Thursday, January 10, 2013

Georgia Mom Shoots Intruder

CBS Reports
In a 10-minute 911 recording released by the Walton County Sheriff's Office, Donnie Herman calmly explained what was happening to a dispatcher. His part of the conversation with his wife was also recorded. "Is he in the house, Melinda? Are you sure? How do you know? You can hear him in the house?" Donnie Herman said. His wife told him the intruder was coming closer.

"He's in the bedroom? Shh, shh, relax. Just remember everything that I showed you, everything that I taught you, all right?" Donnie Herman told his wife, explaining later to the dispatcher that he had recently taken her to a gun range.

After Donnie Herman told his wife police were on the way, he started shouting: "She shot him. She's shootin' him. She's shootin' him. She's shootin' him. She's shootin' him."  "OK," the dispatcher responded.

"Shoot him again! Shoot him!" Donnie Herman yelled. He told the dispatcher he heard a lot of screaming, but he seems to get increasingly worried when he doesn't hear anything from his wife.

Melinda Herman told police she started shooting the man when he opened the door to the crawl space. The man pleaded with her to stop, but she kept firing until she had emptied her rounds, she told police. She then fled to a neighbor's house with her children.

The man drove away in his SUV. Police found the SUV on another subdivision street and discovered a man bleeding from his face and body in a nearby wooded area. Police identified the suspect as 32-year-old Paul Slater of Atlanta.
She fired until the gun was empty and they guy was still able to drive away? And she kept firing even when they guy was down and begging her to stop?

These questions make me wonder about the story. What do you think?  Isn't there a better way to handle it when you see someone intent on breaking into your home?  Most burglars are not intent on rape and murder.  I would think if they knew there was armed resistance awaiting their entry they'd just go away.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

New York to Lead the Nation in Gun Control


Mr. Cuomo’s aides said the proposed legislation in New York would expand the definition of what is considered an assault weapon to match California’s law, currently the most restrictive in the nation. But the overall package would go further, they said, by limiting detachable ammunition magazines to 7 rounds from the current 10, and requiring background checks for purchases of ammunition, not just weapons. 

Limiting magazines to seven rounds would give New York the toughest restrictions in the nation. Only around half a dozen states currently limit the size of magazines, and most of them allow magazines that contain up to 10 rounds, according to a survey by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which advocates gun control. The New York law would also close a loophole that has thwarted enforcement of limits on the size of magazines.
Background checks on everything including ammo sounds good to me.  But, I can't help but notice that reduction of magazine capacity is exactly what many pro-gun folks predicted. They said if we agree to a certain number, the gun control side will then want to lower it further.  But, whether that means it's a bad thing, I don't know.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Alabama 12-Year-old Dead - No Charges - It Was Just an Accident

Local news reports on another case of treating a fatal gun accident with disgraceful nonchalance.

Jon Stewart on the Gun Control Debate

Closing the Gun Show Loophole in Virginia

Local news reports
It’s a loophole in the law that should have been closed years ago. Virginia lawmakers will get another chance to make the state safer by closing the loophole and requiring the background check for buyers from private sellers. State Sen. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax, has said she will introduce such a bill in the Assembly session that begins today.

Why is closing the loophole even important? Because the gun shows provide access to weapons for convicted felons and those with a history of mental illness. Further, the gun show loophole makes a mockery of the background check law that prohibits the sale of guns by licensed dealers to people who should not be buying guns.

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a national legal nonprofit that compiles information on gun laws and advocates for “smart gun laws,” has given Virginia regulations a “D.”
While everybody is focused on Feinstein's Assault Weapons Ban, many states are enacting sensible gun laws like this one.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Police Officer Richard Takach, One of Trenton's Finest

From NBC News via Penigma

Keith Ratliff, Youtube Gun Promoter, Murdered

ajc reports