Detroit police unions oppose NFL ban on guns in stadium
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Detroit police union officials are expressing their opposition to an NFL policy that prohibits off-duty cops from bringing firearms into stadiums, saying the rule puts lives in danger, The Detroit News reported.
“This policy is ill-advised and should be rescinded,” said a draft of a letter, penned by leaders of the city’s three police unions: The Detroit Police Officers Association, Lieutenants and Sergeants Association and the Command Officers Association.
“Law enforcement officers often carry a weapon while off duty not only for their own personal protection but to provide a critical response when circumstances call for immediate police action,” said the letter, which had not been sent to the league when the newspaper reported on it.
“Current events, not least the unconscionable acts of terrorism we have recently experienced, only add to the desirability of having readily available armed law enforcement officers even if they are not officially ‘on duty.’ ”
Two animal rights protesters who ran onto the field at Ford Field toward the end of a recent nationally televised Detroit Lions game further hammered home the possibility of violence at a game, DPOA president Mark Diaz said.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email to The News that security is stronger when stadium officials know which officers are working.
The NFL enacted the firearms ban in October 2013.
FL ’gator puts bite on burglary suspect
A suspected burglar identified as Matthew Riggins, 22, of Palm Bay, FL, by MyNews13 in Orlando was the victim of some pretty raw “justice” in early December when he fled from the cops, and hid out in a pond.
Also hiding in the pond was an 11-foot alligator, the cable news station reported, and it was hungry.
According to the story, Riggins had talked to his girlfriend and said he was going into a neighborhood in Barefoot Bay to burglarize some residences. He and an apparent accomplice were spotted by some local residents who called the Brevard County Sheriff. Deputies showed up with K-9 units and the chase was on.
Riggins apparently jumped into the pond, and the following day, his family reported him missing. Sheriff’s Major Todd Goodyear told the station that he’d never encountered a case like this before.
The alligator was dispatched.
Gun issue record stalks Christie in New Hampshire
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been riding a wave of momentum in New Hampshire, picking up coveted endorsements and rising in the polls. But Christie’s upswing has hit a snag, according to media sources.
An influential gun group has put out a scathing notice about Christie to its politically engaged membership.
The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition, one of two major pro-gun groups in the state, emailed its members in early December, telling them “don’t be fooled!” by the Republican presidential candidate’s tough talk about the Second Amendment.
The data suggest, including the latest CNN/WMUR poll he is in third place with nine percent support. He’s also picked up a series of endorsements from political leaders there, including one from the state’s conservative newspaper the Union-Leader.
The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition, which calls itself the state’s “only no-compromise” gun group, which has been skeptical of Christie’s commitment to the Second Amendment, agreed to a meeting with Christie after repeated requests from the governor’s staff.
State Representative JR Hoell, who is a member, said it has been three weeks since they have heard anything from Christie’s staff. He said that shows that Christie is not serious about explaining—or rectifying—his position on guns.
They point to Christie’s refusal to pardon several out-of-state visitors arrested under New Jersey’s “draconian” gun laws. They say that he could, as governor, enact a concealed carry law with reciprocity and that he appointed “anti-gun” county prosecutors.
Aussie senator warns US not to follow Australian path
Australian Sen. David Leyonhjelm, a Liberal Democrat, is warning the US not to adopt Australia’ s gun laws in a video interview with the NRA on YouTube.
He has previously labelled Australia “a nation of victims” and discouraged the United States from following Australia’s example on gun control.
His interview appears in a clip attacking presidential hopeful and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton over her pro-gun control stance and comes as the race to the White House heats up.
Leyonhjelm told the NRA that Australia should not be a model for gun control, stating that Prime Minister John Howard’s 1996 gun legislation—pushed through in reaction to the Port Arthur massacre—had made “no difference.”
“We are a nation of victims,” he said.
“You cannot own a gun for self defense … the criminals still have guns. There’s a very vigorous black market for guns, so it’s not made the slightest bit of difference.
“If you want a gun, you can get one.”
Leyonhjelm has pushed for the rights of gun owners in Australia since his election in 2013 and recently negotiated a 12-month sunset clause on a ban on importing the Adler lever-action shotgun.
Howard, whose 1996 ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons prompted Senator Leyonhjelm’s departure from the Liberal Party, has said he does not believe Australians want to see looser restrictions.
