lowflyer

They need to outlaw shooting yourself at gun stores.

__________________
Whatever doesn't kill you postpones the inevitable.

peacefuljeffrey

This police chief is sickening.

I want to address his "logic."

He claims that there is a need to take away Giragosian's license(s) because Mr. G. failed to stop a suicide?? How exactly is it supposed to be possible to know someone's mind, that they're going to commit suicide?

Further, if a person picks up a gun and suddenly puts it to his temple and pulls the trigger, how is anyone else supposed to physically prevent that from happening?!

This is insanity. There is no other word for it. The chief is holding this businessman accountable for not stopping something that no one should have any expectation he would have the power to stop. I don't care if the guy has had a dozen suicides happen in his shop. They are not within anyone's power to prevent. The guy was there for a gun safety class. What is the instructor supposed to do, demand confidential medical and mental health records of all prospective students, and screen (using what professional psychological knowledge?) for anyone who might be suicidal before letting them near the guns?

To demonstrate how hard it would be to prevent a determined suicide, think about this. A guy could go into Walmart and buy a box of 9mm, then go into a gun shop and ask to see a Glock 19. He could palm one single round, quickly drop it into the open chamber, thumb the slide stop, put the gun to his head, and kill himself in probably under 2 seconds. Who can step in within that time and keep it from happening.

I'd love to read that this idiot police chief is removed from his position.

peacefuljeffrey

I googled "giragosian" and while nothing came directly up about this case, I did find this link, which shows an interesting handgun that seems pretty innovative. (At least, I've never seen anything like it commercially marketed.)

Spartan Super Seven

Apparently, the barrel and frame become a rigid piece, and the action moves behind it, providing better accuracy than conventional locking-barrel designs. Beyond that, I don't know anything about it. Has anyone used this kind of gun before?

LenS

As someone said, this is Massachusetts!!

In MA, ALL business licenses (including so-called "state licenses") are issued or approved by the local police chief. He really doesn't need any reason to refuse to issue or suspend/revoke any license. Only appeal is the local District Court, where the local chief/PD are "ever present" working criminal cases. As a prominent firearms attorney told me some 20+ years ago, it is damn near unheard of for a District Court judge to overrule any police chief on anything!

Of course anyone with three working brain cells can tell you that if someone picks up a gun for training and suddenly puts it to his head, your reaction time in trying to prevent the suicide is NOT going to be fast enough to do any good. In this case, the shop owner was allegedly standing beside him and was also struck by the same bullet. Thus he certainly was within a "span of control" with his student . . . it's just impossible to prevent something like this.

- Police chiefs here are "political animals", appointed and fired by the local board of selectmen (city council or mayor in larger cities) at their whim. Thus, their continued employment depends on kissing the asses of the local BOS (and boss).

- There appears to be a strong flavor of either revenge or a desire to do something to get rid of the gun shop totally in their town by this police chief. I'll bet that his BOS is 100% behind him in doing this.

- In MA to merely possess guns, ammo, components (including spent .22 cartridge cases) requires a LTC (I'm keeping it simple). A local chief can suspend/revoke a LTC for "suitability" with absolutely NO evidence of any wrong-doing, no hearings (only court appeal . . . see my comments above).

- MA courts are as liberal as they come (I think that they get their training from San Fran), very weak on jailing real criminals and very hard on "politically incorrect" but otherwise law-abiding citizens. I wouldn't take any bets on the shop owner winning all the battles required to get back all his licenses and it will cost him a minimum of $25-50K in legal fees and a number of years to do it. MUCH easier to pack up and move the business to NH.

SammyIamToday

I hope he sues the crap out of the city/county and wins..

__________________
...He suggested that "every American citizen" should own a rifle and train with it on firing ranges "at every courthouse." -Chesty Puller

ccw9mm

What this police chief needs is someone directly behind him with a boot in his back ... right on out the door. Makes me love the sheriff's by comparison, given that they're voted in by the people. Keeps much of the political crap out of the process of defending the people's will.

__________________
Your best weapon is your brain. Don't leave home without it.
Reports: CZ P01 pt1, pt2.
Thoughts: Justifiable self defense.
Explain: How does disarming victims reduce the number of victims?
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