Quote:Butler News
Written by Ken Hawk
Friday, 05 March 2010 00:00

An Allegheny County man will spend at least the next five years of his life behind bars for drug and gun related charges relative to his arrest in July of 2008.

According to the criminal complaint, 27-year-old Alfred Hines-Cox of Wilkinsburg was found to have guns taken in two separate thefts from Sportsman's Supply in Summit Township, and a Brady Township resident. He was also found to have cocaine, heroin and a large amount of cash in his possession when he was arrested at a residence in the city of Butler.

Hines-Cox was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison by Judge Tim McCune.

Quote:Butler News
Written by WISR News
Saturday, 20 February 2010 06:24

The Butler Twp police are investigating a road rage incident that escalated into one of the men displaying a handgun. According to witnesses a white male in his late 30's with short brown hair and clean-shaven displayed a handgun and then left the area eastbound on Delwood Rd. His vehicle is described as a dark gray GMC extended cab truck possibly with a dented rear bumper. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Butler Twp police at 724-285-9600.

Quote:ALBION -- A policy that prevents people from bringing guns into some borough-owned buildings has angered some local residents and caught the attention of the National Rifle Association.

The policy, adopted by Albion Borough Council on Jan. 28, prohibits anyone from bringing firearms onto borough-owned public buildings.

The policy followed an incident in November when the community's chief sewer plant operator was cited by Albion police for disorderly conduct for bringing a shotgun to the plant on two occasions.

Controversy over the new firearm policy erupted after notice of its adoption was published in a local newspaper.

Members of the Albion Area Sportsmen's Club voted Feb. 14 to send borough officials a letter asking that they rescind the policy, and contacted the NRA for input and direction in regard to the policy.

The NRA issued a bulletin Wednesday stating that a policy outlawing the possession of firearms on all borough-owned property was passed in Albion without public notice.

Quote:Gun rights advocates have a California police detective in their crosshairs after he apparently posted comments on Facebook advocating that "open carry" supporters should be shot.

East Palo Alto Police Det. Rod Tuason apparently posted the remarks on his Facebook page in response to a friend's status update, which suggested that gun advocates who carry unloaded weapons openly — which is legal in California — should do so in places like "Oakland, Richmond and East Palo Alto" and not just in "hoity toity" cities.

"Haha we had one guy last week try to do it!" Tuason replied. "He got proned out [laid face-down on the ground] and reminded where he was at and that turds will jack him for his gun in a heartbeat!"

Several comments later, the detective suggested shooting the gun rights advocates, some of whom have carried firearms openly in recent weeks in California's Bay Area, particularly at Starbucks locations.

"Sounds like you had someone practicing their 2nd amendment rights last night!" Tuason wrote. "Should've pulled the AR out and prone them all out! And if one of them makes a furtive movement … 2 weeks off!!!" -- referring to the modified duty, commonly known as desk duty, that typically follows any instance in which an officer is investigated for firing his weapon.

Those comments caught the attention of a California attorney and blogger, as well as a Virginia man who started a Facebook group calling for Tuason's termination.

John Taylor, whose Facebook group had 54 members as of midday Friday, said the Facebook thread confirmed gun owners' worst fears.

"Any sworn officer who suggests shooting law-abiding citizens for exercising their most basic constitutional rights deserves the full wrath of America's gun owners," Taylor told FoxNews.com. "It's an affront."

California's Penal Code makes it illegal to carry concealed weapons without a county-issued license. But it is legal to carry an unloaded weapon in plain view in a holster. In most cases, it is illegal for an unconcealed weapon to be loaded.

Taylor, of Arlington, Va., who has a concealed weapons permit in his home state, said he planned to write a letter to the East Palo Alto Police Department demanding that Tuason be fired.

"The targeting, harassment and intimidation of law-abiding citizens who are peacefully agitating for their rights by a police officer is an abomination to the Constitution, and is in fact the exact reason our Founding Fathers created the Second Amendment," Taylor said. "Police officers who think they are going to get between law-abiding Americans and their Second Amendment rights are going to find themselves in the line of fire."

Tuason's comments were first noticed by California attorney Kevin Thomason, who posted a screen grab of the detective's remarks on his Web site on Sunday.

"[Tuason] didn't realize that actual PRO-GUN people also read Facebook," Thomason wrote. "Amazingly, he posted the following comment about law abiding gun owners on a friend's page. Basically, he's saying 'prone them out' (face down on the ground), and if anyone moves, kill them. I don't make this crap up."

Thomason, a member of the National Rifle Association, wrote that Tuason's comments were "worth a call" to the East Palo Alto City Council, as well as to his superior officers.

Tuason, who has since removed his Facebook profile, did not return messages seeking comment on Friday. He is reportedly being investigated by the police department's professional standards division regarding the Facebook remarks.

East Palo Alto Police Sgt. Rod Norris said he was unable to comment on the matter, but Capt. Carl Estelle told the San Jose Mercury News that police officials must be careful not to violate Tuason's First Amendment rights, since the comments appeared on his personal Web site.

"In no way are his personal comments reflective of any policies or procedures here at the department nor does he speak for the police department," Estelle told the newspaper.

Quote:RADNOR - Call it “an area where reasonable minds can disagree.”

That’s how one Radnor Township commissioner described the debate over a proposed ordinance the Board of Commissioners is considering that would require residents to report a lost or stolen handgun within 72 hours of the loss or discovery of the loss.

Violators could be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to 90 days.

The ordinance, which would change the township’s hunting and weapons codes, was introduced by a vote at Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

Many township residents and some from other areas of the region attended the meeting to speak on the proposal. There seemed to be equal amount of support on each side.

Opponents of the ordinance argue that it tries to pre-empt state gun laws, that it is ineffective and unenforceable and that it infringes on people’s constitutional rights.

A few people opined that the “real purpose” of the ordinance, put forward by the organization CeaseFire PA, is to punish people who own firearms and to persuade people to stop buying guns.

Austin Hepburn of Radnor called the legislation “an attack on all lawful gun owners.”

Quote:HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Officials at the University of Alabama's Huntsville campus say three people have been killed and another injured in a campus shooting.

University spokesman Ray Garner says a woman is in custody but he could not identify her or any of the victims.

Trent Willis, chief of staff for Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, says there are several other shooting injuries in addition to the four. He doesn't have an exact number.

Sophomore Erin Johnson tells The Huntsville Times a biology faculty meeting was under way when she heard screams coming from the room.

The shooting happened Friday afternoon in the university's Shelby Center, a science building. University police secured the building and students were cleared from it.

The Huntsville campus has about 7,500 students in northern Alabama, not far from the Tennessee line.

Quote:WEAPONS POLICY ON CAMPUS —Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals by students on University property is not allowed as indicated in the UA Student Code of Conduct. However, students who have sporting, hunting, recreational or target weapons for off campus use may bring the items to UAPD (New Hall) for registration and free storage. Students are asked to bring proper identification, pistol permit (if applicable), the unloaded weapon and ammunition in a secure storage container. The check-in service is available 24 hours a day.

Quote:Butler News
Written by Ken Hawk
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 00:00

Kittanning-based State Police are investigating an altercation that came to a head with both of the instigators producing handguns.

According to police, it started as a verbal argument Sunday night along Kaylor-Petrolia Road in Brady's Bend Township. The disagreement became physical, with both men pulling out their guns. One of them fled the scene on foot.

The suspects' names have not been released as the investigation is ongoing and no charges have yet been filed.

Quote:Butler News
Written by Ken Hawk
Sunday, 07 February 2010 06:05

An Oil City man was arrested for stealing a gun early Friday evening in Venango County.

Franklin-based State Police say 27-year-old Jeremy Hazlett was apprehended in Sandycreek Township about 25 hours after he took a gun from Maurer's Trading Post on Route 8 in Franklin. He was apprehended at around 7pm last night and taken into custody without incident.

Hazlett was arraigned on a single felony count of Retail Theft of a Firearm and placed in the Venango County Jail on $35,000 straight cash bond.