7/3/17 New York Times:
Yet less than two weeks ago, Dr. Henry Bello, who had a criminal record and a troubled history, was able to walk into Upstate Guns and Ammo in Schenectady, N.Y., and buy a weapon that was for all intents and purposes a military-style rifle. The rifle was modified specifically to comply with New York’s laws — changes such as the elimination of a pistol grip and a flash suppressor, which critics say are more cosmetic than functional....
Matthew Myerson, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New York, said the weapon had been purchased legally and had been “modified to be compliant with New York State law.”...
While the weapon did not have some of the features it might have before the SAFE Act was passed, it was just as powerful.
“It certainly didn’t hamper him from being able to kill anybody,” said a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation but who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.
The law was also aimed at decreasing the damage a gunman could do by limiting the size of a clip to 10 rounds.
Dr. Bello, however, carried three of them, the official said. So, as a practical matter, Dr. Bello “had his 30 rounds,” the official said.
He only used one clip before killing himself, the official said.
Almost as soon as the law was passed, the gun industry made modifications — essentially inventing new kinds of weapons or introducing innovations to conform to the law — that did not alter their power in any significant fashion, law enforcement officials said....
“It was point and shoot for him because he was shooting up close, and the lethality here was enhanced by the large rounds — the .223 that’s in that weapon — as opposed to a handgun or something else,” the official said.
I am
so impressed that a law enforcement official thought the .223 was larger than 9mm. More importantly, the point our side always makes, that these bans based on cosmetics are a waste of time, has been admitted.
Well, give credit where credit is due - the .223 round *is* larger than handgun rounds, even if the bullet isn't.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with law enforcement spokesmen, it is important to vet their position and locale.
ReplyDeleteTypically, those who work as official public information distribution personnel are not chosen for their knowledge of law, police work, firearms or tactics. They are chosen because they willingly adhere to the line of the parent agency's political position(s).
They are apparatchiks.
Secondarily, if they are from agencies that espouse the communist (read: progressive) position(s), they know little to nothing about firearms except what is told them by Gun Control, Inc. Even the rank and file in many of those agencies have little to no education, training or experience with firearms. This is most prevalent in the mid-Atlantic states metropolitan law enforcement organizations.
Take NY city for example: the current mayor is an avowed communist sympathizer, supporting the Sandinistas in Nicaragua during the 80's & 90's. He then goes on to become mayor of NY city. For his announcement regarding Independence Day security, 2 days ago, he shamelessly proclaimed that NYPD would be armed with "heavy weapons" while patrolling, referring to 5.56 carbines.
In general, law enforcement officers know very little about firearms. Individual officers might be subject matter experts based upon their own interests and motivation, but any "expertise" in the rank and file is all over the spectrum.
Here is a revealing and recent demonstration of an eastern anti-gun locale police agency showing exactly how not to do it. Every example of poor weapon handling and use is demonstrated in this video.
https://youtu.be/GL-Mf32xwHs