pyle (R-Cedarville) originally introduced a measure 1/29 to remove `any church or other house of worship' from a list of places where people licensed to carry concealed weapons are prohibited from bringing their guns. The bill passed the Arkansas House of Representatives . but then died on a voice vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee 2/25. After a gunman entered First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., and killed Pastor Fred Winters with a gunshot to the heart . she was making changes to the bill and planned to take it back to the committee hoping for more votes."



IL: Senate committee rejects conceal carry law: "A committee of the Illinois Senate has rejected a proposal to give Illinoisans the right to carry concealed weapons. Senate Bill 1976 would allow county sheriffs to issue concealed carry permits to qualified gun owners. The idea was voted down by members of the Senate Public Health Committee, which is dominated by Chicago-area lawmakers. State Sen. John Jones, a Mount Vernon Republican who sponsored the proposal, said he wasn't surprised by the rejection, given the makeup of the panel. Concealed carry efforts have long been supported by downstate lawmakers, but opposed by Chicago-area lawmakers. The Senate's action makes passage of 3 similar bills making their way through the Illinois House doubtful."



14 March, 2009

Germany's useless gun control: "The horrific tragedy in south-west Germany yesterday, where 15 people died at the hands of 17-year-old gunman Tim Kretschmer, before he died in a shootout with police, will provoke many questions - especially as it came so soon after a similar shooting spree in Alabama. Germany has some of the most onerous gun controls of any country in the world, some passed in response to previous school shootings. Ironically, the German parliament approved tighter gun-control laws on 22 February this year in a move designed to stop the spread of violent crime. The new legislation bans the carrying of replica firearms and so-called airsoft guns as well as knives with a fixed blade of over 12 centimetres. Previous legislation, passed in April 2008, raised the legal age to obtain a gun licence from 18 to 21. Additional medical and psychological tests were also implemented for under-25s, and pump-action shotguns with pistol-shaped grips were banned. This legislation received a sympathetic hearing after a former pupil injured 11 students at a school in the western town of Emsdetten before turning the gun on himself in 2006. In 2002, a shooting at Gutenberg high school in the town of Erfurt in central Germany came on the day that the country's parliament approved a new Bill tightening its already strict gun controls. People wanting to buy a hunting rifle must undergo background checks that can last up to a year and those wanting a gun for sport must be a member of a club and obtain a licence from police. Anyone deemed aggressive, unreliable or with criminal convictions cannot legally buy a gun in Germany. Gun collectors also need a permit."



Georgia Man Shoots Dog to Protect Daughter: "Kenneth Hale Jr. says his neighbor's Bull Mastiff ventured into his yard several times. Last week, Hale's three year old daughter was playing in the yard and the dog charged toward her, so he got his gun and shot the dog. Kenneth Hale says "I feel bad about it I didn't want to shoot the dog, I really didn't and I was hoping he would keep him over there, it was a beautiful dog, it's a bull Mastiff and that dog stands every bit of four feet tall on his back". Thomas County investigators say Hale contacted them on more than one occasion about the dog. The owner of the dog could not be reached for comment and authorities would not release his name."



Tennessee trucker kills intruder: "Authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who allegedly tried to enter a parked tractor-trailer rig in West Knox County. Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley said the incident occurred about 2:30 a.m. at a warehouse parking lot at 10720 Lexington Drive, which runs off of Lovell Road. Killed was James Edward Hodges Jr., 34, of Loudon, according to Dooley. He was trying to break into a tractor-trailer while the driver was asleep in the truck's sleeper cabin, Dooley said. Hodges had approached the truck earlier and tried to open its door, Dooley said. He returned a short time later and broke out a window with a rock. "The suspect returned and was attempting to climb into the truck when the truck driver shot him," Dooley said. Hodges was dead at the scene. The truck driver, 68, was taken to Baptist Hospital West with chest pains and is expected to be admitted, Dooley said. Detectives will be meeting with the Knox County District Attorney General's Office later today to discuss if there will be any charges. Hodges has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1992 for burglary, numerous thefts, driving under the influence, drug charges, aggravated assault, numerous failures to appear, unlawful possession of a weapon, driving while privilege revoked, criminal trespassing, violation of probation, possession of burglary tools."



Michigan homeowner fires shots at burglars: "An armed homeowner in Oshtemo Township scared off a pair of burglars earlier this week when he fired two shots from his gun, police said Tuesday. No one was injured, according to a press release from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office. Police said two suspects broke into the house in the 7000 block of West H Avenue Monday afternoon. They were confronted by the armed homeowner, who fired two shots before the suspects fled in a small vehicle. Deputies located the vehicle and arrested one of the suspects, an 18-year-old man, lodging him on home invasion charges at the Kalamazoo County Jail. Police continue to look for the second suspect, who was only described as a "small individual with longer hair," the press release said."



13 March, 2009

A British rarity: "A homeowner has been cleared of murder after he shot and killed a bodybuilder at point-blank range when he tried to break into his house. Kenneth Batchelor, 51, fired a shotgun at "very close quarters" at 42-year-old Matthew Clements, who had climbed the scaffolding of his home to try to force open an upstairs window. Mr Batchelor had received a barrage of threatening phone calls from Mr Clements, a 20-stone nightclub bouncer, who was demanding maintenance money from the Batchelor family following a former relationship between his girlfriend and Mr Batchelor's brother Gary, which produced three children. The jury at Maidstone Crown Court took just one hour unanimously to acquit Mr Batchelor of the murder of Mr Clements who, the court heard, had an "explosive temper" and had become "fixated" with demanding money from the Batchelor family. Mr Batchelor wept as the jury returned their verdict. During his trial, they heard that Mr Clements started to "demand money with menaces" and had begun to make threatening phone calls in November 2007 after drinking heavily and smoking cannabis. The court also heard that Mr Clements, from Ashford in Kent, was "well known" to police, settled disputes by violence and had once turned up at a garage to threaten the manager with an Uzi submachine gun. Mr Batchelor, a mechanic, legally owned the shotgun which killed Mr Clements with one shot to the chest, and told the court that it had discharged accidentally as he stood terrified at a top floor window which Mr Clements was trying to open...."



NH: No charges against Brinks guard in shooting: "There will be no criminal charges against a Brinks guard who shot at two teenagers driving away from an attempted unarmed robbery, District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. Blodgett said after discussing the matter with his office's lawyers, he made the decision not to prosecute the armored truck guard, who police said was the victim of the attempted robbery. "We reviewed all the facts and circumstances and felt that it would not be in the interest of justice to bring any action against the guard," Blodgett said yesterday.... Police said that late on the morning of Jan. 14, Isaac Sosa, 18, of 100 Berkeley St., second floor, Lawrence, and Christopher Delarosa, 19, of 275 Andover Road, Billerica, tried to rob a Brinks armored truck guard who was about to replenish an ATM in a Bank of America kiosk at Riversedge Plaza. Police said the Brinks guard fired his handgun at the car as Sosa and Delarosa drove away and that the bullet struck the rear of their car. Sosa and Delarosa were arraigned in Haverhill District Court on unarmed robbery charges while Delarosa also was charged with assault and battery. During their initial arraignment in Haverhill, prosecutor John DePaulo said Sosa had waited nearby in his father's car while Delarosa tried to rob the guard. DePaulo said Delarosa punched the guard in the face, made an unsuccessful grab for the bag of money, then fled in Sosa's car. The men were captured minutes later by police on Route 125 in Plaistow, N.H."



Deadly commotion in South Africa: "Former Big Brother housemate and security specialist "Bad Brad" Wood has helped police arrest robbers after a shootout that left one robber dead, another injured and a policeman shot in the arm. Gunshots ripped across Louis Botha Avenue in Orange Grove at noon on Wednesday after three robbers attacked a supermarket just as a patrolling police car drove by and spotted them. The main road was cordoned off. "I pulled in and heard a whole commotion going on. There were a lot of taxis and people running around and I saw a policeman get shot," said Wood, who happened to be driving to a venue nearby. One robber tried to leave the shop and was shot in the doorway, where he died. Wood said he joined up with an inspector and a constable, and together they entered the supermarket, where they found two suspects hiding in the roof. Wood said he climbed into the roof and managed to get the suspects down, and they were arrested on the scene - one of them having sustained a flesh wound to his buttocks. Asked whether he had shot anyone, Wood declined to comment, on advice of his lawyer, but said that his gun had been taken in by the police for ballistics testing. "I am not saying anything about shooting anyone - but I can tell you that I double tapped (shot at) the first suspect, I double tapped the second guy and then I did a bit of cover fire in the roof. So all in all, it was six shots and now I am minus my gun," Wood said. Captain Phillip Maganedisa of Norwood police said the robbers had entered the supermarket at noon and closed the doors. At the same time a patrol car drove past, and one of the robbers fired shots at police".



IL: Annual gun lobby day : "Several thousand Illinois gun owners are expected to descend upon the Capitol tomorrow for the annual Illinois Gun Owner Lobby day. The event, sponsored by the Illinois State Rifle Association, IllinoisCarry.com, GunsSaveLife, and the Sangamon County Rifle Association, brought about 2,500 supporters to Springfield last year. The event kicks off with a march to the Capitol and a rally on Capitol steps. The groups will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. The women attending the lobby day have asked to meet with Gov. Pat Quinn and plan to present him with letters pressing for a concealed carry law in Illinois. Currently only two states - Illinois and Wisconsin - do not permit concealed carry of handguns."



12 March, 2009

Supreme Court passes on Bloomberg gun suit: "New York's lawsuit against gun manufacturers has been declined for review by the Supreme Court. New York sued several gun manufacturers in 2000, arguing the companies violated a state public nuisance law with their marketing and distribution of the firearms products they sell. There was one problem: A federal law enacted in 2005 sought to shield gun makers from lawsuits like the one New York filed, prompting a federal judge to throw the case out. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York in April 2008 upheld that ruling by a 2-1 vote. This was a setback--not only for anti-gun mayor Mike Bloomberg and his coalition of anti-self defense mayors, but also for the left-leaning activist judge Jack B. Weinstein, who did his best to facilitate the lawsuit's progress in spite of the clear intent of the law. Still unclear are the lengths Bloomberg & Co. went to in their zealous pursuit to gin up further restrictions on our right to keep and bear arms. We know in a tandem effort that he hired private investigators to go after private gun shops, and gave all appearances that so-called "straw sales," where someone who can pass the background check buys guns on behalf of someone who cannot, were being conducted in those stores.



SAF challenges DC handgun ban scheme : "The Second Amendment Foundation and three Washington, D.C. residents today filed a lawsuit challenging a regulation by District of Columbia city government that arbitrarily bans handguns based on a roster of `acceptable' handguns approved by the State of California. The District is using this list despite a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer that protects handguns that ordinary people traditionally use for self-defense. This scheme could eventually bar the ownership of any new handguns. Attorney Alan Gura, representing the plaintiffs in this case, noted that District bureaucrats `told Tracy Ambeau Hanson her gun was the wrong color.'"



Bad legal advice: "I will bet good money that you have heard the advice "If you shoot an intruder on the porch, the first thing you do is drag him inside". I have yet to meet someone who hasn't heard this gem from an uncle, grandfather or cousin twice-removed. The person giving the advice often seeks to imbue it with authority by swearing that it was a police officer, judge or attorney who shared this sage wisdom with them. As a law student and as a self-defense instructor, I can say without fear of contradiction that this is almost certainly the single worst piece of legal advice that you have ever been given. The parameters under which one may justifiably use deadly force are extremely narrow and do not depend for their validity upon occurring in any given place. If you are justified in using deadly force upon your porch and then decide to avail yourself of this advice, the cloud this will place upon your actions will put you in a virtually indefensible legal position. Think about it. The logical implication of this anecdote is that the simple presence of an intruder in your home would provide legal justification for you to use deadly force against that intruder. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Imagine a scenario under which you and your family return home to find that a neighbor has become inebriated, broken into your house, and is passed out on your couch. Based upon the advice embedded in the "drag him inside" anecdote, shouldn't you have the right to use deadly force against this neighbor? Of course not! There is no threat embodied by the unconscious intruder and it is imminent threat that is the real legal touchstone where self-defense is concerned."



11 March, 2009

Utah Clerk Grabs Gun, Kills Robber: "Police say just after midnight, a clerk was taking out the trash when someone came up behind her and threatened her with a gun. "He told her he wanted the money," said Sgt. Greg Peterson, Sanpete County Sheriff's Office. "He had her tie up the other clerk and then he set down his gun and began to tie her up." While he was distracted, the other clerk, a 20-year-old woman, wriggled free and grabbed his 22 caliber rifle. "She pointed it at him and he went for the gun and the gun went off," Sgt. Peterson said. "It ended up shooting him and it ended up being a fatal wound." The single shot struck 42-year-old Antonio Espinosa Ramos in the head. He died before police arrived. Mike Sorenson, a regular customer at the store who knows the clerk, says she is a sweet, petite woman who is an experienced hunter."



OK: Man shot, killed by homeowner : "A Shawnee man was shot and killed by a homeowner late Wednesday night at a rural home on Old Highway 270 near Shawnee. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case as a homicide, but no arrests have been made. It will be up to the district attorney's office to review the case and determine if charges are warranted or if the shooting falls under Oklahoma's `Make My Day' law. . Booth said it appears Poncho went to the residence and knocked on the front door. When the homeowner answered, Poncho reportedly stepped inside the home, Booth said, and there was a slight altercation between the two men, who reportedly knew each other. `The homeowner had a pistol with him,' Booth said, `and shot Mr. Poncho one time in the chest.' Poncho fell back onto the porch and the homeowner called 911."



Poll: 75% believe 2nd Amendment guarantees right to own gun : "According to Rasmussen Reports, 'seventy-five percent (75%) of Americans believe the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of an average citizen to own a gun, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 14% say gun ownership is not a constitutional right. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure.'"



Gun hater's red herrings : "Denver Gun Rights Examiner Dan Bidstrup recently posted a thoughtful article on trying to reach out to people that don't understand `gun rights' for what they are. This is a thorny topic, given that many reasonable people are already so fed up with being sanctimoniously harassed, attacked, and spat upon by the hardcore disarmers that they have no interest left for any attempt at discourse, even with those in the middle who may be more just ignorant than truly belligerent. Personally, I've always been a sucker for hope and redemption, and although I sympathize - strongly - with the `decades of politely begging for a civil conversation has got us nowhere' point of view, I can't help but continue with each person as though the conversation has started all over from the beginning."



10 March, 2009

CA: Jury Believes Slaying Was Self-Defense: "An East County man who shot and killed a man he thought was stealing copper was acquitted of multiple charges, including manslaughter. Joseph "Bob" Orlosky, 57, was found not guilty in the slaying of Charles Crow, 23. Also shot in the incident was Hector Monget, 29. During the trial, Orlosky told the court he shot at a Jeep the men were riding in after he believed he heard was a gunshot. It was the second trial for Orlosky in the case. He was acquitted of murder at that trial and retried on lesser charges."



SC: Ambushed pizza man kills attacker: "An Irmo pizza delivery man ambushed by a group of young men trying to rob him Saturday night shot and killed one of his attackers, the Lexington County Sheriff's Department announced Sunday afternoon. One of his assailants, Paul Andrew Sturgill Jr., 17, of 5819 Kenna Drive near Irmo, was pronounced dead of gunshot wounds later at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Sheriff James Metts said. The shooting took place about 10:25 p.m. Saturday on Avery Place Lane, a quiet residential street less than a quarter-mile from Irmo High. Sturgill lay on the ground next to a driveway bleeding from wounds in the chest and stomach for a half-hour before medics arrived on the scene, neighbors said Sunday night. The pizza delivery man, Christopher Steven Miller, 43, had a concealed weapons permit and was trying to retreat from his attackers while being beaten by one of them, Metts said. Such a permit allows a person to carry a hidden gun. Miller carried a .45-caliber Taurus handgun in a fanny pack and took it out and fired while being beaten backward, Metts said. Such large caliber pistols are known for their "stopping power" - the ability to bring down an attacker instantly. No weapons were recovered from Sturgill, Metts said. Metts said Sunday afternoon it appears Miller acted within the law and will not face charges. However, police have made no final decisions and will discuss the incident with prosecutors, he said."



North Carolina Shooting May Have Been Self-Defense: "Police in Hickory are trying to figure out if a shooting early Friday morning was a case of self-defense. That shooting happened at a home on Fifth Avenue Southwest around 4:30 a.m. Police said Terry Lee Atkins was shot in the chest and then went to two homes nearby looking for help. Investigators believe Atkins may have gone to a home with a .12-gauge shotgun to rob the people inside, but was instead met with gunfire. The homeowners said they had no choice. Investigators recovered a shotgun dropped in a nearby yard. Police said Atkins underwent surgery Friday afternoon. Officers interviewed 12 people in the case. They plan on turning the evidence over to the district attorney's office to determine whether charges should be filed."



Being lawfully armed can, and does, save lives: "On Wednesday morning, I read with great interest the debate on the proposed gun bills and safety (in the Tennessee General Assembly). I first say I am a proponent of such laws and I will state my reasons. What always seems to be puzzling is how the opposition to such laws who want more gun laws in general never offer any facts, statistics, or verifiable proof their opinion has any validity. There are state and municipality statistics all over this country showing dramatic reductions in violent crime when carry-permits are allowed. Ask your local police officer and I believe the vast majority sees law abiding, licensed gun permit carriers as their partners against crime. Even the psychological advantage swings to the victims of violent crime if the crook is not sure whether they will be met with the barrel of a gun as they accost someone. I would think that any would-be victim would like any advantage that could keep them from being targeted."



9 March, 2009

Ohio Apartment Resident Shoots, Kills Robber: "A Bond Hill man shot and killed a robber who tried to break into his home this morning. Police were called to the 7600 block of Glenmeadow Lane around 9:45 a.m. Two men reportedly broke into an apartment there. The apartment owner was shot in the leg. The victim then opened fire on the suspects. One robber, 19 year old Gerald Womble of Avondale was shot and killed in the hallway outside the hallway. The second robber escaped. One man who was waiting in the parking lot for his granddaughter told Local 12 he heard four or five shots. It's not clear whether the apartment resident pursued the robbers out of the apartment. The resident who was shot in the leg was taken to University Hospital and he is expected to be okay."



Texas intruder held at gunpoint: "A rural North Texas woman said she dialed 911 repeatedly but got no answer as an intruder roamed her home in the dark. Laverne Hokett lives in Parker County, just west of Fort Worth. She said she was awakened one night last month by someone breaking through her back door. She dialed 911 several times from her cell phone but got no answer. Then she called her daughter Deborah Turpin. She and her husband arrived at her mother's home and held the intruder at gunpoint while dialing 911 over and over before getting an answer."



Florida shooting self defense: "A deadly shooting in an Orange County neighborhood was determined to be self-defense, according to information released this morning. Investigators say the shooter, 35-year-old Willie Busby, was cooperative during the investigation and was acting in self-defense when he shot a man on his mother's property Thursday afternoon. After the shooting, Busby ran into a patch of woods near the home at 1372 Claracona Road near Apopka. Deputies responded to the shooting around 2:57 p.m. and found 22-year-old Robert Howard dead. An arrest warrant had recently been issued for Howard's arrest in connection to an armed burglary case. Howard is alleged to have stolen an AK-47 assault rifle, an AR-15 assault rifle, a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and two shotguns. It's unclear where that burglary took place. Howard has a long criminal history that includes arrests for trespassing, loitering and several separate arrests for drug possession and intent to distribute charges. His most recent arrest was in November for trespassing."



Alabama man shoots mugger: "An Opelika man approached by a gunman demanding money Thursday night took matters into his own hands by drawing his own weapon and shooting the robber, police said. The report states the robbery took place at 11:46 p.m. in the 1000 block of York Avenue, Opelika police Capt. Allan Elkins said. The victim shot the robber in the buttocks, Elkins said. The injured robber was transported to East Alabama Medical Center, where he is being treated and detained, Elkins said. As of Friday morning, no arrest had been made, Elkins said."



8 March, 2009

La: Woman kills home invader; 2 men booked: "Two men have been booked on charges stemming from a home invasion that ended when a Ville Platte homeowner shot and killed a 19-year-old man she said had pulled a gun on her boyfriend, police said Friday. Gavin Herbert, 18, and Charles Grace, 34, both of Ville Platte, were held on $500,000 bond each in connection with the home invasion late Tuesday that left 19-year-old Antonio Thompson dead, said police Lt. Craig Nicholas. Herbert is accused of participating in the holdup and home invasion while Grace was suspected of planning it, Nicholas added. According to police, Herbert and Thompson broke into one house Tuesday, waited for residents to return, robbed homeowner Kaninsky Larnette and then took him at gunpoint to the home of Nedra Gallow, his girlfriend. Gallow, 24, said in a published account that she answered a knock and found Thompson holding a gun to Larnette. "He ordered us to get on the floor. He hit me with his gun," Gallow told The Advertiser. "My mama started screaming. He pushed her down, and I ran to get the gun to protect myself and my family." She and Thompson pointed their guns at each other, she said, and she ordered him to leave. She said Larnette then grabbed Thompson. While they wrestled on the floor, she shot Thompson once in the leg, according to the report. She also said Larnette grabbed the other man's gun, but she was afraid Thompson had another. "He kept digging in his pocket like he was going for another gun, and I shot him again," Gallow told The Advertiser. "I was not trying to kill anyone. I hated to do it. But I had to."



VA: Dope grower shoots robbery conspirators: :When four Williamsburg-area teenagers traveled to New Kent County this fall looking for marijuana, one of them died, three others ended up with charges that could bring long prison sentences, and the man with the dope disappeared. John W. Chaffin and Robert M. Perez, also 18, told Moore of a small house in Lanexa where they could find "pillowcases full" of marijuana, guns, and "more [dope] than I could imagine," Moore said. After Moore's rambling, often changing testimony today, charges of conspiracy to commit robbery were certified to a grand jury against Chaffin and Perez, who did not make the trip to Lanexa on Oct. 14, the night their friend Christopher Greene was killed. Two defendants who did make the trip were Kodie L. Tyler and Reuben T. Tynes Jr. Charges of conspiracy and attempted robbery were certified against them yesterday. Moore waived the preliminary hearing and is testifying against his former friends and co-defendants. Left for dead behind a marijuana-laden home on U.S. 60 was Greene, also 18. All the young men were students at Bruton High School in York County. Greene died when he pulled a shotgun on the home's resident, John Steven Carter, whose name was never mentioned yesterday and has not surfaced since the shooting." [Chaffin and Perez have now been convicted]



Assault weapons ban: "Never let it be said logic, reason, facts or even the government's own statistics are sufficient to sway liberals from what they've convinced themselves is the answer to a problem, be it real or perceived. The new attorney general's renewed attack on "assault weapons" is just the latest example of this non-think approach. His claim that banning "assault weapons" in the U.S. will somehow deter the violence of the Mexican-drug cartels is silly and certainly hypocritical on its face. He concedes that the cartels are highly organized and financed, and operate on an international scale. Does the attorney general really believe any restrictions in this country would be more than a minor inconvenience to the cartels or any other criminal elements for that matter? Ironically, many of the weapons used by criminals are stolen from government storage facilities - yes, even in the U.S. You can't buy plastic explosives, full-automatic weapons, RPGs, etc., at gun shows. Liberal gun-haters can't seem to grasp the bullet is indifferent about the gun used to shoot it. What the gun looks like makes absolutely no difference. In fact, many "acceptable and respectable" sporting arms are much more powerful and deadly than so-called "assault rifles." My legal, 12-gauge shotgun can discharge more lethal projectiles with one shot than an M-16 or Uzi can with a full magazine, and my 12 gauge holds seven such rounds! With regard to the proposed ten-round-magazine limit, anyone other than a certified klutz can insert a fresh magazine into a semi-auto handgun in about two seconds."



License to kill?: "The gun grabbers always try to tag any legislation or policy favoring guns with a scary label. "Assault weapons," "gun show loophole," "hidden guns," and now "shoot first legislation." What they're referring to with that last one is what we prefer to call Stand Your Ground legislation, and is included in Ohioans For Concealed Carry's list of goals for reforms in 2009. This legislation is the concept that a person attacked in any place he or she has a legal right to be does not have to try to flee before being permitted to use lethal force for self defense. It also requires that those who do use lethal force are to be considered innocent until proven guilty, provided that the defendee was not also committing a crime. It is basically an extension of Castle Doctrine, which was enacted in Ohio last year. If you frame such legislation as protection for victims and explain about being innocent until proven guilty, most people will realize this is a common sense protection for law abiding citizens. Of course, gun control advocates like the Brady Campaign can't have that, so they instead try to scare people by making it seem like it is a license to kill."



7 March, 2009

Ill: Gun shop employee shoots robbery suspect: "Five suspects were in custody after a shooting incident Wednesday afternoon at Schrank's Smoke 'N Gun where police said robbery was the apparent motive. One male suspect was flown to a hospital after suffering three gunshot wounds. An employee of the gun shop was treated at an area hospital. According to witness accounts, a subject went behind the counter at the store at 2010 Washington St., and was engaged with a store clerk in a verbal altercation that turned physical, Waukegan Police Cmdr. Wayne Walles said. At one point, the store clerk produced a pistol and fired at the subject, striking him in the chest twice and once in the leg. The injured male suspect was flown by Flight For Life to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where he was in surgery late Wednesday. The store clerk inadvertently shot himself in the hand during the struggle, police said. Two men outside the store were taken into custody immediately after the shooting. Police Chief William Biang said they were detained because they had been inside the store with the other suspect at some point. Police later said a total of four people, besides the male who was shot, were taken into custody in connection with the incident. The shooting is the second by a store employee in Waukegan in less than six months. A store clerk fatally shot a 20-year-old robber who tried to flee the scene of a grocery store on Lincoln Avenue in October after the North Chicago man entered the store carrying a gun and demanding money. In January, the clerk was cleared of any wrongdoing by a Lake County grand jury which ruled the shooting was in self defense."



NE: Vet denied gun permit over PTSD: "Tim Mechaley . fought in the battle for Fallujah and received a combat medal with a `V' for valor. Back home, he uses a rifle for target shooting. Yet, when Mechaley sought to buy a 9-mm Ruger pistol for protection at his midtown apartment, the Omaha Police Department rejected his application for a gun permit. . Mechaley, 32, has received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service in Iraq. While completing an application for a gun permit, he responded `yes' to a question that asked whether he was being treated for a mental disorder. . As explanation, he wrote `PTSD from Iraq Marine combat veteran' on the form. Mechaley's application . was rejected, he was told, because of that answer."



Proposed assault weapons ban threatens a fundamental right: "Gun owners across America weren't surprised last week when the new U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stated the intent of the Obama administration to renew the expired ban on sales of `assault weapons.' The proposed ban was part of the agenda announced during Obama's campaign, and now the head of the Department of Justice appears to be making it a priority. Whether or not a ban renewal will pass in Congress is questionable, as similar bills in 2007 and 2008 never made it out of subcommittee. Nevertheless, Americans must recognize the ban as a significant infringement of the Second Amendment."



Mexico's gun laws responsible for violent holocaust? : "Research from the United Nations (UN) indicates that it may be Mexico's own restrictive gun control laws which contribute to the country's rising murder rates. In Mexico, possession of firearms above .22 caliber is practically prohibited, though there is a second set of rules for the wealthy. Mexico also requires registration for all civilian gun owners, and federal and state governments actively discourage firearms ownership. Nevertheless, over 6,000 Mexicans have been murdered in the last year - 700 in the past month - due to the battle over the drug trade."



6 March, 2009

Why liberals should support the right to armed self-defense: "The biggest difference I can see is that `right-wing' collectivists prefer to eliminate troublesome people right away (vide the Chilean junta filling Santiago National Stadium with dissidents and other disposable troublemakers following Pinochet's 1973 coup), while left-wingers seek to `re-educate' their victims first before liquidating those deemed incapable of thought reform. A subsidiary distinction: `Lone wolf'-style political violence is more the style of the pseudo-individualist Right, since the Left prefers a more systematic approach. It seems likely that we will see other episodes of `lone wolf'-style armed terrorism by people like Adkisson and Baker - comets dragged out of conservatism's Oort Cloud, or perhaps given a nudge sun-ward by federal agents of mayhem deployed for that purpose. Given the possibility that people perceived as `liberals' will be targeted for future politically inspired violence - in addition to the increase in routine criminal violence that will occur as the depression deepens - a question urges itself upon us: Why aren't liberals (with a few worthy exceptions) reconsidering their opposition to the right to armed self-defense? Why aren't they buying guns, rather than supporting measures intended to take them away from others?"



Would you rather feel safe or be safe?: "When it comes to self defense, you have three options. Jump at every noise because you never feel safe, bury your head in the sand and pretend nothing bad is going on so that you feel safe, or prepare to defend yourself so that you are better prepared to be safe. I find it interesting that a lot of the same people who claim that those who choose to carry a firearm for personal protection are paranoid are the same ones who oppose concealed carry because they claim gun owners are primed and ready to blow someone away for any perceived slight. Which segment is the paranoid ones?"



DC: Victim disarmament loophole lets 15 keep semiautomatics : "For the next three years, as many as 15 D.C. residents will enjoy a right denied their neighbors - the right to own recently banned semiautomatic weapons. A discrepancy between D.C. laws approved last year enabled the residents to register semiautomatic firearms now listed as illegal in the nation's capital. D.C. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said roughly 15 weapons registered in the city 'sit in this zone of uncertainty.' The city's statutes now state residents must register their guns every three years. Mr. Nickles said those who have the semiautomatics will be prohibited from renewing their registrations, meaning the weapons would no longer be legal in the District. The loophole is the result of the District's repeated attempts to comply with the Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down the city's decades-old ban on handguns."



"Assault weapons" : "While the putrid economy, the war in Iraq and President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office continue to dominate the news cycle, one story slipped in under the radar this week. Arguably, it was to me - as it should be to you - the most important story of the week. The Obama administration is hoping to reinstate the assault weapons ban that was started in President Clinton's term and that expired in 2004 .. While, on the surface, it seems reasonable - who wouldn't want to keep `assault weapons' out of the hands of the general public? - when you dig just a bit deeper, the truth starts to come out. For instance, what qualifies a firearm as an assault weapon? Is it a firearm that is fully automatic or semi-automatic?"



5 March, 2009

CA: Jewelry Store Owner Stops Robbery With Gun: "Two men broke into a jewelry store Tuesday morning in Old Town and were shot at by the shop's owner, police said. The owner of Celebrity Gems and Jewelry at 2529 Congress St. was investigating a noise around 3:15 a.m. and discovered two men in dark clothing taking merchandise, San Diego police Sgt. Bob Dare said. One of the men appeared to have a handgun and turned toward the shop owner, who then fired two shots toward the thieves, Dare said. It was not immediately clear whether either of the thieves was wounded. They fled in a red sport utility vehicle, possibly a Ford Explorer, Dare said. The jewelry shop owner was not hurt. Police described the thieves as Hispanic males, around 20 to 25 years old. One was about 5 feet 6 and 145 pounds, while the second was 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 with a thin build, Dare said."



The import ban cometh: "Back in mid-February, U.S. Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) wrote a letter to the president urging enforcement of the 'sporting purposes' clause of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Under this clause, enthusiastically enforced by Presidents Bush the Elder and Clinton, firearms that are determined not to `be generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes' could not legally be imported. That might not be such a problem, except for the fact that apparently, defending one's life, family, and liberty are not considered 'sports.' I suppose many would regard a `National Would-Be Tyrant Killing League' as being in poor taste. Pity - that sounds like something worth watching."



When lighters are outlawed: "This just goes beyond words. I was going to go into everything from driving a car to my immigrant grandfather to Audie Murphy, or even to unaccompanied minors riding buses while armed, but what's the point? This is what our rulers think of us - that they are the arbiters of what we can be trusted with and when. This is the crux of the `gun control argument.' That presumptuous mandarins such as Oletha and Mark dare even weigh in on this shows how far we as a society have allowed the principle of self rule to degrade. These are servants who forget their place, ignorant and petty usurpers, and it's time for free men and women to cast such as these out."



Assault weapons ban - wrong again: "The assault weapons ban of 1994 was wrong. It was a bad law. It infringed the right to keep and bear arms. It also made idiotic and ridiculous distinctions amongst items of ordinary sheet metal and plastic. The world was a slightly better place when it expired in 2004 - in spite of ignoramus tyrant George W. Bush's promise to sign into law an extension if Congress would only pass one. Now attorney generalissimo and all-around bad guy Eric Holder - -who thinks Americans are cowards (or was that only white Americans) - has announced he plans to bring back the bad law."



4 March, 2009

GA: Intruder stabbed and shot at: "After the house was taped off and Baird was released, he told the deputy he was lying in bed when he was suddenly awakened. When he woke up, he saw a white male wearing a black ski mask, a black sweater and black pants and carrying a pistol. The alleged robber, later identified as Coleman, demanded money from Baird, but Baird stated he did not have any money. When Coleman did not leave, Baird grabbed a filet knife from near his bed and stabbed Coleman once in the lower abdomen, investigator's reports said. Coleman fled the scene and ran toward Highway 133 North, and Baird stated he got into his truck and followed him. Coleman was spotted kneeling down in a grassy area when Baird grabbed a rifle and shot at Coleman. He then fled toward the road once again, the report stated. Deputies searched the area but could not find Coleman, so K-9 units from Colquitt and Cook Counties were called in to search. He was found with a stab wound to his abdomen and was rushed to meet Colquitt County EMS in Sigsbee. Deputies also found a mask and a gun at the scene near Coleman, the report stated. Colquitt County Sheriff's Investigator Lt. Shannon Hart said the gun was later determined to be a BB gun. Had the search dogs not found Coleman when they did, he could have died from the significant blood loss from the stab wound, authorities said."



UT: Bill would allow loaded guns in cars of law-abiding citizens: "A bill that would allow a law-abiding citizen to carry a loaded gun in a car - if that person owns the car or has permission from the owner - passed a House committee Monday.HB357, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, also makes it legal to have a loaded weapon in a home, which is currently against the law without a permit. . Sandstrom said the new version helped clarify what he called an ambiguous law. `Self-defense is a fundamental right under the Second Amendment,' Sandstrom said. `Law-abiding citizens should be able to choose how to carry a weapon for self-defense.' The bill moves to the full House for further action."



TN: One in four state legislators holds gun permit : "Tennesseans may want to treat their state legislators with a little more respect in the future: Records show one out of every four members of the Tennessee General Assembly has a state-issued permit to carry a loaded handgun. Thirty-four of the legislature's 132 members hold handgun-carry permits, according to Department of Safety records cross-referenced with other available information .. That comes to 25.75 percent of the membership of the House and Senate, a figure about five times the percentage among the state's general population. In the 33-member Senate, one third or 11 senators, have a handgun-carry permit. Twenty-three legislators in the 99-member House - or 23.2 percent - have permits, records show."



Gun rights versus human rights: "By constantly using the phrase `gun rights' instead of `individual' or `human' rights (even though the adjective for the former makes no sense and the adjectives for the latter are redundant), Wayne [LaPierre] shifted the focus from the individual and his freedom to a focus on the physical object of a gun. Starting from the latter point, the discussion merely deteriorates into a `debate' as to which guns are or or not permissible. It's the same error so many people on all sides make on the inane arguments that consume Americans. . Freedom is about people, not about things."



3 March, 2009

GA: Homeowners open fire on thieves: "A well-armed couple opened fire with an assault rifle and pistol early Friday morning on some car thieves in southwest Atlanta. The couple at a home in the 1900 block of Childress Drive told police that after somebody tried to steal their car last week, they rigged up a homemade alarm in their carport using string and cans. . about 2 a.m. Friday the cans started making noise, indicating intruders were in their carport. The couple swung into action. The husband picked up a pistol and ran outside to confront the thieves. The wife grabbed an AK-47 assault rife and joined her husband outside. They found several men driving off in their car. . They told police when the car thieves tried to shoot at them, they opened fire with his pistol and her AK-47. The thieves took off, leaving the couple's car behind. When police arrived they found shell casings littering the driveway and front yard, and the couple's car riddled with bullet holes."



Why they take guns from the people at all: "Paul Harvey, pioneer broadcaster of conservative news and comment in his content of patriotic topics and observations of marriage success models, passed away this weekend at the age of ninety. As consistent as such patriots tend to be, Paul Harvey was a supporter of the Armed Citizen, naturally. I have listened to him since 1968. n remarks made in 2000, Harvey noted how gun control was merely one step in the takeover of whole peoples around the world, with deaths numbering around 56 million in the last century alone. Totalitarian regimes begin as harmless and with good intentions, but they eventually get around to murder in the name of the state. . In his loyal warnings and remarks, Harvey described several case histories of nations who were disarmed before terror reigned. In case after case, nation after nation, as in the case of Nazi Germany and in Cambodia and elsewhere, millions of `educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated."



VA: Kaine to veto guns-in-bars bill : "Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said today he would veto legislation passed by the General Assembly yesterday that would allow holders of concealed weapons permits to bring their hidden guns into establishments that serve alcohol. `I'm very nervous about the public safety impact of that bill,' the governor said on his monthly call-in radio show on WRVA in Richmond."



DC voting rights bill tied to gun laws: "The Senate approved a bill Thursday to provide the nation's capital with a voting representative in the House, but it came with a hitch. An amendment was added that would repeal most of the city's gun-control regulations. Approved by a 61-37 vote, the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act would expand the House for the first time since 1913, providing a vote for Washington and an additional seat for Utah, which narrowly missed getting one after the last census. The measure is likely to end up in the courts, however, even if a similar bill passes the House, as is expected next week. President Obama has said he will sign the legislation."



2 March, 2009

NY: Crazed bar patron shot dead by off-duty sheriff's deputy: "An off-duty sheriff's deputy shot and killed a bar patron in the Chester Mall parking lot Saturday as the frenzied man repeatedly throttled his SUV at a bouncer who had ejected him from the bar, police and eyewitnesses said. The dead man was identified as a Goshen resident. Chester Mayor Philip Valastro said the victim's name was being withheld because police could not find his family. Sheriff Carl DuBois identified the deputy as 30-year-old Jeremy Yela, a K9 officer who's been with the sheriff's office since 1998. DuBois said Yela has been placed on a seven-day administrative leave. The shooting happened about 12:15 a.m. at G.W.'s Sports Grill in the Chester Mall. The patron was kicked out of the bar after he got into an argument with another customer. He then got into his silver SUV and sped toward the bouncer, who was standing outside. Bar owner John Salerno was not at the bar when the incident happened, but his workers told him that the crazed driver threw his SUV into reverse after his first pass at the bouncer and tried twice more to hit the man. At some point the driver struck the bouncer, who suffered a broken leg. Witnesses told Salerno that Yela, who was off-duty, identified himself as a police officer several times as he tried to stop the driver. He then pulled his gun and shot the man, killing him."



Georgia homeowner shoots, kills intruder at door: "Gwinnett County police say a homeowner shot and killed 1 of the intruders when two men kicked in his front door. The incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. Friday when the men knocked at the door and when no one answered, kicked it in. Police spokeswoman Illana Spellman said the resident fired, striking and killing one in the doorway. She said the second man ran away and police using search dogs were unable to find the man. No charges have been filed in the incident



Fending off fascism: "Sure, Hitler could have taken Switzerland. It's just that the cost was too high. One comment from his staff was `Switzerland doesn't have an army, Switzerland is an army.' That country has roughly one gun for every three people, many of them full automatic army-issued assault rifles. Military basic training is universal for men, and when they go home from boot camp, they take the rifle they learned on and keep it the rest of their lives. Shooting is a national pastime with local and regional contests most weekends. When the military upgrades their arms, they sell off the other guns to their people. The suicide rate is average for Europe, although gun suicides are higher."



Must not mention guns on Connecticut campus: "For CCSU student John Wahlberg, a class presentation on campus violence turned into a confrontation with the campus police due to a complaint by the professor. On October 3, 2008, Wahlberg and two other classmates prepared to give an oral presentation for a Communication 140 class that was required to discuss a "relevant issue in the media". Wahlberg and his group chose to discuss school violence due to recent events such as the Virginia Tech shootings that occurred in 2007. Shortly after his professor, Paula Anderson, filed a complaint with the CCSU Police against her student. During the presentation Wahlberg made the point that if students were permitted to conceal carry guns on campus, the violence could have been stopped earlier in many of these cases. He also touched on the controversial idea of free gun zones on college campuses. That night at work, Wahlberg received a message stating that the campus police "requested his presence". Upon entering the police station, the officers began to list off firearms that were registered under his name, and questioned him about where he kept them. They told Wahlberg that they had received a complaint from his professor that his presentation was making students feel "scared and uncomfortable".



1 March, 2009

Alabama car repossession goes bad: "Alone in his mobile home off a winding dirt road, Jimmy Tanks heard a commotion at 2:30 a.m. just outside his bedroom window: Somebody was messing with his car. The 67-year-old railroad retiree grabbed a gun, walked out the back door and confronted not a thief but a repo man and two helpers trying to tow off the Chrysler Sebring. Shots were fired, and Tanks wound up dead, a bullet in his chest. The man who came to repossess the car, Kenneth Alvin Smith, is awaiting trial on a murder charge in a state considered a Wild West territory even by the standards of an industry that's largely unregulated nationally. Since Tanks' death last June, two other repo men from the same company Smith worked for were shot, one fatally. "It's gotten to where it's a crazy world out there," said Smith, 50, an ex-Marine who preaches part-time and sings gospel music. Smith said Thursday that he fired in self-defense after Tanks fired a shot. Federal law says workers can't "breach the peace" while repossessing items, but it doesn't go further to state just what that means, leaving definitions up to courts. All three Alabama shootings were in the middle of the night, which an industry leader said was a sign of a problem. It was June 26 that the repo man came for Tanks' car in Halsell, a tiny, rural Choctaw County town near the Mississippi line. Tanks already had filed for bankruptcy and was behind on his payments, court documents show. Tanks heard a noise and went outside with a gun, something anybody would do, said Choctaw County Sheriff James Lovette, who knew Tanks for years. Smith was indicted Tuesday, but no charges were filed against a man and his teenage son who accompanied Smith, said Lovette. Smith's defense lawyer, Rusty Wright, said Tanks came out of the trailer and fired, and that Smith "just wanted to stop him." "This is not the gunslinging cowboy that people think about with repo guys," Wright said. "(Smith) wasn't out to kill the guy."



Colorado: Pellet Gun Scares Would-Be Robber: "A suspect armed with a revolver ran away after a Woodland Park store clerk pulled out a pellet gun and told him to leave Thursday. He is considered armed and dangerous by police. The robbery happened at the 99 Auto Detail on 219 South West Street in Woodland Park just before noon. Police say the suspect walked into the business showed a small revolver and demanded all the money. The owner Glenn Kothe went to the area where the money is kept and picked up a pellet gun pointed it at the suspect and told him to leave. The suspect ran from the business. Nothing was taken, no one was hurt. The suspect is described by police as a white male [race mentioned! How surprising!], early 20's, approximately 6 foot, 175 pounds, short brown hair, GI haircut. The suspect was last seen wearing blue jeans and a long sleeve crew neck shirt which was darker than the jeans."



Disarming the poor: "One particularly insidious method employed by the citizen disarmament lobby is banning so-called `Saturday Night Specials,' alternatively referred to as `junk guns' - inexpensive handguns, in other words. Although the term `Saturday Night Special' did not exist in 1879, the first law of this type was Tennessee's `Army and Navy Law' of that year. . The motivation behind such a law is not hard to guess. With laws explicitly prohibiting gun ownership by blacks no longer feasible, because of the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1875, the racists had to be (slightly) more subtle in their efforts to keep blacks disarmed, and thus subject to domination."



MD: Bill to deny gun offenders bail advances: "One of Mayor Sheila Dixon's top priorities for the General Assembly advanced yesterday when the House of Delegates gave preliminary approval to a measure to prevent bail commissioners from releasing convicted gun offenders if they are arrested again. The law, which Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III has said will `take guns out of the hands of bad guys,' would require courts to hold convicted gun offenders on a no-bail status if they have a new arrest. The bill still requires final approval by the House and consideration by the Maryland Senate."