Elderly couple arrested after making gun threats (against vegetation survey crew, FL)

[jpak]

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/14502566/2011/04/23/elderly-couple-arrested-after

A 71-year-old Marco Island woman and her 83-year-old husband were arrested Friday morning after threatening two wildlife and vegetation survey workers with a gun.

Marco Island Police officers were dispatched to the Bluehill Creek Drive home of Cornelia and John Grado after they received a call regarding a disturbance.

<snip>

According to police reports, Finn stated that he and Frantz had been in the street outside the Grado's home in order to survey the area for compliance with vegetation codes when they were attacked by Cornelia Grado.

She reportedly pointed a handgun at the men and threatened to kill them if they set foot on her property.

<more>

but...but...but...they wuz just uzzin they's Holy 2A rights to preetect they's Castle agin the Big Gommit

morans

yup

[Taitertots]

1. Someone broke the law and they will be punished...

Good thing the vast majority of gun owners support and worked to implement the common sense regulations that restrict that kind of behavior.

[Kolesar]

2. "he and Frantz had been in the street outside the Grado's home"

We came armed this time

[PuffedMica]

3. I have the authority of the U. S. Government with me

A Department of Agriculture representative stopped at a farm and talked with the old farmer. "I'm going to inspect your farm." The old farmer said, "You better not go in that field." The Ag representative said in a wise tone, "I have the authority of the U. S. Government with me. See this card? I am allowed to go wherever I wish on agricultural land."

So, the old farmer went about his farm chores. Later, the farmer heard loud screams and saw the Department of Agriculture rep running for the fence and close behind was the farmer's prize bull. The bull was madder than a full nest of hornets and the bull was gaining at every step.

The old farmer called out, "Show him your card!"

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PuffedMica]

6. Does that imply that protecting propety rights belongs exclusively to rightwingers?

[geckosfeet]

8. No - it implies that protecting property requires a legitimate threat.

[jpak]

9. You don't point guns at survey crews and theaten to kill them to protect yer property rights

nope

[PuffedMica]

16. Did the old farmer point a gun at the survey crew?

Did the old farmer prevent the surveyor from entering his property?

Does someone opposed to the private ownership of guns find fault with guns in every post, even if the gun has to be imaginary?

Nope, Nope, Yup

[ThatPoetGuy]

37. Yes, actually, she did.

The difference is, the OP is real, and your "joke" is fiction.

Your "joke" is both offensive and unrealistic. Let me guess where you stand.

[NewMoonTherian]

39. Wait. Offensive to whom? Unrealistic, granted, as it's a joke. n/t

[ThatPoetGuy]

41. The "joke" is a barely veiled fantasy

wishing grievous bodily harm upon public employees. That's offensive.

Good humor is realistic. It reflects reality, responds to it. Good humor does more than say, "har har wouldn't it be funny if them arrogant feds got hurt."

That wasn't a joke -- it was hateful propaganda. It's a wistful daydream about watching other human beings get seriously hurt and laughing at them for their stupidity -- even though, in reality, they've done nothing stupid.

[NewMoonTherian]

42. Ok, thanks for clarifying. I enjoyed it myself. n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

40. She 'did' according to the news story.

We shall see what happens at trial.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DBoon]

26. +1

good summary

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[baldguy]

14. You're new here, aren't you?

[ThatPoetGuy]

17. Me?

Or did you mean to reply to the other guy?

I've been on DU since 2003.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ThatPoetGuy]

29. What did you say?

You can send it to me in private, even if you're flaming me. But I'm guessing you're not flaming me. The moderators wouldn't have deleted it if you had.

[baldguy]

30. I see yours got cut too.

The gun people here have got mighty fragile sensibilities, don't they?

[PavePusher]

23. "anti-government hostility"

Go sit down for a while. You're seeing something that isn't there.

[jpak]

27. ATF

testing

testing

[LiberalFighter]

22. FSA employees are smarter than you think.

[Prof Lester]

24. "Show 'im yer badge!" was the way I heard it, way back when.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jeepnstein]

45. I heard that old joke...

at a briefing before we went out on a marijuana eradication job. The point was if someone says "Don't go over there." you'd better ask why because it may be important.

Yeah, we had a few people with guns wanting to run us off their property. That usually didn't go very far once they figured out what we were after. I've know of property tax assessors getting the same treatment.

The old folks will face charges and will probably think that the Government is coming after them. Some people sit and listen to Fox news all day long and think the End is Near. My wife has a patient who listens to Coast to Coast and he's convinced that it's the truth. There's some really weird stuff floating around the airwaves these days thanks to the 1st Amendment. That doesn't mean I can't have my 2nd Amendment rights anymore.

[geckosfeet]

5. That should be 'yup yup yup'

Ouch

[jpak]

7. OK - they wuz morans

yup yup yup

better?

:D

[geckosfeet]

10. ah thin so

[MineralMan]

11. I briefly read "vegetarian" instead of "vegetation."

Funny slip, that.

[Buzz Clik]

21. The Vegan Police checking for vegetarian compliance. LOL!

[Logical]

12. In other news, some people are stupid. n-t

[Upton]

15. Nobody was hurt here were they?

Looks like your buddy Paul Helmke (Brady Bunch/GOP-Moran) won't be able to use this case to send out any fundraising letters.

[goddess40]

18. That's one way to get health care

I can't speak for anywhere but Wisconsin but inmates here get damn good health care

[Upton]

19. Same thing here in Wa state..

the inmates get better healthcare than the majority of regular citizens..

[Buzz Clik]

20. This would be a non-story if the surveyors had been packing heat.

Well, a different story anyway:

Two Killed and One Wounded in Backwoods Shootout




Elderly Man Lone Survivor



An 83-year-old Florida man from Marco Island killed two government surveyors during an altercation about compliance with vegetation codes. The agents drove onto the property of Cornelia and John Grado in response to complaints from neighbors when the couple confronted them. "We are the victims here," said Grado. "These nosy bastards coming driving onto our land in their government truck, and I could see Jonestown or Waco happening all over again. My wife and I both grabbed our guns and told them to leave. Both of them drew their weapons, but we opened fire before they could squeeze off a single round. Cornelia shot the fat guy in the face, but I missed. The skinny bearded hippy started shooting, so Cornelia stood in front of me like a human shield."

During the ensuing confusion, Grado was shot in the shoulder and leg, and he killed the second agent at close range. "He ran out of bullets. He pumped his entire clip into Cornelia. He got on his knees and started begging for mercy, and it was mercy I gave him."

Grado is recovering in St. Charlton Hospital in nearby Heston. The local police have not decided if they will press charges, but they disagree with Grado's account of the incident. Officer Jack Friday explained, "When the agents drove onto the property, the Grados immediately confronted them with loaded weapons. Agent Buck warned the Grados to lower their weapons and stand down while Agent Hoffman used his radio to alert his main office about the problem. During Hoffman's deliberations with the dispatcher, the Grados killed Buck who had not drawn his weapon. Agent Hoffman grabbed a shotgun from the truck and warned the Grados to stop. Hoffman was killed at short range."

When asked about the wounds in John Grado's leg and shoulder, Friday told this reporter, "Although Agent Hoffman discharged his weapon, he did not hit either of the Grados. Cornelia's fatal wound was from behind, and the wounds in John Grado's shoulder and leg were made at close range from Cornelia's weapon."

The police indicated that Grado will be arrested upon his release from the hospital, but the District Attorney is not sure what the charges might be.

Oh, my!

[ThatPoetGuy]

33. Great post!

Thanks.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NewMoonTherian]

34. Not acceptable at all.

She shouldn't have threatened them until and unless they actually entered the property. In this case, the Grados were in the wrong.

[Hoyt]

35. Law-abiding gun owners breaking the law, AGAIN. Their kids need to take their guns away.

[RSillsbee]

38. I imagine the state is going to handle that chore NT

[petronius]

43. You know, I can't decide which sounds goofier: the inane babble you typically write, or

the nonsensical dialect you attribute to these Floridians. :shrug:

[David West]

44. Trying to cite geriatric couples for vegitation code violations.

What a productive way for a public employee to spend his day.