Gun Control?
What's That?
(#465, 4/1/25)

Ideological quarrels
beset gun laws.
And gun law-making.
And gun law-enforcing.

Forewarned is
Forearmed
(#464, 3/19/25)

Killings of police officers
seem inevitable.
What might help?

Who's Under the Gun?
The ATF, That's Whom
(#463, 3/6/25)

Going after gun controllers,
for the usual reasons

Who's Under the Gun?
The FBI, That's Whom
(#462, 2/14/25)

Going after the FBI
for going after
the Capitol rioters

Point of View
(#461, 1/30/25)

Do scholars really “get”
the craft of policing?

All in the Family
(Part II)
(#460, 1/6/25)

A decade after Part I,
domestic killings
remain commomplace

Acting...or Re-acting?
(#459, 12/8/24)

An urgent response
proves tragically imprecise

Citizen Misbehavior
Breeds Voter
Discontent
(#458, 11/20/24)

Progressive agendas
face rebuke in even
the "Bluest" of places

A Matter of Facts
(#457, 11/3/24)

Did flawed science place
an innocent man
on death row?

Want Brotherly Love?
Don't be Poor!
(#456, 10/12/24)

Violence is down in Philly,
L.A. and D.C.
Have their poor noticed?

Prevention Through Preemption
(#455, 9/16/24)

Expanding the scope of
policing beyond
making arrests

Switching Sides
(#454, 8/30/24)

St. Louis’ D.A. argues that
a condemned man
is in fact innocent

"Distraction Strike"?
Angry Punch? Both?
(#453, 8/11/24)

When cops get rattled,
the distinction may
ring hollow

Bringing a Gun
To a Knife Fight
(#452, 7/30/24)

Cops carry guns.
Some citizens flaunt knives.
Are poor outcomes inevitable?

"Numbers" Rule –
Everywhere
(#451, 7/2/24)

Production pressures
degrade what's "produced" –
and not just in policing

Is Crime Really Down?
It Depends...
(#450, 6/20/24)

Even when citywide
numbers improve, place
really, really matters

Kids With Guns
(#449, 6/3/24)

Ready access
and permissive laws
create a daunting problem

De-Prosecution?
What's That?
(#448, 4/27/24)

Philadelphia's D.A.
eased up on lawbreakers.
Did it increase crime?

Ideology (Still)
Trumps Reason
(#447, 4/9/24)

When it comes to gun laws,
“Red” and “Blue” remain
in the driver’s seat

Shutting the Barn Door
(#446, 3/19/24)

Oregon moves to
re-criminalize hard drugs

Houston, We Have
(Another) Problem
(#445, 2/28/24)

Fueled by assault rifles, murders plague the land

Wrong Place, Wrong
Time, Wrong Cop
(#444, 2/8/24)

Recent exonerees set "records"
for wrongful imprisonment

America's Violence-
Beset Capital City
(#443, 1/20/24)

Our Nation's capital
is plagued by murder

Keep going...

4/21/25 FSU mass shooter Phoenix Ikner was a deeply troubled child who took meds for “mental issues.” When he was ten his biological mother spirited him away to Norway. A court ordered his return, and she was jailed over the episode. His father remarried, and Ikner, whose birth name was Christian Eriksen, changed his name. Although he did well academically, his “white supremacist, alt-right views” worried classmates, as did his fondness for guns. His stepmother, whose handgun he used, had purchased it from the Leon County Sheriff’s Dept., where she is employed as a deputy. She’s presently on leave. Related post

A late-evening shooting in the front yard of a Chicago residence wounded three teens, ages 17, 18 and 19, one critically. The shooter, with whom they reportedly had an argument, fled in an SUV. He has not yet been identified. It happened on April 18 in the city’s poverty-stricken Austin neighborhood (Zip 60644, pov. 29.7%). Related post

Agreeing with Massachusett’s argument that “States have routinely regulated, and sometimes outright banned, specific weapons once it became clear that they posed a unique danger to public safety,” a panel of the 1st. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the state’s ban on assault weapons as consistent with the “historical tradition” requirement of the Bruen decision. Along the way, the Justices also remarked that the appellants offered “a single instance where the AR-15 -- or any other banned weapon -- has actually been used in a self- defense scenario.” Related post

Concerns that the Administration might invoke the Alien Enemies Act to summarily deport Venezuelans held by ICE in a Texas detention center led the ACLU to sue. In response, the Supreme Court just issued a summary order (Justices Thomas and Alito dissented) prohibiting any such expulsion pending a forthcoming ruling by the Fifth Circuit. And even then, it barred any removal “until further order of this Court.” Order   Immigration updates   Related post

4/18/25 When 20-year old student Phoenix Ikner stepped out of his car at Florida State University, he took out a shotgun. But it jammed. So Ikner reached in and got a handgun. It was an old service weapon once used by his mother, a long-time deputy sheriff. Ikner walked to the area of the student union building and opened fire, killing two non-students and badly wounding five other persons. Officers soon arrived; they shot and wounded Ikner when he didn’t comply with their commands. Ikner was a member of the sheriff’s “Youth Advisory Council” and participated in its training programs. In 2014 a former student opened fire in the FSU library, wounding three. Myron May, 31, was killed by police. Related post

In November 2018 Hoover, AL police officer David Alexander shot and killed Emantic Bradford, Jr. Officer Alexander and a partner were patrolling a mall and heard gunshots. They zeroed in on Mr. Bradford, an innocent citizen who had drawn his legal gun to help out. Assuming he was the shooter, Officer Alexander didn’t verbally warn Mr. Bradford and quickly fired, killing him. (The real shooter, who wounded two, was prosecuted.) Officer Alexander was cleared by prosecutors. Mr. Bradford’s family nonetheless sued. But an 11th. Federal Circuit panel just granted officer Alexander qualified immunity from civil liability. Related post

4/17/25 According to a news update, four students, ages 15-18, were shot at Wilmer-Hutchins High School on April 15th. None was critically wounded. A fifth student was hospitalized for anxiety. Tracy Denard Haynes Jr., the 17-year old suspect, surrendered to police. He apparently brought the gun in during the early afternoon when another student let him in through an unsecured door. Haynes promptly opened fire, shooting "indiscriminately." Related post

Minnesota law enforcement agencies began adopting encrypted radio communications in 2019. Minneapolis has just joined the trend. While the system is tested and tuned up, radio traffic between dispatch and patrol, and between patrol cars, will be encrypted four to six hours a day. And 24-hour encryption is around the corner. Police scanners will no longer work. But MPD promises it will promptly post general information about radio calls, including incident locations, on its “online dashboard.” Related post

According to Virginia’s Law Enforcement Assistance Program, officers are twice as likely to die by suicide than to be feloniously killed. With that in mind, the program offers seminars and guidance to cops before and after they experience the “traumatic life events” that are so commonplace to policing. With the loss of one of its own by suicide last month, the Giles County Sheriff’s office is welcoming VALEAP’s help. One of its tools, peer support, will “try to help normalize the trauma that comes after a critical event, and give people tips and tricks to move past these events.” Related post

4/16/25 Three high-school students, ages 15-18, were shot and a fourth was injured when a fellow student opened fire on the campus of Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas, TX. None of the injuries are life-threatening. Police have the shooter in custody. Students must enter the school through metal detectors, so it’s thought that the student somehow acquired the gun later. According to a student,"We were in class. I heard like six shots and the teacher ran to the door and closed it and told us to hide in the corner." Last year, a student was shot in the leg at the same school. Related post

In 2016 a divorced California woman obtained a restraining order against her ex-husband. According to her petition, he had told friends that he wanted to commit suicide and kill their child. One year later the ex-husband nonetheless bought a pistol at a gun store. And in 2020 he carried through on his plans. That restraining order, which would prevented the gun sale, wasn’t in the database used to screen gun buyers. A new California law that requires Courts to speedily pass on the identities of persons named in restraining orders is in the works. Related post

Four years ago a Colorado gunman used an assault weapon to commit a massacre at a Covid vaccination line. Colorado has just enacted a ban, to take effect next year, on assault-style weapons that can accept detachable magazines. Their manufacture will be prohibited. And unless a small-capacity fixed magazine is permanently attached, their purchase will require an eligibility card. That requires passing a background check and completing a special firearms course. It’s good for five years, but can be renewed. Rapid-fire devices such as “bump stocks” are outlawed altogether. Related posts 1   2

4/15/25 South L.A.’s fetchingly entitled “Green Meadows” neighborhood suffered yet another violent weekend, with three shootings that killed two persons and wounded one. A 13-year old girl who was inside her home when a dispute broke out nearby was struck in the head by a gunshot and fatally wounded. And two early-morning vehicle-to-vehicle shootings left a woman dead and a man critically wounded. So far, no arrests have been announced. Related posts 1   2

Former Colorado deputy sheriff Andrew Buen was sentenced to three years imprisonment for the 2022 shooting death of a deeply disturbed motorist who had called police. Christian Glass flashed a knife when officers approached, and Buen promptly fired. In 2024 a jury convicted him of misdemeanor recklessness, but jurors hung up on murder. When retried, Buen was convicted on the lesser offense of criminally negligent homicide. At sentencing Buen, who has been in jail, apologized to the victim’s family and agreed that he was fully to blame. Related post

“Operation Take Back America” continues to tout its accomplishments. DOJ’s April 14 news release announced that its prosecutors in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas charged “more than 1,020 illegal aliens” with immigration- related crimes during the second week of April. Most cases involved re-entry after deportation. Some were for making false statements. Charges were also preferred for human smuggling and firearms violations. Many of the defendants reportedly have local criminal records. Immigration updates   Related post

4/14/25 Approved last year, San Francisco Prop. E authorized police to deploy high-tech tools such as drones and license plate readers. SFPD promptly established a “Real Time Information Center” (RTIC) “where teams of analysts monitor live surveillance feeds, license plate readers, and drone footage” to  helps officers promptly respond to calls and solve crimes. Chief Bill Scott credits the RTIC for the city’s  substantial drop in crime. But skeptics worry about the technology’s effects on civil liberties. Related posts 1   2

"Criminals are taking advantage of irresponsible American gun laws, and their weak border enforcement, to bring illegal guns into Canada." With those words, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announced a plan to fight crime by getting “tough on guns.” Proposed measures include extending Canada’s ban on assault-style weapons, automatically barring persons convicted of violent domestic crimes from having guns, and toughening gun purchase and licensing laws. Related post

Four Guantanamo prisoners are scheduled to be tried on April 23 over their roles in the 9/11 assault. Among them is Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who reportedly led the attack. Another is Ali Abdul Aziz Ali (aka Ammar al-Baluchi.) Problem is, a military judge just threw out Aziz Ali’s confession, as it was made under extreme physical and mental duress during the early stages of his captivity. A fifth accused, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, has been removed from the proceedings as the long-troubled man was found mentally unfit to stand trial. Related post

Philadelphia murders are reportedly down. But shootings by youths have bucked a seemingly favorable trend. Between 2010-2024 223 juveniles were charged with murder. In 2010 the number was 26; by 2018 it was “only” three. But killings then rose, reaching a stunning 39 in 2022. That dropped to a still-considerable 26 in 2024, the same as in 2010. Charges in nonfatal shootings are way up; there were twice as many (49) last year as in 2010 (24). Among other things, authorities blame teens’ exposure to and glorification of violence, a lack of opportunities, and the ready availability of guns. Related posts 1   2   3

On April 8 CBP revoked the temporary parole status granted to about 6,300 immigrants who were allowed to enter the U.S. by the prior Administration. These immigrants have been notified of their revocations and ordered to self-deport. To impede their employment prospects, use of financial services, and receipt of local and State government benefits, their social security numbers were purged from the regular list and placed in the “Death Master File.” Immigration updates   Related post

Now seventeen, Nikita Casap immigrated from Ukraine with his mother. He lived with her and his stepfather in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Until about two months ago, when he shot them both dead. Casap lived with their bodies for two weeks, then took the family cash and a car and ran off. He was soon arrested in Kansas. According to the Feds, Casap, a Nazi sympathizer, had been plotting with others to murder the President, and used the stolen money to buy a drone and explosives. A deep probe into Casap’s motivations was just published by Psychology Today. Related post

4/11/25 Criminal investigations only. No civil immigration cases. That’s the requirement that NYC Mayor Eric Adams says he’s imposed on ICE in exchange for letting them open an office at the city’s Rikers Island jail complex. Immigration agents will be joining other Federal agencies who collaborate with city authorities on drug and gang investigations. But fans of NYC’s 2014 “sanctuary city” law say it’s payback to President Trump, who had Federal corruption charges against the Mayor dismissed. Immigration updates   Related post

Former Torrance, CA police officers Christopher Tomsic and Cody Weldin pled guilty to felony vandalism for spray-painting a swastika in a citizen’s car in 2020. They will be on probation for two years and will lose their state peace officer certifications. Their prosecution arose from a major State inquiry into a trove of Torrance officers who “championed violence against minorities, joked about beating up folks, and derided internal investigations.” Related post

In another ominous sign for the beleaguered agency, the Trump administration forced ATF’s number two, long-serving special agent Marvin Richardson, to resign from his position as Deputy Director. He had occupied that slot for five years, and was Acting Director in 2021. No reason was given. Related post

4/10/25 A Los-Angeles area soccer coach who was the prior subject of sex-abuse allegations has been charged with murdering a 13-year old boy. Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, faces the possibility of a death penalty. At his court appearance he was also accused of sexual assaults in 2022 and 2024. According to the District Attorney the earliest case was not prosecuted for insufficient evidence. DHS reports that Garcia Aquino, a native of El Salvador, is illegally in the U.S.  D.A. statement  Immigration updates   Related post

Albuquerque’s mayor and police chief report that crime has come down this year. But New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham still considers the city’s crime rate sufficiently high to warrant the deployment of National Guard troops to help out. They will perform secondary functions, such as directing traffic and securing crime scenes. Police Chief Harold Medina says that the help will give officers more time to patrol. But skeptics fear that troops may trample on citizen’s civil rights. Related post

Two 16-year old teens, a 17-year old and an 18-year old are under arrest after an “illegal gun sale/robbery” at a townhouse complex in Spotsylvania County, Virginia devolved into a mass shooting. Two 18-year old men and a 20-year old were killed, and three others were wounded, including one of the 16-year old suspects. Witnesses reportedly saw the alleged shooters “walking down the street with ‘guns in their hands’” and said that the gunfire sounded “like a machinegun.” Related post

According to A.G. Pamela Bondi, the Biden administration “placed an undue burden on gun owners and vendors by targeting law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights.” DOJ has accordingly formed a Second Amendment Task Force. Comprised of representatives from her office and a host of DOJ components, including ATF and the FBI, its mission will be to develop policies and legal approaches “to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.” Meanwhile, Kash Patel is no longer heading ATF. Its new acting Director is Dan Driscoll. He also has another job. He’s Secretary of the Army. DOJ memorandum  Related post

Florida man Leo Schofield was paroled in April 2023 after serving 36 years for murdering his wife. Problem is, another inmate of the state’s prison system, Jeremy Scott, who was locked up for a robbery-murder, confessed to the crime eight years earlier. As it turns out, his fingerprints were found in Mrs. Schoefield’s car. Her husband’s “error-filled” trial, and his as-yet unsuccessful fight to clear his name, were featured in the “Bone Valley” podcast. As was his telephone conversation with the admitted killer, whom he has forgiven. “Jeremy and I had a chance to close a chapter.” Still, Florida officials continue to insist that they had the right man. Related post