What media bias?
Tam:
Last week a legally armed and alert citizen prevented a multiple murderer from fleeing the scene of his armed robbery, pinning him until police could arrive. Note how the USA Today story makes Mr. Chappell sound more like a bystander than one of the heroes of the piece.
Seems another failure to mention an armed citizen intervening has surfaced in the Idaho shootings:
On the positive side, if you can call it that, we found out who the wounded citizen is. He is a mechanical engineering student here at UI, and when he heard gunshots he grabbed his “semi-automatic .45 pistol” and ran outside to try to help. He didn’t get a chance to return fire before he was wounded.
As of yet, I’ve seen no mention of this in the press. Meanwhile, Lyle informs us that the shooter did not use an SKS (as reported in the press) but had an M1A and some sort of AK variant. He also notes:
According to the police chief, the guy had been convicted of domestic violence, had tried suicide earlier and failed, had been involuntarily committed to a mental facility.
Another prohibited crazy person gets a gun.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:41 am
[…] Hat Tip: SayUncle […]
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:43 am
I did a google news search last night for “Pete Husmann”, While there were a few small local papers that gave him the kudos he deserves, by and large the WaPo, NYT, ABC et al. haven’t touched it.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:20 am
No idea what Lyle’s source is but he said M1A — not M1 Carbine. Do you know somthing else?
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 am
Bob, i’m just an idiot. Fixed.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:50 am
To Unc, all those old wooden-stocked guns look alike… 😉
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:51 pm
And this is exactly why I keep a scoped Mosin Nagant in the trunk.
Do not bring a pistol to a firefight if you can help it.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Brave and well-meaning as you may be, don’t bring a pistol to a rifle fight.
Bob: The police chief said “Springfield” M1A. That’s the .308 jobby, not the little Carbine, but I will consider that to be trivia for those who know firearms, rather than a major issue of the story. Certainly the .308 is going to penetrate walls and such with more authority. Some sheriff’s people I know have .308s too, but far from all.
My co workers and I have come to the conclusion that some urban scenario paintball practice is in order, and a contingency plan for all on duty, but we are nobodies, after all.
Thinking a lot about this, I don’t think its a good idea to move into a situation where you could be confused for a perp and shot by police. There was a second armed citizen apprehended as he was moving toward the area, handcuffed and taken to the police station a few blocks away, thereby taking resources away from the police effort.
It ends up being a jumble as everyone is trying to understand the situation unfolding at the moment. This needs further study and training.
For sure: Stay out of sight, behind cover, and don’t try to maneuver on the perp unless there is an extremely compelling reason. If you’re in a situation with bullets flying and you are armed, you may be shot by police just as likely as by the perp.
Another thing to consider is that this is largely a residential neighborhood (I used to live right across the street from the courthouse complex, in a house on sixth and Adams and I have retail property within a stone’s throw). Rounds leaving the immediate scene are likely going to land in someone’s property, and they may not be pleased at all. They also might confuse you for one of the perps, and things could get seriously out of hand. These are my thoughts, and I have no idea what I would do, because there are so many variables. For sure, you don’t just grap a gun and run out the front door…
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Sorry for all the cruft, but I also want to comment on the “crazy person gets gun” thing: According to the local police chief in a news conference yesterday, the douche-bag had the weapons before the craziness became apparent. So its a chronological thing.
At this point I feel compelled to point out that even under a total ban on certain drugs, they are readily available, such that the only people not using illegal drugs are the ones who don’t feel like it. Craziness notwithstanding.