From the AP:
VENUS, Texas - A North Texas deputy has died after being shot in the line of duty in a small town south of Dallas-Fort Worth and a suspect also was fatally shot, authorities said.
Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford said in a statement that the shooting erupted Saturday afternoon near Venus and that a suspect was shot dead by deputies.
Alford didn't identify the suspect or the officer in his release, but local media outlets said Alford later spoke to reporters outside a Fort Worth hospital where the deputy had been rushed and identified him as Clifton Taylor, 31.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said Taylor, who had been with the department for little more than three years, had been shot three times — in his neck, side, and back.
"I can't say enough what a fine officer Clifton Taylor was," Alford was quoted as telling the newspaper. "He will be missed."
A supervisor at the John Peter Smith Hospital, Anthony Vargas, told The Associated Press early Sunday that a man identified as Clifton Taylor was pronounced dead at the Fort Worth hospital on Saturday evening. Vargas said the man had at least one gunshot wound but he declined to release further information.
Alford had said earlier no further information would be released as the investigation continues.
Tim Jones, the agency's spokesman, said in the statement that the sheriff's office "requests your support and prayers during this very trying time in our agency."
Venus is a town of less than 2,000 people, located about 30 miles south of Dallas-Fort Worth. Local reports said Texas Rangers would take part in the investigation as is customary when an officer is shot.
Video footage after the shooting showed law enforcement officers pacing about a shed in a yard while an ambulance stood by and a crime scene photographer worked at the site.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
St. Paul police asking for information after man hospitalized in shooting
from the STrib:
In St. Paul, Minnesota, one of the supposedly safest 10% of the states in this country - where most people are even less safe from gun violence than this.
Peace.
St. Paul police are investigating a shooting on the city's West Side that hospitalized an 18-year-old man late Saturday.Because, nothing says party like a little shooting; nothing says Happy Easter weekend (or, Passover Weekend) like the discharge of a fire arm. What pro-gun advocates like to claim is about a gift from god.
According to police:
Officers responded about 11 p.m. Saturday to a report of a fight in the 400 block of Clinton Av. While on the way, police received reports of gunfire near the scene.
When they arrived, officers found the victim inside a home with a gunshot wound in his upper body..
Police have not established a motive for the shooting, but early investigation points to several fights that broke out during a party at the home where the victim was found.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, one of the supposedly safest 10% of the states in this country - where most people are even less safe from gun violence than this.
Peace.
The Kooky World of Gun Flow
via The Detroit Free Press
The gist of the story is this. The Detroit Police department switched from Glocks to Smith and Wessons. The old Glocks became the property of Smith and Wesson in Indianapolis, I suppose it was like trading in your old car. One of the Glocks was found on a dead criminal in Tulsa.
In that famous gesture of throwing up the hands and proclaiming, "It's not our fault," The Detroit Police Department points to Smith and Wesson.
In a statement, Detroit police said the Glock was previously assigned to the department, but was turned in to the Firearms Inventory Unit on Oct. 27, 2010 as part of the weapon transition from Glocks to Smith and Wesson firearms.
According to an April 30, 2009 news release issued by Smith and Wesson, DPD placed an order for 5,000 pistols and 350 tactical rifles.
“All of the turned in department Glocks became the property of the Smith and Wesson Company as part of the weapons transition,” the statement said. “This company is located in Indianapolis, Ind. The DPD stamp and serial number on firearms were not removed because it is against the law to deface a firearm.”Do you think someone should ask Smith and Wesson to explain? Robert Farago does that kind of investigative reporting sometime, doesn't he? Maybe he'd like to pick up the story.
The sad reality is all too clear, though. The so called draconian gun laws in the US are practically useless. We need proper gun control.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Gun Shops Making Theft Easy
A brick through a window is all it took. Why do you think jewelry stores and banks put their merchandise and cash away at night? Why do you think jewelry stores and banks don't allow a simple pane of glass to be the only barrier between them and the thieves? Why can't gun shops be required to take some of the same common-sense precautions? And finally, why is my questioning these things considered blaming the victims?A Marysville gun shop was broken into and 15 handguns and hundreds of dollars were stolen early this morning, state police out of Newport say.
A window of the West Shore Gun Shop, in the 200 block of Verbeke Street in Marysville, was broken with a brick around 3:45 a.m., police say, and 15 handguns were stolen from display cases and $400 to $500 was taken from the cash register. Police say an alarm in the building was tripped and the burglars fled the scene.
State police arrived on the scene minutes after the alarm went off, but were unable to find any suspects.
Any ideas? Please leave a comment.
2nd Amendment Protection of the Right to Bear Tasers
via David Koppel writing on The Volokh Conspiracy.
What do you think that "defend life, and practice religion" part means. I guess somebody's gonna have to read the thing and tell me about it. Any volunteers?
Please leave a comment.
Perhaps a better idea of what Prof. Volokh is talking about is seen in the full title of his article for the law review.So rules a state judge in Bay City, Michigan. According to the ruling, the regulation of stun guns would be constitutional, but not their prohibition. Other than Michigan, the only states that prohibit stun guns are New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Eugene Volokh’s Stanford Law Review article, Nonlethal Self-Defense examines the Second Amendment issues involving stun guns, chemical sprays, and the like, concluding that they are protected by the Second Amendment.
Nonlethal Self-Defense, (Almost Entirely) Nonlethal Weapons, and the Rights to Keep and Bear Arms, Defend Life, and Practice Religion
What do you think that "defend life, and practice religion" part means. I guess somebody's gonna have to read the thing and tell me about it. Any volunteers?
Please leave a comment.
Philly Teen Accidentally Shoots Himself While Fleeing Police
That's one fleet-footed officer of the law. Maybe that's the problem with the others who shoot fleeing suspects in the back, they eat too many donuts. Not this guy though. He ran the street dealer down and tackled him. Does that sound credible to you?An 18-year-old man fleeing police was fatally shot with his own gun when police tackled him in North Philadelphia early Friday, authorities said.
Khalil Burton, whose last known address was the 500 block of McKinley Street in the Crescentville section, died at Temple University Hospital about 5 a.m.
Just after midnight, police responded to a call about a person with a gun at 13th and Cambria Streets. They saw Burton nearby, police said.
Burton fled and the officers gave chase, tackling him on the 2900 block of North Broad Street, police said. When Burton fell, his gun went off, wounding him in the groin.
Other than that, taking the story as reported (I hate to add too much of my own), I'd say this Philadelphia cop is to be commended. Too bad for the suspect who has no more chance of turning his life around, admittedly there may not have been much chance before, but sudden death is always a tragic waste.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Update on the 11 Year Old Girl Accidentally Shot by Her Father
From the Minneapolis, MN STrib:Girl remains in critical condition after being accidentally shot by father article by: KELLY SMITH , Star Tribune
"It's a traumatic, tragic situation,"Maddy Montanye's uncle said Saturday.
An 11 year-old Pine County girl remained in a medically induced coma Saturday after being accidentally shot by her father two days before.Maddy Montanye was in critical condition at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis after doctors removed the bullet lodged in her brain and extracted parts of her skull Friday to relieve pressure.
"It's a traumatic, tragic situation," said her uncle, Jason Montanye. "She's a strong-willed girl. We're very optimistic things will work out."
She was shot Thursday night when her father's gun went off at their rural Braham, Minn., home.
the article goes on to say:
Cole said the Sheriff's Department is still investigating the accident and will refer its findings to the Pine County attorney's office. It's unclear until the investigation concludes whether charges will be filed, he added. "Obviously a young girl was severely injured. If there was negligence or something ... we'll go from there," he said.
Cole said it's been "some time" since an accidental shooting has occurred in Pine County.
Statewide, about 300 to 400 unintentional firearm injuries have been reported by Minnesota hospitals each year, according to state Health Department data. The age group that most often falls victim: 10- to 19-year-olds.
In 2009, 710 firearm injuries were reported by Minnesota hospitals and of those, nearly half -- 332 incidents -- were unintentional. Of unintentional firearm injuries, most were teens or pre-teens; 86 15- to 19-year-olds were injured, followed by 56 10- to 14-year-olds.
That seems a lot of shootings, to me, in a state that is supposed to be one of the safer of the 50; can you imagine what the numbers must be in those which are worse? The STrib concludes:
Richard Stock teaches firearm safety classes in the metro through the state Department of Natural Resources. When he hears of accidental shootings, "it almost always boils down to you're not following the fundamentals of firearm safety," he said. "Always know where your gun is pointing and always treat is like it's loaded."
Jason Montanye said the family is focused on Maddy, and appreciates the support from the community and others on their CaringBridge site. "You always hear about it [incidents like this]; it's never supposed to happen to you," he said. "We're still optimistic about everything."
While it is great that this is a strong willed girl, I don't have a lot of faith that is enough to overcome a bullet. We can only hope and pray that excellent medical care and a good trauma unit will help even more. I can't help but feel the statement "it's never supposed to happen to you" and "We're still optimistic about everything" seems to suggest, at least to me, a certain lack of thoughtfulness that some of the choices they take for granted contributed to this tragedy.
An 11 year-old Pine County girl remained in a medically induced coma Saturday after being accidentally shot by her father two days before.
Maddy Montanye was in critical condition at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis after doctors removed the bullet lodged in her brain and extracted parts of her skull Friday to relieve pressure.
"It's a traumatic, tragic situation," said her uncle, Jason Montanye. "She's a strong-willed girl. We're very optimistic things will work out."
She was shot Thursday night when her father's gun went off at their rural Braham, Minn., home.
"It's a traumatic, tragic situation," said her uncle, Jason Montanye. "She's a strong-willed girl. We're very optimistic things will work out."
She was shot Thursday night when her father's gun went off at their rural Braham, Minn., home.
the article goes on to say:
Cole said the Sheriff's Department is still investigating the accident and will refer its findings to the Pine County attorney's office. It's unclear until the investigation concludes whether charges will be filed, he added. "Obviously a young girl was severely injured. If there was negligence or something ... we'll go from there," he said.That seems a lot of shootings, to me, in a state that is supposed to be one of the safer of the 50; can you imagine what the numbers must be in those which are worse? The STrib concludes:
Cole said it's been "some time" since an accidental shooting has occurred in Pine County.
Statewide, about 300 to 400 unintentional firearm injuries have been reported by Minnesota hospitals each year, according to state Health Department data. The age group that most often falls victim: 10- to 19-year-olds.
In 2009, 710 firearm injuries were reported by Minnesota hospitals and of those, nearly half -- 332 incidents -- were unintentional. Of unintentional firearm injuries, most were teens or pre-teens; 86 15- to 19-year-olds were injured, followed by 56 10- to 14-year-olds.
Richard Stock teaches firearm safety classes in the metro through the state Department of Natural Resources. When he hears of accidental shootings, "it almost always boils down to you're not following the fundamentals of firearm safety," he said. "Always know where your gun is pointing and always treat is like it's loaded."While it is great that this is a strong willed girl, I don't have a lot of faith that is enough to overcome a bullet. We can only hope and pray that excellent medical care and a good trauma unit will help even more. I can't help but feel the statement "it's never supposed to happen to you" and "We're still optimistic about everything" seems to suggest, at least to me, a certain lack of thoughtfulness that some of the choices they take for granted contributed to this tragedy.
Jason Montanye said the family is focused on Maddy, and appreciates the support from the community and others on their CaringBridge site. "You always hear about it [incidents like this]; it's never supposed to happen to you," he said. "We're still optimistic about everything."
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