This is about 25 years past due . . . With A New Scandal Growing, It’s Time For Congress To Fix The ATF – “The New York Times—which couldn’t be bothered to look into ‘Operation Fast and Furious,’ in which the Obama-era ATF told gun store owners to let bad guys fronting for Mexican drug cartels buy all the guns they wanted—just led an investigative article this way: ‘Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives used a secret, off-the-books bank account to rent a $21,000 suite at a NASCAR race, take a trip to Las Vegas and donate money to the school of one of the agent’s children, according to records and interviews. The Justice Department’s inspector general has opened an investigation into the ATF’s use of the secret bank account. The House Oversight and Government Reform committee is also looking into the matter.”
Constitutional carry marches on . . . Alabama Senate Votes to Allow Concealed Carry Without Permit – “Alabama could join 11 other states that allow people to carry a concealed handgun in public without getting a special permit. The Alabama Senate by a 25-8 vote approved the NRA-backed legislation to do away with the requirement for a permit to carry a handgun out of sight, such as in a car or under a jacket or in a purse. The bill now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration. ‘Every citizen should have the right to bear arms without paying a fee,’ said Sen. Gerald Allen, the Tuscaloosa Republican who sponsored the bill.”
Pennsylvania teachers could carry guns under Senate bill – “Teachers, cafeteria workers and anyone else employed by a Pennsylvania school could carry firearms under a bill a Senate panel approved Wednesday. Senate Bill 383, sponsored by Sen. Don White, R-Indiana, would allow locally elected or appointed school boards to establish policies permitting staff to carry firearms under the guise of protecting students and others from harm. The bill would require staff to volunteer for the armed position, hold a concealed carry permit and go through police-related firearms training determined by the board.”
New rules of engagement . . . Revised LAPD Policy Required Officers to Attempt De-Escalation Before Using Guns – “A new policy will now require Los Angeles Police Department officers to try to defuse a tense encounter by using time, communication and distance before resorting to their guns. The revised policy was approved unanimously by Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. ‘This will not stop every instance of officer-involved shootings, but used correctly over time, it will,’ said Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. ‘The point of all of this is trying to create a likelihood of outcomes of success and then applying over a period of time.'”
What are the odds? . . . Gun found in Facebook killer Steve Stephens’ car will be sent to Cleveland, police say – “The gun that Cleveland Facebook killer Steve Stephens used to commit suicide after a short car chase with Pennsylvania State Police will be sent back to Cleveland so investigators here can determine if it was the same gun used to kill Robert Godwin Sr. Pennsylvania State Police spokeswoman Trooper Cindy Owens said investigators on Wednesday found a .45-caliber Glock inside Stevens’ white Ford Fusion as they combed the car for evidence.”
In other news, Rep Chaffetz –the guy totally reaming the ATF deputy-director over blowing off an inquiry in the “Fast & Furious: Mexican Graft”– announced he will not be seeking any kind of elected office in 2018. Considering there’s no way an investigation will be wrapped up or even underway by then what with their dedicated stonewalling & president unwilling to call them to task over it, and there isn’t really a protege assisting Chaffetz in his effort here to take the torch, I’d say it’s the beginning of the end for any justicial conclusion for Mr. Terry’s death (well apart from the inevitable prison ‘suicide’ of his killer who was finally nabbed the other day)
Well…. the job of ATF director isn’t an elected office, is it? My first thought was he was being fingered for that job after his current term is over, since the current ATF director is “acting”.
No political position in 2018? Trying to get in on the primaries for 2020?
Going to run for Governor of Utah.
Probably get elected, unless some dirty laundry turns up.
A new policy will now require Los Angeles Police Department officers to try to defuse a tense encounter by using time, communication and distance before resorting to their guns.
But…but…the FBI gave us this really neat Use of Force Continuum that lays out the road map for escalating violence so we can kill the bastard for Contempt of Cop and get away with it…
This sort of thing really ties the hands of cops fighting the scourge of Hispanic paper delivery women…
“A new policy will now require Los Angeles Police Department officers to try to defuse a tense encounter by using time, communication and distance before resorting to their guns.”
The legal standard required for use of deadly force is that the subject presents a clear (probable cause) and immediate danger to others of death or great bodily harm.
If that standard is not met in a situation, deadly force may not be used.
If that standard IS met in a situation, not using deadly force will result in someone else being killed (that whole ‘immediate’ thing)
The lesson for the LAPD like several other large agencies is that it’s not worth trying to stop a bad guy unless he’s about to kill you.
“Immediate danger” and “injury/death” are not the same thing.
If I point my gun in the direction of a perp committing a violent felony, he is in “immediate danger.” If he stops his felonious actions, he will not be killed or injured.
Thus, “If that standard IS met in a situation, not using deadly force will result in someone else being killed (that whole ‘immediate’ thing)” is wrong.
I don’t know about you, but I have been in “immediate danger” several times. A few times, I have even put myself in “immediate danger.”
I’m still here.
Roll Tide!!
Nick Saban (Certified Fudd): ‘Nothing good happens when you’re around guns unless you’re going hunting’
How about “Choke Tide”
It strikes me that one or more well placed bullets generally de-escalates a situation pretty quick.
It humors me that they need a policy change to suggest attempting to de-escalate a situation. Seems they either realize there’s a problem with cops jumping right to the gun, or they’re doing it out of appeasement. Given the attitude of most cops I’ve experienced, it’s appeasement as they seem to be incapable of thinking they may be wrong.
Maybe the attitude of big city cops snd sheriff deputies. The cops in our sleepy bedroom community that try that tough guy approach on everyone get let go pretty quickly. That is not to say thay don’t take care of business, but are more polite to the citizens.
If your comment was a slam against rank and file officers, I would if I were you, (and a number of others who have posted here with negative comments which paint every police officer with the same brush) examine my own attitudes and behavior which gave me cause to have negative contacts. Such comments aren’t much different than progressive liberal anti-gun proponents who blanket every citizen who owns a gun, as well as veterans, etc, with descriptions of insane, Rednecks who desire only to kill; animals or people are not differentiated.
The LAPD Chief is a political hack who owes his continued employment, with it’s big salary and office, to leftists who run the cities and the state. Sure, he can spin tales of back when he was a rookie, walking a beat, uphill both ways, in the snows of the worst parts of some city, but can he really feel what the officers on the streets today feel whether it’s the weather, air, or fear of being ambushed? Not likely. He remembers he did it, but he can’t still feel it. So, the Chief goes into appeasement mode and the risks of untried tactics to the live cops who have to live with them be damned.
This is, of course, nothing new. We adopted Second Chance vests in the mid 1970s, and the first thing the Public Affairs Office (PAO) did was announce it to the world. Immediately thereafter the criminals started saying “shoot for the head” or “ambush the pigs”. The word is out on the streets already about these new tactics, and the bad guys have already started coming up with counter tactics. It’s the same thing our armed forces do.
On April 6, 1970, four young CHP officers were gunned down in what should have been a routine traffic stop. The Newhall Incident brought about changes, just as nearly every case which goes wrong leads to. Newhall brought about new tactics of vehicle positioning during a traffic stop, and increased emphasis on the training and use of the 12 GA shotgun. The latter because both units had them in the cars but the officers were unfamiliar with them and could not get rounds chambered. The perps were able to walk up and execute them. A later inspection revealed shotguns which were in the gun racks but were not loaded. In some cars, the barrel had been used for candy wrappers, cigarette ashes, etc. A Chief of Police while dismounting his vehicle snagged the trigger on the console and died half in and half out of his unit. Of course, younger members of society will likely recall the North Hollywood Incident in which bank robbers out gunned the responding police officers until the police borrowed ARs from a nearby gun shop. Every time something like this, or the ambushes in Texas and other places, happens, tactics change across the nation. No different than when our troops encounter a new tactic or new IED, and the word spreads to all units. That does not mean the changes are good.
The recent shooting in Orlando had people complaining about how long it took law enforcement to enter the building. Now here comes the idea of taking time. No matter what the cops do, there will be those who blame them for anything that goes wrong.
Also, L.A. will start requiring mechanics to try a screwdriver before they resort to a wrench, and ER doctors must try band-aids before they resort to a defibrillator. Come on now, we’re talking about different tools for very different circumstances, not redundant options for the same situation.
I’ve got your fix for the ATF right here, it’s called abolishment. I think I’ll keep my alcohol, tobacco, and firearms unregulated and these guys can go collect unemployment.
End the “war on drugs” – ideally, every kind of prohibition. Leave people alone to live their lives as they want and to defend themselves against aggressors.
How many deadly confrontations with police do you suppose that would eliminate?
Oh, it would get really messy for a while, of course. Everything is so screwed up now that there is no easy solution. But there is a solution. End the government war on people.
Honestly, even in the short run it wouldn’t be messy. When alcohol prohibition ended the gangs were basically dead within a week. Imagine if you are a business and overnight your income goes from unlimited to zero. Gangs die fast when money goes away and as long as the government doesn’t get in the way to retard the process through regulation and taxation you can have a bustling legal market to replace the illegal one quickly.
Of course, Adam… unfortunately, the non-voluntary government wouldn’t allow such a neat process.. it wouldn’t be the gangs and “smugglers” we’d be in a mess with, but all of the suddenly out of work official thugs and enforcers. You can’t tell me they’d simply fade away and go find an honest job.
The end of alcohol prohibition was in a much smaller, more honest era. It really could be that simple now, but it isn’t going to be. Far too many people still think the “government” has legitimate authority to dictate what we eat, wear, consume… even if they personally decide to ignore it for themselves.
I agree with you Mama Liberty. The real types of crime are: Assault, Theft, Murder, Libel, and Gross Negligence. Basically the things you do with intent to harm another person. Or when your actions directly put people at risk when common sense could have avoided it like DUI.
Since when did recreational drugs become worse than drinking? Putting people in prison with felony charges after they’ve smoked pot 3 times is as stupid as making someone a felon for having a 12 round magazine.
Some prohibitions are actually good.
There are too many chemicals out there that can, and do, cause people to go completely out of control, and eat peoples’ faces off.
Just because things can go out of control in one direction doesn’t mean all control should be given up.
“Control” by whom? Control of yourself, and all the rational actions and choices that avoid the uncontrolled actions of others – including self defense – seem like the more logical control to me. SELF control, and rational self responsibility for one’s actions and choices. Utopia is not an option, obviously, so there will never be perfect safety. And the current massive attempts to preempt problems… causing an exponential increase in both problems and tyranny… sort of makes the case for those willing to look.
When some people are given power over other people, regardless of their intentions, tyranny is the inevitable result. The only person who can control you rightly is YOU. The fact that some people won’t do that doesn’t change it any.
Fail.
There’s moral panics every 20 years on “new” drugs leading kids to unprecedented levels of violence.
The “bath salts” moral panic has turned out false. No bath salts have been implicated in any face eating incidents, at most marijuana has been found in the system.
People blame drugs instead of psychotic breaks because it’s easier to moral panic over something society can control vs. what they can’t.
Since repeat exposure to motorcycles causes hearing loss can I sue asshole attention whore Paris Hiltons who roll with straight pipes?
Drugs are a conundrum
It is plain that the current war on drugs is a war on the American people and has been a failure
Drugs are available everywhere including inside the prisons!
Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of mostly minority men have been locked up for non violent drug offenses
This has led to the current breakdown of the family in the inner cities with urban youth having no father figures.
Americas’ insatiable appetite for illegal drugs has destabilized Mexico and the producing countries
Enriched both the cartels and the Taliban
Yet there is no denying that drug use is harmful and can ruin lives and kill users
I think a policy of ” harm reduction” rather than a war is a way forward
What that would look is something the entire nation needs to discuss
realistically, without political cries of soft on crime, gateway drugs, or free drugs for everyone
Portugal legalized all drugs and they are doing fine
We need something between drug war and complete legalization