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As more shooters wear body armor, a California bill would ban most bullet-proof vest ownership
americanmilitarynews.com ^ | Jan. 19, 2023 | ANDREW SHEELER

Posted on 01/19/2023 10:56:55 AM PST by PROCON

Most Californians would be banned from purchasing or taking possession of body armor, such as a bullet-proof vest, under a bill now being considered by state lawmakers.

Assembly Bill 92, introduced by Assemblyman Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, comes as a response to many high-profile mass shootings where the shooter wore body armor. That includes the 2015 massacre in San Bernardino, where two people wearing tactical gear killed 14 people at a holiday gathering.

State and federal law already prohibit people convicted of a violent felony from possessing body armor. AB 92 would make it a misdemeanor for anyone outside of a specified profession to purchase or take possession of body armor.

In its current form, the bill exempts law enforcement officers and members of the military, armored car guards and security guards, firefighters and paramedics, firearms dealers and body armor salespeople, building safety inspectors and code enforcement officers.

The bill also makes it a felony to commit violence with a firearm while wearing body armor.

“Simply put, the widespread availability of military-grade body armor helps mass shooters and criminals kill more people,” Connolly said in a statement. “It is clear that the sale of body armor has empowered violent criminals, including mass shooters, to harm, kill, and prolong their rampages. This ongoing and unnecessary epidemic of violence must be stopped and AB 92 will help protect innocent bystanders and our peace officers.”

While body armor is expensive and rarely used by criminals in most crimes, according to NPR, there has been an uptick in mass shooters wearing it during their attacks.

At least 21 mass shooters have worn some form of body armor over the last 40 years, according to The Violence Project, which studies gun violence. The majority of those cases were in the last decade.

AB 92 likely will be heard in committee later this spring.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: ban; banglist; bulletproofvests; california
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21 posted on 01/19/2023 11:17:48 AM PST by Rio
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To: Seruzawa

If you look at Indiana along the Chicago border all you see is fireworks stores, gun stores, gas stations, etc...


22 posted on 01/19/2023 11:18:14 AM PST by nascarnation (Let's go Brandon!)
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To: PROCON
Dang, I had my eye on getting some...
23 posted on 01/19/2023 11:18:34 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: higgmeister
They do that just so they can add to the list of violations of the law. It’s that whole, “One count of murder, one count of reckless endangerment, two counts of blah, blah, blah, one count of wearing body armor in the commission of a crime…” thing.

You’d think it would be enough to say, “The defendant shot up a Target store, killing three and injuring 7”, but apparently not.

24 posted on 01/19/2023 11:19:25 AM PST by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: Seruzawa

Modern legislators could care less whether a bill accomplishes its supposed objective.

It’s all about using the proposed laws to fundraise and fire up their voting base.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.


25 posted on 01/19/2023 11:21:32 AM PST by Bratch
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To: PROCON

They can have my body armor when they pry it from my cold, dead torso...


26 posted on 01/19/2023 11:21:54 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary? Pray for President Biden: Psalm 109:8)
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To: PROCON

California democrat politicians want us all dead, don’t they?


27 posted on 01/19/2023 11:23:27 AM PST by Bullish (Either we don't see it coming or they don't... But somebody's got it coming.)
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To: GingisK

Bad idea to ban them. Protection has to be afforded against nutjobs.

Example: Band member of Bob Dylan got a package with a present and said it’s probably some kind of special musical instrument. It was a Kevlar vest.

Many times Bob Dylan was targeted by stalkers and nutcases trying to murder him. After John Lennon he took it seriously.

One example: A woman used a checking account and credit cards as Mrs.Dylan and using that name on hotel registration logs while she followed him from city to city.
One day when He was practicing and recording in his old building there was a sound of the freight elevator coming up. The door opened and the obsessed woman came out, holding a gun and lunging at Dylan. His security guys tackled her in time.


28 posted on 01/19/2023 11:24:54 AM PST by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: PROCON
In its current form, the bill exempts law enforcement officers and members of the military, armored car guards and security guards, firefighters and paramedics, firearms dealers and body armor salespeople, building safety inspectors and code enforcement officers.

Why not convenience store workers?

Reminds me of the effort in Philly to ban bulletproof glass at convenience stores because they were racist or some such nonsense.

29 posted on 01/19/2023 11:25:14 AM PST by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024)
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To: PROCON

We’re going from unarmed to unprotected . . .


30 posted on 01/19/2023 11:26:26 AM PST by MCSETots
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To: PROCON

This proposed law does not address the real issues, which are assault style body armor, high-capacity body armor and hate-enhanced body armor.


31 posted on 01/19/2023 11:27:59 AM PST by 17th Miss Regt
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To: PROCON

Exceptions will be made for politicians (but only democrats), Hollywood snobs, and sports figures who openly support perverted woke behavior. Republicans, patriots, and Christians will not only be prohibited from wearing body armor but will be required to wear special vest with targets on the front and back. Laugh if you like but don’t think for a minute the perverted left would not relish the idea. I am turning 70 next month and if there is one thing good about getting old its knowing that every day I get closer the the day I will see my Lord and Savior. He is my armor and there is nothing they can do to remove it. I hope the rest of you Freepers have the same armor and that one day we can all reminisce on how petty our concerns were in this short life.


32 posted on 01/19/2023 11:28:40 AM PST by TonyM (Score Event)
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To: PROCON

That’s not a bullet proof vest.

It’s a micro meteor proof vest.

I need one because climate change causes more meteors or something.

By the way, are politicians allowed to wear bullet proof vests? They really might need to someday.


33 posted on 01/19/2023 11:30:47 AM PST by seowulf (Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos...Will Durant)
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To: PROCON

If it’s a stupid idea, California will most definitely implement it.


34 posted on 01/19/2023 11:30:57 AM PST by Scott from the Left Coast (Make Orwell Fiction Again)
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To: PROCON

so they just buy bullet resistant SCHOOL BACKPACKS then...

or are they gonna ban them too???


35 posted on 01/19/2023 11:34:18 AM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: EEGator

Bad guys will make vests lined with Zippo lighters.


36 posted on 01/19/2023 11:38:53 AM PST by bigbob (p)
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To: PROCON

“That includes the 2015 massacre in San Bernardino, where two people wearing tactical gear killed 14 people at a holiday gathering.”

The stupid hurts. How would these people be any less dead if he wasn’t wearing body armor?


37 posted on 01/19/2023 11:42:16 AM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: bigbob

When Zippos are outlawed, only outlaws will have Zippos…


38 posted on 01/19/2023 11:44:00 AM PST by EEGator
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To: PROCON

It’s stupid...Unless they show up looking like Sir Galahad...that body armor can be avoided. Tap tap!!


39 posted on 01/19/2023 11:44:12 AM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: 21twelve

Isn’t self-defense with a firearm violent?


40 posted on 01/19/2023 11:44:12 AM PST by coalminersson
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