For some time, the NRA has been saying that the police and courts should enforce existing gun laws – rather than create new ones. Recent events have highlighted the truth about “gun violence.” In the Isla Vista murders, six cops visited psycho-killer Eliot Rodger’s abode to investigate the suicidal/homicidal maniac. They failed to check California’s gun registry or watch his evil, illegal YouTube video. They failed to take Rodger into custody, remove him from society and revoke his guns rights for five years (as per 5150). So now the Golden State’s pandering pols are pushing to create a “gun violence restraining order.” Wrong answer. Let’s shine the light on a similar case out of Connecticut . . . [NB: autoplay video after the jump]
Days before a Connecticut Guardsman killed his wife and himself, his military counselor was so concerned about his demeanor during a phone conversation she called the police, a Guard spokesman said Friday.
City police visited the Henderson Street home of 1st Lt. Alexander Ryng on May 31 — for the second time that day — but police said there was no reason to take any action.
On June 4, Ryng fatally shot his wife, Kyla, then turned the gun on himself, leaving two of their three young children running next door to their grandmother’s house for help.
Now you might think that a “gun violence restraining order” would have helped avert this tragedy [reported by courant.com]. That assumes Alexander Ryng couldn’t have secured a firearm or some other deadly weapon if the cops had taken his guns. You wanna bet your life on that?
If you accept the fact that a mentally ill or just downright evil person can get a firearm even if the government takes his or her legally purchased firearms away then you have to think, hmmmm, maybe the best solution is to take the disturbed/crazy/bad guy off the streets.
This thought did not occur to the police. Or if it did, they ignored it.
When police received the call from the counselor last Saturday afternoon, two officers were sent to the house and spoke with both Alex and Kyla Ryng, Det. Lt. Kevin Morrell said.
[Det. Lt. Kevin ] Morrell said he didn’t know further details of what happened when the officers visited because he didn’t have the reports, one of which wasn’t finished, he said.
He said if either person had an injury, the officers would have made an arrest.
There was no record of domestic violence between Kyla and her husband, and no restraining or protective orders. But there were “red flags,” said Karen Jarmoc, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“These things just don’t happen overnight. There has to be a previous pattern,” she said.
One of the people who seemed to notice red flags was Kyla Ryng’s mother, Michele Brasley.
In a taped call to 911 after the murder-suicide, Brasley told police, “I knew he was going to do this.”
Remember: both the mother of the murdered woman and the murderer’s shrink didn’t keep that conclusion to themselves prior to the attack. Also: the Constitution State has laws allowing involuntary commitment.
III. Emergency Confinement
A. Detention by Police. Any person may apply to the appropriate probate court alleging that another person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or others or gravely disabled, and needs immediate care and treatment in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities. The court may then issue a warrant for his apprehension. After the person is brought before the court, it must order that he be taken to a general hospital if it determines there is probable cause to believe that he has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or others or gravely disabled. The person must be examined within 24 hours and cannot be held for more than 72 hours unless he is committed on a physician’s emergency certificate under §17a-502 (§ 17a-503(b)).
A police officer is also authorized to take into custody any person whom the officer reasonably believes meets the criteria for commitment. The officer may take him to a general hospital for emergency examination. He must be examined within 24 hours and released within 72 hours, unless detained and committed on an emergency basis under §17a-502 (CGS §17a-503(a)).
So the police didn’t think to commit Alex under the above statute – despite calls from the National Guard behavioral counselor warning of his mental condition. And what’s needed here is another piece of legislation that would leave [supposedly disarmed] dangerous people on the street while putting sane, lawful gun owners at risk of unwarranted confiscation. Yeah right. [h/t RC]