Courtesy of Kitsap Sun:
Bremerton police responded to a call about an incident involving a gun at about 1:15 a.m. Sunday at the business. With help from witnesses, an officer found the suspect, who had fled.
The suspect, Kainen S. Mattison, 26, of Seabeck, told the officer that he had tossed a gun in a nearby backyard and that he had a concealed carry permit. Officers found the gun, a .40-caliber Ruger, with a full magazine and a round in the chamber.
A witness told police an argument over “nonsense” started between Mattison and another man. The bartender told everyone to leave, because it was near closing time, and the argument continued outside.
The victim said Mattison continued to yell at him outside, then pressed a gun against the victim’s face three times, holding the gun to the victim’s head for at least 30 seconds each time and trying to stick it in the victim’s mouth.
Police confirmed Mattison had a concealed carry permit, though he wasn’t carrying it with him. An officer issued a request that the permit be revoked.
Mattison was arrested and charged with first-degree assault. Bond was set Monday at $15,000.
You know the argument used by the those in favor of lax gun control laws is that responsible gun owners, i.e. those that could pass a background check, are not the ones that resort to gun violence, only criminals do that.
Really? This incident took place in Washington, where the guidelines strictly state that a person applying for a concealed carry permit must pass a background check, be 21 years of age, and have NO criminal history.
Clearly this gentleman easily passed that background check and was issued his permit which allowed him to walk around the city with a loaded weapon on his person, including when he was in bar drinking alcoholic beverages.
It only takes a second for somebody to use poor judgement and make mistake. And a mistake made unarmed is almost always less life altering than a mistake made with a gun within easy reach.
But you know what, at least in THIS incident nobody died. A young man in Duluth was not quite so lucky:
The 22-year-old Duluth man shot by a Lilburn resident Saturday night after he accidentally pulled in the wrong driveway was struck just as he was driving off the 69-year-old retiree’s property, according to the incident report released Tuesday.
Officers said they arrived to find Rodrigo Diaz, 22, slumped over the steering wheel of his red Mitsubishi, parked at the end of Phillip Sailors’ driveway, heading east. Blood covered his face and, the report states, his breathing was labored.
Sailors’ lawyer said the retiree, home with his wife at the time, acted in self-defense.
“He is very distraught over the loss of life from the defense of his home,” attorney Michael Puglise said Monday. “This incident happened late in the evening hours when he was home with his wife and he assumed it was a home invasion and he maintains his innocence.”
The 22 year old victim never even got out of his car, but the homeowner was so worried that he might be under attack that he took his gun and shot at the car, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BACKING AWAY!
Once again without the gun, two lives would not have been altered forever.
"But it's my constitutional right to have a gun."
Yes, but the question is, should it be?
They walk among us. There are many untreated mentally-ill people in this country. How are they ferreted out if they don't have prior criminal records?
ReplyDeleteThe universities that are now allowing weapons and concealed carry on campus are just bizarre. I would never allow my child to go to such an institution, and I would never work at one. If there is an attack, people just end up getting shot in the crossfire and confusion.
Maybe they don't have criminal records because, though mentally ill, they are not and will not be violent.
DeleteI am concerned that the "mentally ill" issue will lead to a false sense of security if we can document all of them and classify them as the potentially violent mass murderers.
I have yet to see any discussion of the types of mental illness more likely to result in violent behavior.
Many, many mentally ill people are no more prone to violence than anyone else. But while we are keeping an eye on them and making sure they don't have access to guns, thousands of gun deaths will happen at the hands of violent or angry (but sane) people, or the just plain stupid. How do we keep the guns out of the hands of morons or angry assholes is just as valid a question.
Speaking of angry assholes I want to bring up the topic of domestic violence. Abusers do not seek counseling for they justify their abuse blaming their victims. Physical violence and threats of bodily harm are escalations of mental and emotional abuse. Hopefully arrested and convicted offenders are not allowed fire arms.
DeleteAbusers go undiagnosed. When reported or left they typically lie spinning their partner is a crazy person and the abuser. The majority of abusers are adept controlling a false public image.
Yes, Anonymous 7:45 AM, exactly, I was thinking of domestic violence perpetrators as well as others when I wrote my comment.
DeleteA guy pulls into the driveway, and he's backing out, and you shoot at him?
ReplyDeleteYep, just git'er dun. Rill Mericans know what a threat to yer house looks like, you betcha.
Thank you $arah Paylin for fomenting a folksy divide by pointing out that the small towns, are the Rill Merica
Thank you Dick Cheney for shooting a friend in the face, and then coming out of your gun safe to testify for the NRA
Thank you Sharron Angle for voicing what the Tea Party really stands for , with your "2nd amendment remedy" speech.
Thank you hecklers, at the Sandy Hook hearings for shouting and interrupting a man who just lost his only son
Thank you Teaparty fanatics for your gun culture idiocy
Thank you Fox News for putting out so much propaganda on why everyone should own an AK-47 with a 50 round clip
+1
DeleteGryphen, you are wrong. It is arguably NOT a constitutional right to carry a gun. 2nd amendment "WELL-REGULATED" militia is argument we need to make, not to agree that a) gun ownership s a right or b) the Constitution is some sort of infallible religious text.
ReplyDelete"Who are the militia, Sir? The militia is the whole of the people." George Mason.
DeleteSCOTUS agrees with Mr. Mason. Argue with them.
I know several people with concealed carry permits. The very fact that I know they have one suggests an element of braggadocio in their character. But the thing that concerns me is those who speak as if they are looking for a reason to use their firearms.
ReplyDeleteMan goes into a bar with a concealed gun...
ReplyDeleteBan and confiscate all guns now. If you have a sick urge to shoot a gun, you can go to a strictly controlled gun range and rent one where they keep them locked up. There is no need for civilized human beings to own a gun. Absolutely zero need. It's just more right wing magical thinking that people think they need one for "self-defense". They really just want an excuse to murder someone. Gun lovers are sick in the head.
ReplyDeletepssst. your ignorance of guns and those who own them is showing.
DeleteAu contraire, he's right on the money.
Delete(Do you still receive a nickel a post from the NRA?)
I don't own guns, and I never will.
DeleteI have family who owns guns tho, hunting rifles. They live in upstate new york, and actually eat what they hunt. They don't own hand guns, and they don't think of their hunting rifles as a way to defend their homes.
They are good people, they aren't NRA nuts. They believe in gun control.
It's the ones who make the most noise that give others a bad name. And that applies to all groups.
Is someone trying to force you to own a gun?
DeleteOnly delusional anti-government nutjobs believe the second amendment gives them the right to own a gun. Guns are for cowards.
ReplyDeleteSO because I have hunted my whole life, target shoot for a hobby, and have tried out for the USA Olympic biatholon team(but I chose to go to Nam as a nurse instead) I'm delusional?
DeleteBTW I am progressive liberal and you seem to be the delusional one.
I have a family full of hunters in upstate new york, and most of those rifle owning hunters have served in every single war since WW2.
DeleteThey're good people. And some of the bravest people I've ever met.
I get what OP was saying,I think.The Second Amendment talks about a "well regulated militia" and the right to bare arms.Like,not have to go to battle with pitchforks.Many rabid gun-aholics scream maniacally as though it gives them the right to carry a Bazooka on their hip.They happen to be the loudest voices,just as the Tea Party was,so its what people think of first.
DeleteBy the way,believing that average Joes should not own assault weapons does not make one some sort of anti-gun,un-Amaerican coward.Anyone who has been in a war,who is honest,knows the horrors of what an automatic weapon can do.Not many will talk about it,most just try to forget.My DH was an avid deer hunter before Vietnam,where he was not a nurse or other support person,but a door gunner on a helicopter for 3 tours.He can tell you that when an enemy fires on you,and you shoot back with an automatic weapon, collateral damage happens.This means innocent people often get killed and injured.Women,children,elderly,the rapid fire bullets have no mechanism to discriminate. Thats about all he will say on the subject.He spent those 3 tours pulling injured and dead soldiers out of the jungle.He did his duty,he did it multiple times,he was brave beyond belief.But he didn't hunt anymore when he came back.He believes hunting is fine for those who feel happy killing things for sport.But he is totally against automatic weapons for people to play with.
Automatic weapons are not legal for ordinary citizens.
DeleteWhat is a rapid fire bullet?
No matter how many background checks are done, it's impossible to detect how some who pass the requirements, might go ballistic at any time. There are lots of people out there who could use some anger management courses and don't; they fall through the background check cracks.
ReplyDeleteThere are not enough laws to try to get into one person's mind. They can appear normal on days, but once they're on alcoholic binges, they change personality. Lots of reasons for anyone to suddenly become enraged, that is why we have psychiatrists and behavioral scientists who treat patients over long period of time to figure out what's in their minds at any given day.
In the meantime, until the mentally oppressed can find treatment, or help, or recovery, keeping dangerous military-style weapons off the street is a GOOD start. It's the most common sense solution and it, at the very least, gives families more peace of mind when they take their kids to school.
Best comment.
DeleteNH is very liberal with their gun laws. Gun crime is very low.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, every day I see ranting posters on blogs screaming about their rights to carry. These people are scary. They are threatening, hate the president, hate all liberals, you know the type.
IMO - there should be some type of intelligence test before selling guns to a person. Unfortunately, there is no way to track the mindset of a gun buyer. Even worse, there are millions of guns in this country that can not be tracked. People inherit guns. There is a huge stolen gun market and there is still the swaps, and yard sales where they change hands without record.
I know it's the law of the land that everyone has a constitutional right to defend themselves. HOWEVER, there are crazies out there. We have to admit that. They should not be armed.
Yesterday, an extremely intelligent 70 year old woman was stabbed to death in a hotel lobby in NH. She was randomly attacked by a mentally ill person. He stabbed her 8 times.
Normal people can barely handle weapons. Crazy people should never have the opportunity.
I wish there was a way to test people for anger issues as people with difficulties controlling their tempers seem to cause a lot of mayhem as well.
DeleteM from MD
It's Duluth MN, easternmost anchor of the gun nuts in MN. What do you expect? He'll walk free.
ReplyDeleteIt's Duluth GEORGIA idiot. BTW Duluth Minnesota is liberal area and though there are many weapons they are used for hunting.Most cities would be very lucky to have Duluth MINNESOTAs low crime rate.
DeleteBut this guy will walk free in DULUTH GEORGIA
little rabbit
BTW quit pretending to be from Minnesota if you know nothing about the state.
DeleteThis eejit is really a Yooper lost on the way home from the fish fry late one Friday night. Got a little drunk and fell on his head doing the polka. Doesn't know a filbert from a dilbert.
DeleteThinks he joined the National Redneck Association, cause they'se for wearin sheets when necessary.
6:21am ...
DeleteThanks for mentioning it was Duluth GEORGIA. I was going to do the same, yet you did it better first.
Hey! No need to insult Yoopers!
DeleteWell I know a lot of Yoopers and cheeseheads, they all own huntin' rifles too.
DeleteI just watched Gabby Giffords reading a statement in from of the Judiciary committee on gun violence.
ReplyDeleteIt was incredibly emotional and it will have a huge impact on the committee.
I really think that the gun debate in this country is finally heading in the right direction.
Let's not make decisions based on emotionalism, please.
DeleteJust FYI, it is illegal to carry a gun into a bar or cocktail lounge in Washington state, even with a concealed-carry permit. Just by being there, the guy was breaking the law.
ReplyDeleteI don't have answers, I'm just pointing out.
Ivyfree
I have a WA concealed carry. The rules are very clear about packing while under the influence and very clear about "branishing" or even revealing you have a weapon on you. This guy is a fool and needs to suffer punishment. AK guy
ReplyDeleteQ: How many NRA members does it take to change a light bulb?
ReplyDeleteA: More guns.
(Thanks to Sam in Kyle.)
Is this the Onion?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/30/gun-advocate-tells-senate-ar-15-is-the-weapon-of-choice-for-women-with-crying-babies/
La Pierre is now saying background checks are unnecessary.
ReplyDeletePaging Dr Freud on the red phone, Dr Freud on the red phone!....
DeleteAside from the larger gun control debate, one should ask if a concealed carry permit is at all necessary or constitutional. Gun advocates may scream, "what if you're attacked in an alley by someone with a gun?? How will you defend yourself??" If I'm going head-to-head with someone else that already has their gun pulled and plans to harm me in some way, I am already precious seconds/minutes behind in defending myself. What am I gonna do, ask my mugger to politely wait while I dig through my purse, take the safety off, and take aim? Not likely.
ReplyDeleteThere is no lawful reason to carry a weapon on your person. Sure, there are stories of people who have foiled robberies and other gunmen by whipping out their own sidearm. No one is denying those people are heroes. But the fact of the matter is that you cannot predict human response. If we could do that, there would be no mass shootings, there would be no suicide, there would be no domestic violence. This isn't Minority Report, though.
Gun control won't stop horrific violence (research serial killers some time), but it can prevent the nation from waking up in the morning and seeing the headline that a single person has managed to murder dozens of innocent people without breaking a sweat. I've seen firsthand how some gun-right advocates respond to these headlines, and it's not with shock, horror, and sadness. They roll their eyes and sarcastically snide, "Oh, here we go again, guns are evil." When Gabrielle Giffords was nearly killed in Lautner's shooting spree, the immediate response was to scoff that the news would try to pin in on the Tea Party. There was no concern for a Congresswoman who may die. There was no grief for the families of those killed.
Are we so selfish that we deny our own emotions-- deny others their right to grieve during a national tragedy--in order to play the long-suffering whipping boy of a gun-owner? Are we so paranoid that we are sure someone is going to try to assassinate us on a crowded street on our way to McDonald's that we feel the need to scream from the rooftops our NEED, our RIGHT, to carry a loaded firearm?
Excellent Comment! The senior citizen in the second story of this post is THE perfect example!
DeleteYour last paragraph tied it up succinctly. Fear is what drives this madness, every time.
Criminals are dead shots and non-criminals are inept. Got it.
DeleteMarz:
DeleteYou are entitled to your own opinions; not your own facts. The media did try to link the Giffords shooting to Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.
This guy, Mattison, has 3 other public records (all from 2011), but I can't tell what the charges are.
ReplyDeleteThey were ARIs (alcohol related incidents). My husband is in the Navy and they gave a huge talking-to to everyone about the fight. Apparently this Mattison actually went to his car, pulled his gun out from there, went back to the guy, shoved the gun in his mouth and then told him to recite the Sailor's Creed.
DeleteGryphen, this is clearly NOT the first time you've gone off... um.. half-cocked on this issue and missed the target completely. You're totally jumping the gun here.
ReplyDeleteDid you actually read this fella's permit? Maybe "in someone else's mouth' is where he was legally permitted to carry his weapon. Didja ever think of that? Obviously not. Shooting from the hip is such a typical knee-jerk librul response.
(Fun firearms fact: 'up their own ass' is the #1 most commonly requested concealed carry location for self-described 'rabid gun nuts')
Next time, before you pull the trigger on another reckless blog entry, hold your fire a minute and think. And I would strongly urge you to check with NRA Grand Overlord Wayne "PEW!! PEW!! PEW!!" LaPierre before... um... shooting your mouth off.
No one is a criminal until they commit a crime.
ReplyDeleteAlmost every mass murderer to date would have passed the permit process, not to mention all the people who wouldn't have killed anyone if their moment of fear or rage had passed without a gun being within reach.
Some of my friends took umbrage when President Obama said (paraphrased) "People on the side of gun control laws need to step back and think things through" in the new republic interview, but I see what he meant.
ReplyDeleteWe must respect everyone's rights while discussing gun control measures. There are people, especially in rural areas, who are responsible gun owners, and even they see no problem with the measures VP Biden proposed.
The fanatics are hogging up most of the oxygen, and these fine people can't express their rational reasons for owning guns.
Stories like the two in this thread show what's at stake.
We have to put everything on the table, What forms of "mental illness" will we be keeping track of? There are degrees of Depression and other illnesses, do we lump them all together? What guidelines do we set forth as to treated mental illnesses?
I wish there was an easy answer, but this debate hasn't even begun and we have to do something now. The right has to rethink it's approach and get some leadership that matches the left's. The problem is there are no moderates on both sides with enough guts to move things forward. The nut jobs will eventually cave when they realize the will of the public won't diminish.
Why do Americans want to live in battle zone? Because that is what the country will be like if we allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to carry a gun. Every argument used to be fought through fist fights. You win some you lose some but you live to fight another day. When did it become ok to end an argument in death?
ReplyDeleteWow. I think about how many times I have pulled into a driveway to turn around and I am just stunned by this.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the homeowners have done that a few times in their lifetime too.
what do you want to bet the homeowners watch Fox news?
Why don't you just be a little honest, Gryphen. you want to ban all guns. Just come out and say it and stop beating around the bush. Enough with the cowardice. You just don't want to ban the AR-15. You want to ban everything up to and including single shot break-action shotguns. That's pretty much what you state when you read between the lines. Now man up and admit it, gun-grabber.
ReplyDeleteThis would be normal in Texas. But as a female, I have to say, guns don't kill people so much as male humans kill people. Get to the actual problem.
ReplyDeleteExcept for a few here, paranoia rules. I couldn't have imagined the extent of the abject fear of one's fellow citizens on display here.
ReplyDeleteI hope they come to a stand still so we get
ReplyDeleteconstitutional carry then wait for the guys to walk
down Michigan with a rifle sling on back just saying