“Denver Broncos star linebacker Von Miller was arrested Sunday at a gun club in Colorado … but his arrest has NOTHING to do with firearms, TMZ has learned.” Unfortunately, TMZ doesn’t seem to have learned anything about logic. If Von Miller was arrested at a gun club it has SOMETHING to do with firearms. “The 24-year-old All-Pro was trying to enter the Centennial Gun Store and Range just outside of Denver — and submitted to a routine mandatory background check, as required by everyone looking to shoot at the range. But the background check revealed a warrant out for Miller’s arrest — which was issued back in January after he failed to appear in court to face multiple traffic violations. According to law enforcement . . .
Miller had been charged with careless driving, driving without a license and having no proof of insurance back in October 2012. Miller was taken into custody at the gun shop — and was hauled to a nearby Sheriff’s Dept. where he was booked.” Wait. What? Who “took him into custody” at the gun shop for traffic violations? The LGS proprietor dropped a dime on him? That’s dangerous in principle and practice—a bad precedent for people who just want to shoot their guns in peace.
A background check to use a range? Sounds like one of mikeyb’s twisted fantasies. Is this a high end range trying to keep the riff raff away? Even in california I’ve never encountered a range with a background check requirement to use the range.
Agreed.
They do have a very extensive menu of training activities.
Insurance requirement?
Operating permit requirement from the jurisdiction wherein they’re located?
Pre-emptive caution due to concern by the owners over anti-gun protagonists trying to disrupt the enterprise?
Certainly not the norm from my experience, even in CA as stated by jwm.
But give Kamala Harris time; I’m sure another intrusive anti gun owner requirement like requiring background checks to use a shooting range would be on her ‘to do’ list.
We have a gun club in my area that requires a background check, NRA membership and something like $600 to join.
In Tennessee? that’s insane!!
That particular range is a skeet/trap range on dozens of acres, and the fee covers the usage of any of the facilities for the entire year at no additional charge. It is a membership-only range, like a country club. It is not typical of other ranges in the area that cater primarily to handgun owners. Those ranges usually require ID and a signed waiver to shoot.
Thank’s for the gouge, Mike.
My club has skeet and trap, along with a half dozen other ranges – including 10+ action shooting bays – on hundreds of acres. I pay under $200 a year for full access.
@ In Memphis,
Would that be to keep potential bad actors out and reduce the possibility of an incident that would bring demands for action against the club and its members by the anti’s?
With the ongoing anti gun efforts by grabbers, I guess I can sympathize with cautionary efforts in an effort to reduce risk.
Heck, I live in CA; I can absolutely identify with being cautious.
I have never had to submit to a background check to use a range.
Also, the outdoor club I’m a member of has two 100 yard ranges, a 100/600 yard range (left side has backers at 50 and 100 yards, right side has backers every hundred yards out to 500 and a ten-slot pit at 600).
Yearly membership dues are 125 for individuals. New members are also required to pay an “initiation fee” of 250 (IIRC) which goes entirely to the land purchase account.
The “rulebook” is also extremely nice: it can easily be fit on a single 8.5×11″ sheet of paper.
All this about an hour West of Philadelphia. Their are other clubs that are closer, but their facilities are generally worse, and their rulebooks are universally idiotic and bureaucratic.
Yes, this is easily one of the nicest clubs in the state and tries to keep undesirables away. For reference their range has fewer lanes and options than my club does, and costs over 10x as much to join.
“submitted to a routine mandatory background check, as required by everyone looking to shoot at the range”
A background check to shoot at a gun range? Is this normal for Colorado?
Never been to Denver to shoot, but down here in the Springs (50-60 miles south) there’s nothing like that at all. Denver in itself has its own CCW laws different than the rest of the state. Easier to just avoid it all together.
That’s my feeling on most of this nonsense of place and politics; avoid them. Seems to me that 90% of my time is spent in ‘sane’ places to begin with (defined as gun, civil rights and privacy friendly). If we didn’t vote with our money there would be more places that had ridiculous rules, gun or otherwise. Would anyone shop at a store that required a background check? I can pass it, the check that is, but it’s ever so much easier to pass up the business instead.
Don’t we say avoid stupid people, places and things? This is a clear case of failing to observe the rule.
Absolutely. Maybe it’s just lack of sense on his part, but maybe he should’ve made sure his little traffic tickets were taken care of before hand. Just my thinking though…
“Denver in itself has its own CCW laws different than the rest of the state.”
They do? I know they prohibit open carry and have an AWB, but I was unaware that their concealed-carry laws differ from the rest of the state.
What are the differences? I want to make sure I don’t run afoul of their anomalous laws if I happen to drive up there.
I have been to the range that was mentioned, granted I didn’t shoot there but inquired on costs, etc and not once did they mention you had to have a background check to shoot. And this isn’t typical in Colorado at any of the ranges that I’ve shot at.
Don’t forget, this happened near the Democratic People’s City-State of Denver. You have papers?
(waves hand) This is not the linebacker you’re looking for.
I read this story last night, something smells funny here.
waiting for Al Sharpton in 3, 2, 1 . . . . . . .
RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM!
🙂
This board just covered two posts — posts I’d really like to read — with your RACISM spiel.
Thanks, BBS software.
If this ever catches on. . . in fact, why would anyone submit to a background check for such a thing. Would you undergo a background check to shop in a store or attend a sporting event? There’s a certain schadenfreude to this: someone willing to patronize what appears to be the only range in the country that requires a background check being arrested as a result of said check.
The simple answer to this sort of garbage is just to avoid such places and let them fail under their own ignorance.
Makes me so glad that the requirements to shoot on my range consist primarily of ‘Do I know you?’ and ‘Did you bring ammo?’.
Maybe he was purchasing a gun before shooting, and hence the BG check? As to the arrest, maybe there was an off-duty sheriff’s deputy there, and the owners gave the deputy a heads up? Just thinking out loud, but there are always off-duty cops at the range I use most often.
Look, the once wonderful state of Colorado is no longer worth traveling to. If you have not gotten the message yet, shame on you. It is being run by left wing loonies who have no problem putting innocent folks in jeopardy/taking away their liberties. Go there at your own risk.
My brother was just here again. He’s finally pulling up stakes in Grand Junction and coming to Oregon.
He can’t stand it anymore.
Given how close we came to having a bunch of anti-gun legislation pass this last session, I would not consider Oregon a solidly safe firearm state. We’re certainly better than CA, but on par with WA and just missed being another CO.
Until this year I have been to Colorado for the past 36 years for vacation. Every year. Not this year and never again will I cross the Colorado state border. New Mexico came close to off limits as well. Its a shame about Colorado, beautiful place. I had several locations that I watched the sun come up and go down, it was my church so to speak, way up in the mountains.
I will go east instead now. Tennessee is beautiful as well, or so I have heard.
Sorry – while this is crazy . . . I have no sympathy for the guy. He has all of these charges (Miller had been charged with careless driving, driving without a license and having no proof of insurance back in October 2012) which are now felonies I suspect, and he didn’t get his people/lawyer/agent to take care of them? Better yet, he is a pro athlete, don’t the police provide security at home games? One of them who wanted to impress his friends/wife/GF couldn’t have cleared this up for him ????
Crimes.
Traffic violations.
Same thing.
NOT
303-662-9900 – Call them and ask. I doubt very seriously their “walk-ins welcome” policy is contingent on a BGC. He must have either tried to rent or purchase a firearm.
Did YOU call them?
Centennial is an incorporated suburb and not part of Denver. The store/range is also a gun club, and many of the gun clubs here will run a background check before allowing membership.
It’s less expensive to use the range if you’re a member, so it’s quite possible he was applying to buy a membership. That still doesn’t answer the question of who dropped the dime, however.
Generally, the background check is performed by calling a law-enforcement associated agency. Could be that when the agency noticed the flag, the sent the police the information. They knew who submitted the request, so they had the location.
Assuming the story is true.
True and just like if you call LE to run a serial number of a gun to see if it is stolen, if it comes back hot they will be coming to see you.
Looking at the ranges website I am guessing this is a higher-end facility and the background check is the frighten “Urban” types and “Country” types away so the aristocracy can enjoy their range time without having to rub shoulders with commoners.
Being in Denver proper I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that a “background check” is a condition placed on the business for being graced with the privilege of operating inside the Denver city limits.
All things being equal, the guy had an outstanding warrant for doing something dumb and hopefully all that gets straightened out. Also, like many others here if a range asked to do a background check on me just so I could shoot there I would tell them to FOAD and find another facility.
“Being in Denver proper I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that a “background check” is a condition placed on the business for being graced with the privilege of operating inside the Denver city limits.”
Except that this doesn’t apply to the business in question. It’s not in Denver. It’s in the city of Centennial, in Arapahoe County.
I am a charter member of Centennial Gun Club. I have brought guests to shoot there many times and they never once did a BC on the guests. I very much doubt the report that Mr. Miller was simply trying to get some shooting time. He must have been purchasing something that requires a BC.
yea, I wouldn’t go to a range that needed a background check to plink…
Here in Milwaukee, we had a LGS that was doing the same thing, but incognito. Let’s just say that when it came to light, it wasn’t good for business:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/shooting-range-stops-giving-police-users-names-136ftg2-166048176.html
With friends like these, who needs enemies like Bloomberg?
Several years ago the Smith and Wesson ranged was closed down because some felons used the range to practice and later committed a murder. The range was shut down for quite a while and lots of law suits. If your a felon you should not possess a weapon and therefore should not be on the range. I don’t think traffic violations are significant but not showing up to court can land you in big problems. I personally like knowing that the person shooting next to me is not a wanted felon.
“If your a felon you should not possess a weapon…”
So it’s okay for felons to be released to walk around unsupervised once they’ve done their time, but then letting them have a gun is out of the question? If an ex-con is considered so dangerous that he shouldn’t be allowed to touch a firearm, why the hell is he not dangerous enough to keep locked up?
Seems like the same kind of thinking that blames “assault rifles” whenever someone shoots up a school.
There are in place procedures by which a felon may regain the free exercise of rights suspended upon conviction.
However, release into society is part of the reformation process; they are still within the system upon release unless they have been exonerated or pardoned. Reinserting them into society is both a treatment and a test.
Once truly out of the system they may petition for reinstatement of rights – or anyway the free exercise theref. No, the process doesn’t work well and it is in need of overhaul, but there is a system.
Further, if the felony was passing a bad check, I don’t see why they should lose the exercise of 2A at all. In the case of a serial rapist, however, I don’t see that they should be permitted to keep breathing.
It’s all relative.
EDIT: Also, while restrictions cannot keep a felon from acquiring a gun, it does give the prosecution more ammo in case of recidivism.
A felony conviction does not strip one of rights, but it does curtail the free exercise of certain rights – not just 2A, but free travel and sometimes the right to breathe.
It’s what it is.
Well, Steve, then maybe we should all submit to background checks for everything we do in life. Maybe I should send you my resume and a signed authorization for you to do a background check on me because I am replying to your unbelievably lame, collectivist post. It is this exact attitude by so many so – called “Americans” that we are in the mess we find ourselves in. Why don’t you just mind your own business and not stick your nose in other people’s business. Especially when they are not harming you or damaging your property. UN – FLIPPING – BELIEVABLE!!!
The traffic stuff — even the license violation — are misdemeanors, not felonies.
Yeah, they’ll get you an arrest, but it’s not like they make him a serious menace to society.
Now if the license was suspended/revoked (presupposing that he did not simply forget his wallet) due to, oh, attempted vehicular homicide, that’d be different. However, no mention was made of same.
‘Course, it could be DWI — he IS a professional athlete, after all — but still, that doesn’t make him a felon.
Either way, I doubt that this’ll make the range any more safe.
It’s none of your business if the person next to you at the shooting range is not legally able to own a firearm. The only place background checks are warranted is when one purchases a firearm, and I’m even against that.
But he is the star linebacker for the Denver Broncos. Like Obi Wan, he is their only hope. They are planning to go for broke this year since last year they were 13-3. Pat Bowlen is gonna be pissed. Now that the 2013 season hopes have been dashed John Fox will be out of the job.
Gloom, Dispair, and Agony on me…….
Looks like it’s time for you to get a life.
I was shooting for sarcasm. At the end of the day I could care less about the Broncos or Von Miller. Now the Titans are going to go all the way this year!
More sarcasm.
Weelll… They’ve a right to conduct their business in any [legal] way they see fit. Apparently the customers are O.K. with it, so what the heck?
<sarc>
I’ll grant that on the surface it seems silly, but I suppose it makes the place safer for ex snipers…
</sarc>
I left Denver to settle ’bout 666 miles east o’ there in ’01, so I wouldn’t know the details of what’s going on there nowadays. Fortunately.
I have shot at that range and they definitely do not do a background check just to shoot. Von must have been buying something or possibly applying for a membership there as mentioned before.
If there was a warrant for his arrest, why not just go arrest him? Not like he could be hard to find.
Misdemeanor warrants take awhile to float over to a sherif or marshal for execution.
Usually they just wait for your next traffic stop or some such — such as this.
He wasn’t arrested for traffic violations, he was arrested for failing to show up to court for said traffic violations. Doesn’t matter what the charge is, almost every judge I’ve ever dealt with immediately issues a warrant for a failure to appear.
Yeah, let’s not lose sight of the moron factor here. It’s never a good idea to fail to appear. Period.
Traffic vioations. It’s always the young guys I know that get into this trouble. Take a routine traffic offense and ignore it til it escalates into an arrest and spending time in county. Of all the stupid reasons to go to jail a speeding ticket or carpool lane violation has to be the dumbest. But I’ve known guys that went for both.
“Failure to appear” was the excuse that got Randy Weaver’s son, wife and dog killed. I’d say that this nimrod got away lucky.
I’m confused.com. As a tourist from the UK if I go to one of these ranges and try to use a rental gun it is likely I will be submitted for a background check. Would my check come back clean, as in not on the naughty list?
A background check to use a gun range? What kind of communist state has Colorado turned into or has it always been that way? I have never, never come across a range where a mandatory background check is required to use the facility. And I have been to many ranges. About 50-75 in 6 different states. The real story here should be about this background check nonsense. Disgusting.
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