ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former priest and anger-management counselor who pulled a gun in a traffic dispute on two men who happened to be U.S. Marshals has been sentenced to a year in prison. Fifty-seven-year-old Jose Luis Avila of Annandale pleaded guilty earlier this year in U.S. District Court to assaulting a federal officer.
In January, Avila was driving by the marshals near his home. He honked his horn because he believed they were standing in the road. When he thought one of the marshals made an obscene gesture at him, he pulled out a loaded handgun.
The 12-month sentence was in line with what prosecutors had sought. Defense lawyers wanted probation or time served; Avila has been jailed since January.
Avila has also been ordered to undergo anger management.
Now, I'm all for a guy like this losing his gun rights, obviously he's not your ideal candidate for responsible gun management. But, keeping him in jail seems a bit severe, as does the charge of assaulting a federal officer.
It's difficult to know what exactly happened, but it sounds like those federal marshals who were standing in the street blocking traffic and reacted strongly to the horn being blown at them, were not your ideal examples of law enforcement either. I hate bullying cops as much as FatWhiteMan does. And I hate overly severe sentences for folks who dare to challenge them, even if it is with a gun.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
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