Thursday, November 5, 2009

Another Vegas Police Shooting

MercuryNews.com reports on the latest police shooting in Las Vegas.

A former Libertarian congressional candidate on Tuesday denied police accounts that he pulled a gun while running from a Las Vegas police officer who shot him last week.

Raymond James Duensing Jr. said he was the author of a Web posting that acknowledged he had a gun and a knife in his pockets when he ran from Officer David Gilbert after he was stopped in a rental car for a traffic violation. He also wrote that he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered.

"I NEVER pulled either of these items out of my pockets," he wrote.

Of course the police give a different description.

Police said Duensing had been sought on a warrant on a misdemeanor traffic violation and that he became "extremely agitated and noncompliant" with Gilbert, a 16-year department veteran.

Duensing said he was standing outside the vehicle with his hands raised, "calmly speaking to the cop attempting to talk my way out of being taken to jail over an unpaid high-occupancy vehicle ticket" when Gilbert shocked him with a Taser stun gun.

Duensing said that prompted him to run, fearing the electrical charge would aggravate heart problems he said he has had since birth.

Is it possible for someone to flee AFTER being shocked with a taser?

What's an "unpaid high-occupancy vehicle ticket?" Is that having too many people in the car?

What about the fact that "he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered?" What kind of a person does that? Do you think the kind of paranoia that causes a person to always carry a gun and "at least one knife," could be consistent with the police description of "extremely agitated and non compliant?" Certainly you don't think that's the proper behavior for a law abiding gun owner, do you?

Please leave a comment.

17 comments:

  1. His version of the story sounds pretty bizarre. Cops usually don't taser or shoot people who are "calmly getting out of a car."

    This guy is planning to run against Harry Reid? Well, good luck on that!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I carry a gun and two knives. One knife is for utility work, the other for self-defense. A knife is a good thing to have when an attacker is too close for the safe use of a gun. Not paranoid at all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "What about the fact that "he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered?" What kind of a person does that?"

    Cops.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Is it possible for someone to flee AFTER being shocked with a taser?"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVUY2C4ln0Y

    Very easily. You know doing 10 seconds of research will make you look a LOT smarter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "What about the fact that 'he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered?' What kind of a person does that? Do you think the kind of paranoia that causes a person to always carry a gun and 'at least one knife,' could be consistent with the police description of 'extremely agitated and non compliant?' Certainly you don't think that's the proper behavior for a law abiding gun owner, do you?"

    I have carried at least one knife on me every day since I was 12 years old. At night my knife is on the dresser with my keys, wallet, money clip and flashlight. It all goes in my pockets every day. As for a gun, unless I am going to a criminal protection zone like a school or courthouse, I nearly always have a gun on me. As far as that making me non-compliant, that is silly. I have to comply with laws while carrying a gun. How can you get more compliant than jumping through all of the hoops to legally carry the most regulated product in the history of government?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I carry a knife on me everyday. Knives are useful tools.

    Not great for self-defense, but they're better than nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. MikeB,

    " What kind of a person does that?

    Are you asking what type of person actually follows the law?

    Or are you asking what type of person carries a firearm?

    Do you think the kind of paranoia that causes a person to always carry a gun and "at least one knife," could be consistent with the police description of "extremely agitated and non compliant?"

    I carry a firearm, not because I'm paranoid, but because I want to be prepared.

    I carry a knife because I have found it to be useful nearly every day.

    What type of person buys firearms illegally?

    Do you think that type of behavior is consistent could be consistent with the police description of "extremely agitated and non compliant?"

    ReplyDelete
  8. I always carry something for self-defense—and I have for almost 20 years. What is your problem with that?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Guav, Have you had to use that something that you've carried for twenty years?

    ReplyDelete
  10. "Guav, Have you had to use that something that you've carried for twenty years?"

    Been riding in cars for 30 years. Always wear a safety belt, even while parked. Been in a few accidents, but never one where the seat belt went tight on me. Should I stop wearing it?

    Lived in houses for 30 years. My Smoke alarms have only be used to chastise me for setting a poor draft in the wood stove, or to remind us that dinner is ready. Should I throw them away?

    How about those fire extinguishers I have?

    Logic is not your strong point, Mike!

    ReplyDelete
  11. In 25 years, I have used a gun twice to defend myself and once to defend my cat.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've had a smoke alarm for 20 plus years, and never had to use it (going off because you are a bad cook doesn't count). What is the point mikeb? If we don't use something we shouldn't have it?
    Health insurance?
    Car insurance?
    Car muffler?
    Spare tire?
    Flame retardant pajamas?
    Wedding dress?
    Skinny jeans?
    Betamax machine?

    ReplyDelete
  13. "Logic is not your strong point, Mike!"

    That's the understatement of the century Weer'd.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yes Mike, I have. On three occasions I have had to physically defend myself from multiple attackers, twice with pepper spray and once with a knife. Thankfully, I've not had any similar experiences in almost 15 years.

    I believe in being prepared to defend myself and carrying items that enhance my ability to do so specifically because of my experiences and the experiences of those close to me.

    This isn't a theoretical discussion for me.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I haven't had to defend myself personally, but I know others who have, and I know people who were victims of violent crime and were not able to defend themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What's an "unpaid high-occupancy vehicle ticket?"

    That's a ticket someone receives for driving in the HOV (High-Occupancy Vehicle) lane on a freeway while alone in their vehicle - such lanes are set aside for vehicles with two or more occupants (based on giving car-pools a faster commute). Apparently, Duensing had gotten such a ticket and had failed to pay it.

    Don't get out much, do you, Mike?

    Cops usually don't taser...people who are "calmly getting out of a car."

    This is both ignorant and stupid - recent history is, cops Taser-zap people - frequently - the way cops used to whack people with billy clubs or slapjacks, or spray them with pepperspray; namely, because:

    a) the person ran from them initially or (as here) is giving them some kind of verbal disagreement, which annoys the cop;

    b) the person is either challenging the cop's exertion of authority, or the cop chooses to see their behavior that way;

    c) the cop is having a bad day (for whatever reason[s]), and would really like to shoot the person, but doesn't think they can justify it as a "good shooting", and doesn't want to do the paperwork involved anyway.

    Cops loooove them some Taser...doesn't always work as well as they might like, 'cause it's usually non-fatal, but it sure is fun, watchin' people jump around from 20-30,000 volts and hearin' 'em screech about it...

    Those Vegas cops probably got major grinners out of finding he was carrying a gun (and a knife! Bonus!), so they could whack him with "pulling a gun" as well as "resisting and evading."

    Certainly you don't think that's the proper behavior for a law abiding gun owner, do you?

    It is when a Vegas lawdog pops you with the juice, with no warning, when all you're trying to do is avoid getting jailed for not having paid a silly-assed HOV ticket.

    And no, always carrying a gun - and a knife - is not "paranoia" - it's precautionary. I (legally) carry a gun most of the time - and I've carried a knife ever since I was old enough to be trusted (by my parents) with one, since about age 9 or 10 - and "paranoia" has nothing to do with it.

    That "extremely agitated and non-compliant" scurf is bulls**t, anyway - it's just after-the-fact cop-justification for doing what the cop wanted to do.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous, Thanks for reminding me of those car-pooling lanes. I'd forgotten about them because we don't have 'em where I live and I didn't recognize it from the name of the ticket.

    You and I feel pretty much the same way about the police.

    Thanks for the comment.

    ReplyDelete