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Shawn Moore (courtesy philly.com)

Election enraged man who posted Facebook pic of son with rifle. After a bit of introductory warm-up about the police raid on a New Jersey gun owner to “check his guns,” philly.com gets to it: the slurs and innuendos contained in the Carneys Point police report (not provided thank you very much). According the po-po, “Shawn Moore [above] was ‘ranting and waiving,’ ‘aggressive’ and acting ‘arrogantly’ when he rushed home from the restaurant March 14 to find [the cops] there, asking to look at his firearms because of an anonymous call they had received about his children’s safety. Moore later apologized for his behavior, police said, and his wife, Julie, told them he was still reeling from Obama’s election in 2008.” See what they did there? I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Moore . . .

They didn’t keep their mouths shut. You know that bit in the Miranda rights speech about “anything you say can and will be used against you”? Well it also applies even if the local constabulary don’t arrest you. As the following passage illustrates. [Also note: it’s best to say nothing about your guns to the neighbors when you’re living behind the lines in Blue State America.]

“While we were waiting, Julie stood and spoke to us stating, Shawn has not been the same person since President Obama was elected. She stated he is obsessed with gun control, owning weapons and his right to bear arms,” an officer wrote in the police report, obtained Tuesday by the Daily News. “Julie seemed embarrassed at her husband’s behavior, however, she did not seem surprised.” . . .

The police report said the anonymous caller had expressed other concerns as well, claiming that Julie Moore instructed her son to shoot “anyone who breaks in to their home” and that Shawn Moore had “issues with alcohol” and multiple DUI offenses. . . .

The police report said the anonymous caller had expressed other concerns as well, claiming that Julie Moore instructed her son to shoot “anyone who breaks in to their home” and that Shawn Moore had “issues with alcohol” and multiple DUI offenses.

When Moore got home, police said he smelled of alcohol and he definitely had an issue with officers and DCF workers being there. Moore had spoken with noted firearms attorney Evan Nappen on the phone before he arrived and immediately asked the officers and DCF workers to leave . . .

“I tried to explain to Shawn that no one wanted to remove his firearms, to which Shawn rebuffed that there is legislation going through Congress to ban his firearms,” one officer wrote.

It’s only toward the end of the article that we learn Mr. Moore “is a National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor and range-safety officer. He’s also a member of the same local sportsmen’s club many of the local officers belong to.”

The New Jersey police smear campaign is not unexpected. What else would they do but blame the victim? The CYA exercise was especially necessary given the national media exposure and gun guy blowback.

Again, though, the big takeaway from this sordid business is . . . STFU.

Julie Moore admitted telling her son to shoot intruders, the police report noted, but [their lawyer Evan] Nappen said it’s a moot point.

“How is he going to shoot an intruder if the guns are locked up?” he asked Tuesday. “The only way that would happen is if those guns were out of the safe and they were under attack by violent criminals.”

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48 COMMENTS

  1. This kind of unprofessionalism in police forces is a serious nationwide problem. And I say that as a person who generally tries hard to avoid the “they’re all morons” mindset.

    That said, I do seem to remember the original story about the raid quoting Nappen as saying the officers were courteous and professional in contrast to the social worker. Too bad they chose to go back on it like this.

    Also, the quotes from the anonymous tipster make it pretty clear that it’s someone with an axe to grind against Mr. Moore. Chances are he’ll have a pretty good idea who it is based on that.

  2. I’ve known cops in my personal experience who fabricated evidence and made people say things they didn’t say. Also it is sound adivce not to get friendly friendly with the neighbors since they can end up becoming blabber mouths, the less they know about you the better; just mind your own business and do your own business: don’t show them your guns or anything: I live in California and most people that live around me are busybodies, tattlers, backbiters and whisperers.

  3. An anonymous tip leads to a waste of police resources and now libel. This is why it’s important to face accusers, and why the police should not generally be in the business of taking anonymous tips. If you want to bring something to the attention of the police, you do it properly, and file a police report.

    • Wasn’t there a recent SCOTUS ruling that one truly does have the right to face your accuser? I don’t recall the case….

  4. No surprise there. Cops in blue states despise gun owners.

    BTW, if he smelled of alcohol AS HE DROVE UP TO THE HOUSE AND WALKED UP TO THE COPS, wouldn’t they have arrested him just for that? Wait, so cops lie and get away with it? Wow, shocking!!!

  5. The police report that an anonymous caller claimed Moore had multiple DUIs? That sounds like the kind of information the police wouldn’t have to take an anonymous caller’s word on. It’s pretty slimy to report something like that without bothering to make any mention of the official record.

  6. In some respects, its good there is a police report.

    This will name names on who entered the house unlawfully. Who refused to answer the question on their names, etc. Nappen should be using this to shoot down what he can.

  7. “Shawn Moore [above] was ‘ranting and waiving (SIC),’ ‘aggressive’ and acting ‘arrogantly’

    In other words, he was acting like the typical cop.

    If Mr. Moore was “waiving”, the government employees would have had no problem with him. But he did not waive his rights so they had to behave.

  8. Far too often a man’s tongue becomes his noose. When police get called ON you-they are not there for your benefit.

      • It’s a terrible job – I’ve gone a dozen years without helping a single person.

        /sarc

        Listen folks, there are responsible police, and “the other kind.” If you don’t know which ones you are talking to, play it close to the vest.

        • Responsible to whom, though?

          The basic problem with interaction with any LEO is that they are, ultimately, pledged to enforce the law. And the law today is a very complicated thing, with vast majority of citizens in this country breaking it at some point or another, possibly without even realizing it. And if they – again, inadvertently – admit to doing such to a cop, he would be legally obligated to act on it.

          So why take the risk?

  9. It is not an unusual tactic for a police department that knows they will face a potentially devastating lawsuit to exaggerate their statements on an incident and/or file charges they know won’t stick in order to make claims in court that the citizen is a bad guy, that they were simply doing their job. It sounds like this police department is in damage control mode where their attorneys are directing.

  10. Anything you say or do will be used against you in a court of law.

    Anything you don’t say or do will be used against you too.

    You’re guilty of something, we’ll find out what it is and the newspapers will print whatever we tell them to.

  11. From some of the initial reports, Moore’s lawyer had been listening via
    phone. I’d like to know his version. Hopefully the lawyer was smart
    enough to record the incident.

    • ITYM “Hopefully the lawyer was smart enough to not expose himself and his client to a BS wiretapping charge”.

  12. About 20 years ago I was working on a roof with another gentleman who apparently had a bit of a reputation with the local po-po – although I know he wasn’t a convicted felon or anything. So down the street someone smashed someone’s windshield and the local officer’s came over split us up to find out if we knew anything. I told the officer that the other guy had been on the roof the whole time, however I made the mistake of saying that he hadn’t been out of my sight for more than 30 seconds the whole day. So he wrote in his report that “I couldn’t account for his whereabouts at all times.” That sir is an out and out lie.

    And they wonder why people don’t want to talk to them.

  13. The whole police report raises many questions, which of course are not recognized or raised by the intrepid reporter:

    1. “The police report said the anonymous caller had expressed other concerns as well, claiming that Julie Moore instructed her son to shoot “anyone who breaks in to their home” and that Shawn Moore had “issues with alcohol” and multiple DUI offenses. . . .”
    Teaching your son to defend his family and home in case of a burglary is not a crime. As pointed out by other commentators Moore having multiple DUIs would not be information that the police would have to rely on an anonymous source source. Moreover, even if true, it would not afford the police a basis for hassling Moore about his guns. Note that the police don’t state whether this report of multiple DUIs is true even though they could have readily verified it. I have hard time believing with multiple DUIs would still have his driver’s license and that the police would not have conducted at least a field sobriety test after supposedly smelling alcohol on the breath of a (supposed) serial drunk driver after that same driver drove home to confront them in an “aggressive” and “arrogant” manner. Something other than Moore’s breath doesn’t smell right…

    And what are these “other concerns” that are mentioned but never described?

    2. “When Moore got home, police said he smelled of alcohol and he definitely had an issue with officers and DCF workers being there.” The implication is that he was drunk and acted aggresively. He smelled of alcohol but they don’t give him a field sobriety test or arrest him for drunk driving or being drunk in public? That doesn’t sound right esp. considering that they implied heavily that he had committed multiple DUIs.

    3. “I tried to explain to Shawn that no one wanted to remove his firearms….” But he doesn’t explain why the police wanted to see the fire arms in the first place. What were they investigating? The photo of Moore’s son doesn’t show the kid mishandling the firearm in anyway. What were they investigating.

      • There are only two options:

        The police were negligent in failing to arrest Mr. Moore for DUI.

        Mr. Moore was not DUI, and sobriety issues were fabricated after the fact.

        Neither option says good things about NJ police.

  14. Any cop that would enforce the gun laws in New York city already is a facist and a Nazi jack booted thug at heart.

    Any cop with an ounce of integrity and respect for our American heritage would move to a state that actually allows the practice of our 2nd amendment rights.

  15. NJPD should be sewed, what the heck was that SGT in charge on the seen thinking??? The point is, you cant just go to someones PRIVATE PROPERTY and demmand entry!! Thats agains the LAW ASSHATS!! And I would have come home enragged myself!!!!!!! All this over a friggin picture, BULLSHIT!! Thedad had all the right in the world to be mad as hell, and they didnt tell you the mom invited everyone inside and was polite!

  16. Here’s an idea, when cops politely ask to look around, politely ask them to show you a warrant. When they don’t have one, politely ask them to leave.

  17. Never. Ever. Never. No really, ever. Talk to the police.

    Kindly ask them to leave and close the door. No good can come from a discussion with them.

  18. Talking to a cop in this type of situation makes you dumber and them smarter. If the po-po showed up at my door and asked to enter, I’d ask why. If there were there for me, I’d tell them to get a warrant. If they were there to ask me if I knew the family of my next door neighbor who just dropped dead, I’d ask the cops if I could make them some coffee. Different responses for different situations.

    In either case, l wouldn’t let them in. i don’t let anyone in my home who I don’t know unless they have an appointment.

  19. Doesn’t make a difference if he shouted, ranted shook his anything or whatever. There was no warrant to search, Moore does not have to let them in or show them anything. That fact that he may or may not have smelled of alcoholic beverage is immaterial. He was not driving or carrying a firearm at the time.
    This follows the liberal line of smear the character of the messenger when one does not like the message. Personally I don’t know why he lives in New Jersey anyhow but that is his business. Maryland was bad enough and I left there.
    Don’t give them anything. Do give signed statements. Don’t use the worst words in the English language to wit, “I’ll be honest with you officer”. “Do you have a warrant?” and “Goodbye” are it.

  20. And its crap like this that makes the idea of having a recording device during a police encounter less paranoid and more practical.

  21. guys:

    The wife’s statements were good reporting technique, dont blame the officers for documenting same. The wife shouldnt have said anything.

    I see the report is mute on the subject of prior duii, which could have been relevant to the report, though is easily proved or disproved.

  22. “NJ Police Report Smears Facebook Father as Gun Nut | The Truth About
    GunsThe Truth About Guns” ended up being a truly nice post, .
    Continue posting and I’ll keep reading! Thanks for the post ,Verona

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