People do dumb things all the time. It’s part of being human and we are all guilty, to some degree. It’s a big window to operate in, from clever to stupid, and when it comes to your health, no one argues, for example, about how dumb it is to smoke. But hey, we’re risk takers, and some folks enjoy lighting up. Not Justin Palmer. In fact he takes healthy living — even that of complete strangers — really seriously. So much so that the 24-year-old Bellingham, Washington resident was arrested for drawing down on a smoker . . .
On complicating factor: the smoker happened to be eight months pregnant. A 28-year-old woman, who should know better than to smoke with one in the oven, was walking down the sidewalk when Palmer shouted from his blue Dodge pickup, “Who the heck smokes when they’re pregnant?”
The woman answered, “I do.” Probably not the first time. Details are sketchy, but the argument that ensued escalated enough, in Palmer’s mind, to pull a Glock .45 on her. We’re guessing that even with the best attorney on his side, proving he felt sufficiently threatened to point his heater at a pregnant pedestrian he was driving past may be a challenge.
Being the self-anointed dumb police is a tough job. The pay sucks, and at the end of the day, you’ll just end up arresting yourself. Don’t fret, Justin. At least you can admire your new Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day trophy. There’s no law against that.