DA: Bicyclist must apologize in GJHS gun incident

[SecularMotion]

The Mesa County District Attorney’s Office has deferred prosecution in the case of a 65-year-old man who caused a panic at Grand Junction High School while riding his bicycle past the school with a handgun on his hip.

An investigation showed the man holds a valid Colorado concealed-weapons permit, while he told officers he was lawfully concealing his .45 caliber handgun, which was holstered on his hip, Hautzinger said. The man told officers he tucked his T-shirt inside his waistband, exposing the weapon, at some point during his ride on Aug. 29, Hautzinger said.

“He said the (gun’s) hammer was poking him in the side,” he said.

The handgun was exposed as he was riding on the sidewalk parallel to the school along Fifth Street, passing a group of students who appeared to him to be doing gymnastics in the grass. Several were scared and alerted staff, who called 911.

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/da-bicyclist-must-apologize-in-gjhs-gun-incident/

[slackmaster]

1. This is a news story?

[Eleanors38]

2. Well, some movement to require bobbed hammers has to start.nt

[Reasonable_Argument]

3. Here's how I would appologize

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you've raised your children so poorly that they cower at the sight of a man riding a bicycle carrying a gun in a holster. I'm sorry, that you haven't raised your children to respect and appreciate our constitutional rights. I'm also very sorry to my fellow countrymen that you and someday your children will probably vote."

[Kelvin Mace]

5. Gosh, it's not like we have had mass shootings in schools

or anything. No reason to be concerned if you see a creepy old guy riding a bicycle with a gun poking off his hip.



I don't believe the guy broke any laws, or that he should be made to apologize, but claiming folks weren't justified to be concerned about a guy riding near a school with a gun is ridiculous.

Assume for a moment that this was some whacko. People saw him riding around the school and knew he was armed, yet said nothing. Just a law-abiding citizen riding around with his legal gun. Somehow, I don't think you would be terribly happy if your child wound up dead because no one bothered to call the police on the guy.

[Reasonable_Argument]

6. People will ill intent rarely want you to know they're armed nt

[Kelvin Mace]

16. True, but then again

most crazies who go on rampages don't necessarily worry about such thing.

[PavePusher]

7. "creepy old man"? You know this... how?

I ride open carry here all the time, have to pass several schools on many of my routes. Never had any problems, as it should be.

But anti's say we are the paranoid ones... sheesh.

NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT COMMITING A CRIMINAL OR HARMFUL ACT.

[Kelvin Mace]

15. Sorry, but if I see an armed person

riding around a school, I am calling the police. Better safe than sorry.

Also, you will please note that I agreed with you that he should not be charged with a crime. As to an apology, that's up to him, but again, it cannot be compelled.

[upaloopa]

27. You are paranoid if you feel you have to carry a loaded gun. Why

else carry one if you are not afraid some bad guy wants to shoot you?

[PavePusher]

31. Please list your credentials for making such a diagnosis without any exam or history....

and then your evidence for doing so.

Otherwise, run along, adults are talking here.

[4th law of robotics]

17. Schools are gun free zones

so no, we've never had a shooting there.

[upaloopa]

26. Looks like they were raised right to me.

If anyone needs to learn about civility it is gun owners who don't give a shit about how anyone else feels. That is anti social behavior that needs some kind of attention.

[friendly_iconoclast]

34. I missed that bit in the Constitution where the right to feel a certain way is enumerated.

Perhaps you could point it out to us?

BTW, a majority of voters in California felt that same-sex marriage is wrong (Proposition 8). How much deference is due their feelings?

[upaloopa]

42. You prove the point that you don't give a shit

about others using the Constitution to make your divisions for you. Don't think because there is a right you have to forget about how others feel unless you are wanting to be anti social.

[CBGLuthier]

33. don't forget the part about how you are such a coward

you need a gun to take a fucking bike ride. Hypothetically of course.

[friendly_iconoclast]

37. There are these animals called 'coyotes'. Perhaps you've heard of them?

There are also other creatures called 'muggers', as well

Could be the bicyclist chose not to carry a can of beans for protection. Or maybe they just wanted to carry a gun, who knows? It's not as if concealed weapons permit holders are especially dangerous.
Anyway, it's NOYFB why he did so, and calling him a coward presumes you have the ability to read minds from a distance. Unless you were a member of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Earth_Battalion

,I rather doubt you do....

[frylock]

40. i see these "coyotes" that you speak of all the time..

i also see "rattlesnakes" and "deer" on my rides. never once have i felt compelled to carry a gun on a bike ride out of fear of these animals.

[rrneck]

4. Legislating how people look always works so well. nt

[holdencaufield]

9. All reasonable people ...

... agree on common sense laws to prevent the public from being subjected to ugly



After all ... how much ugly does anyone really need?

[holdencaufield]

8. Frankly ...

... I don't understand all the legal distinction between open and concealed carry.

The decision to open or conceal carry is a tactical one -- they both have situational advantages and disadvantages. But, if it's legal for you to carry then how can it be legal to carry concealed and illegal to carry open? Carry is carry.

Longarms MUST be carried open for practical reasons (not counting breakdowns in violin cases) so it's not like it's being done so as not to subject the sensitive public from having the "vapours" at the site of a big, ol' scary gun, is it?

[Reasonable_Argument]

11. While I agree

In practice there's a huge difference. Even in a rural area like this you can expect a few "man with a gun" calls unless you're in a hunting area, farm, or near a range where it's common to see people with firearms on them.

[ileus]

10. What a bunch of stupid kids....and stupid folks at the courthouse.

What other rights would they like to keep the man from exercising?

[Atypical Liberal]

12. This is precisely why I am against open carry.

There is no way for the public at large to know why someone is carrying a gun. They could be an honest citizen, or the next school shooter.

The safe thing to do is call the police and let them sort it out. This wastes police resources.

If you want to lawfully carry a concealed weapon, then that means concealed.

[holdencaufield]

13. Or...

... make open carry so ubiquitous that people stop wetting themselves at the very sight of a firearm.

[Atypical Liberal]

14. That's never going to happen.

Unless the United States turns into Somalia, you are never going to have a large percentage of the population that is going to bother with the trouble of carrying a gun. Especially if crime rates continue to decline. More and more people will consider it's not worth the risk and inconvenience to carry, concealed or otherwise.

[PavePusher]

21. "That's never going to happen."

Not unless we <ahem> ignore the nay-sayers.

Being publically GLBT was never going to happen either.

Oh look, it did....

[Atypical Liberal]

23. I just don't forsee a large percentage of the population feeling the need to do it.

Being publically GLBT was never going to happen either.

There is a difference from publicly being who you were born to be and a voluntary choice to carry a firearm.

Like I said, unless the US becomes Somalia, I just don't see a large percentage of the population feeling the need to carry a firearm.

[PavePusher]

29. I was born with the ability to protect myself, and the ability to chose tools to do so with....

And it shouldn't matter to anyone else as long as I am causing no harm to others.

If the "delicate flowers" object, they can self-fertilize.

Seriously, you are buying into the same meme that said various sexualities should stay concealed, that various skin colors should remain meek and in the back of public facilities, that people with dissenting opinions should remain mute.

It's all the same thing. SUPPRESSION of "The Other". Think about that.

[Atypical Liberal]

35. You were not born with a gun.

I'm not going to continue a debate where you are equating your natural born condition with the choice of carrying a firearm.

I totally support concealed carry. I do not support open carry. Open carry causes more problems than it solves, and all of those problems it causes are solved by carrying concealed.

[friendly_iconoclast]

38. Nor was he born with a pen or a keyboard, yet we all have the right to use them.

[PavePusher]

44. No, but I was born with the ability to cogitate and make and use tools.

That is also an inate, natural born condition. And it shouldn't be any more subject to discrimination than any other human feature.

I am very glad you have an opinion, for the record, I just think it's not very well thought through, and you are using it to ignore the plain parallels to other human conditions.

Have a good day, weather's fantastic here in Tucson today!

[holdencaufield]

22. I've been to Somalia ...

... the vast majority of people don't carry -- only the thugs from the klans are allowed weapons. Somalia isn't an example of private gun ownership taken to extreme ... it's exactly the opposite ... guns only in the hands of people guaranteed to do harm with them.

[Atypical Liberal]

24. You get my point.

Unless the US becomes (insert lawless place here) most people will not feel the need to carry a firearm.

[holdencaufield]

46. Lawless places occur spontaneously ...

... even in the USA

[4th law of robotics]

18. That seems to be one of those incremental steps

certain people push for.

"We need to get rid of concealed carry. If you want to carry a gun do so openly so the world can see"

Ok, so we'll get rid of concealed carry and just make open carry legal everywhere.

5 minutes later . . .


"OMG! People are causing mass panic with all these openly displayed guns. This is terrorism and we must put a stop to it!"

Ok, so we'll go back to concealed . .

"NO! That's already illegal. You agreed to banning that remember?!?!?"

[Atypical Liberal]

19. Except that concealed carry is currently near-universal.

Concealed carry is now nearly universal, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. If anything, it is likely to expand.

[PavePusher]

20. This is precisely why I am against <public speaking/people walking around unfettered/public voting>.

There is no way for the public at large to know why someone is <engaging in any lawful Constitutional activity>. They could be an honest citizen, or the next <insert boogy-man-du-jour here>.

The safe thing to do is call the police and let them sort it out. This wastes police resources.

If you want to lawfully <exercise any Right/engage in any non-harmful-to-others behavior not approved of by some social authoritarian Mrs. Grundy>, keep it concealed.


I trust that my point is clear?

[Atypical Liberal]

25. No, it isn't.

I don't think anyone is going to be alarmed by free speech or voting or many other lawful Constitutional activities, as there is little chance of bodily harm from them.

The second amendment is different from all the other Constitutional rights because it is the only one specifically about killing to protect freedom.

People who carry guns are carrying them in case they need to kill someone. The trick is knowing whether they are good or bad people, and there is no way to know by just seeing someone with a gun.

Open carry causes more problems than it solves, and those problems are solved by carrying concealed.

[PavePusher]

30. Different? Not at all. Voting kills. Speech kills. The Fourth Amendment kills.

None of that being any reason to hide any of those things.

See #29. Suppression is an ugly, vile thing.

[Atypical Liberal]

36. But none as directly as a gun.

Yes, voting can kill, speech can kill, but none directly.

No one is going to spot a voter and think, "Oh my god, they are out to kill someone!"

No one is going to spot a speaker and think, "Holy shit, those words are going to kill someone!"

Are there exceptions? Of course. Not many.

[PavePusher]

45. Ummm... actually....

No one is going to spot a voter and think, "Oh my god, they are out to kill someone!"

No one is going to spot a speaker and think, "Holy shit, those words are going to kill someone!"

We say that about republican ideals here all the time...

[upaloopa]

28. You carry a gun because you are afraid someone will

attempt to shoot you and you think you can shoot them first.
What else is there to know?

[friendly_iconoclast]

32. "What else is there to know?" Where you got your degree in telepsychology, for one.

And what are the licensing requirements to pratice it in California?

Seriously, it always amuses to read the claims of those who 'know' the innermost thoughts of those they do not know and have never met.

[upaloopa]

41. It ain't that hard to understand given all the

gunner ranting about needing to be able to protect yourself.

[ileus]

39. apologize for riding a bike instead of an SUV.

What kind of country would require someone to apologize for riding a bike, while letting people in SUV's have a free pass?

[sylvi]

43. I've never understood the whole "forced apology" thing

Maybe for kids, but for a 65 year old man? Come on. How sincere can it be if it's forced, and if it's not sincere what's the point?

I think I would have taken my chances at trial. Sixty-five. Clean record. No one harmed. Class 6 offense. A temperate judge would give a stern warning and suspend any sentence, in a just world. Of course, that just world isn't guaranteed.