Eric Frein, gun nut and extremist right wing domestic terrorist

Eric Frein is the subject of a 1,000 man search, in response to the killing of one law enforcement officer and the attempted killing of another.

Frein has been evading the searchers, including resorting to wearing adult diapers in order to remain vigilant.  His dirty didies have been found in the woods by the searchers along with his AK47.

As we are approaching a second week of this manhunt, social media suggests that either Eric Matthew Frein is part of the Sovereign Citizen movement, or at least is receiving social media support and encouragement from it.  His beliefs seem consistent with those domestic terrorists and extremists, including their gun obsession and their desire to shoot their fellow citizens.

Pure speculation on my part, but given that bunkers filled with weapons and ammunition are characteristic of the right wing nuttery, and given the ability of Frein to avoid capture during this period while people look for him around the clock, he probably has some sort of longer-term hiding place that he is using, something on the order of an underground bunker.

As Frein continues to be spotted, and as the searchers continue to close in, the order has been given to shoot Frein on sight if he does not surrender, which is consistent with reasonable force by law enforcement under the circumstances.

One more example of why we should have stricter gun control; people like Eric Frein should never have weapons, much less military fire power.

Off-Duty Los Angeles Cop Commits Murder

Los Angeles Times

A veteran Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was arrested Wednesday for allegedly shooting and killing a man in Sylmar while off-duty in June, authorities said.

The deputy, Francisco Gamez, 41, has been with the department for 17 years and was last working as a station detective in West Hollywood.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that the deputy's son got into a dispute with another person. The son, they said, called his father to the scene. The deputy allegedly drove up soon after and exchanged words before opening fire from inside his car, striking one man, the sources said.

He then allegedly drove a short distance before shooting at a second person, added the sources, who asked for anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

The other victim, Armando Casillas, 38, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest just before midnight on June 17.

The defensive pro-gun folks always claim cops are worse than civilians at causing collateral damage and committing gun negligence. I suppose they're worse at losing their tempers and committing murder too.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

New Hampshire Man Convicted of Capital Murder

This report comes to us from our frequent contributor, Weer'd Beard. Indeed it has many of the elements I like to write about, not the least of which is the way so-called cop killers are dealt with.

A New Hampshire jury has convicted a man of murdering a police officer in a case that could result in the state's first execution in nearly 70 years.

Michael Addison, 28, showed no emotion as he was convicted Thursday of capital murder in the 2006 death of 35-year-old Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs, whose wife and two young sons were in the courtroom. The verdict came after 12 1/2 hours of deliberations spread over three days.

Even in peace-loving New Hampshire, the message is clear. Don't go around shooting cops. But in all fairness, could it be right and good to treat criminals more harshly who attack the sworn upholders of law and order? Maybe this isn't to say that cops are worth more than ordinary people or that the State is somehow disparaging the regular citizens by doing this. What do you think?

Another interesting element of this case is the attitude of the survivors and colleagues of the victim. I'm always fascinated by what appears to be a desire for revenge.

Many police officers who were present burst into tears or let out a sigh of relief when they heard the verdict. Briggs' wife, Laura Briggs, smiled after the jurors left and hugged the prosecutors.

I don't know what the proper behaviour would be in this situation, thank goodness, since I've never had to be there. But this reaction always strikes me as inappropriate. I could see a grim nodding of approval on the part of the fellow officers. I could see something tearful and similar on the part of the widow, but this rejoicing and, I suppose desperately hoping for the death penalty strikes me as an awful viscious cycle that brings nothing but more misery on all. What's your opinion?

Troy Davis Gets Another Stay

CNN reports that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution Friday for a Georgia death row inmate who had been scheduled to die on Monday. We discussed this case before here and here. Several things came out in those discussions, like the oft-repeated epithet cop-killer, as if that makes the crime worse, the fact that the stays come sometimes only days or hours before the appointment with the needle, the fact that the victim's family wants "it over," and of course the fact that in this case with so many witnesses recanting, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out there might be an injustice in the making.

Amnesty International Executive Director Larry Cox said in a written statement that the organization was "heartened" to hear of the stay of execution.

"Until this point, the compelling issues in this case have been virtually ignored, leaving Georgia vulnerable to the possibility of killing an innocent man."

On the very interesting site called Death Power we read someone who is not afraid to say simply and clearly what his opinion is. It's captured well in the post title, Thank Goodness - Troy Davis Execution put on hold again.

What do you think? Do I sound unsympathetic towards the victim and his family because I'm trying to support Troy Davis? I'm not unsympathetic really. The questions in this post have little to do with the victim, the murder victim. They have to do with the convicted murderer. Did he get a fair trial? Is it a type of political spinning to call him a cop-killer? Is the victim's family interested in justice or vengeance? Would an execution satisfy them?