Angry citizens back man who shot intruder

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | January 15, 2004

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

In the aftermath of a decision to prosecute a homeowner who shot an intruder, a feisty crowd of 200 citizens packed a town board meeting to voice opposition to a local ban on possession of handguns.

Hale DeMar, of the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, protected his family Dec. 29 by shooting Morio Billings, who is accused of entering the DeMar home twice within 24 hours, the Chicago Tribune reported.

But DeMar was charged with violating a local ordinance banning possession of handguns and breaking a state law by failing to renew his Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification card. He faces up to a year in jail, a $2,500 fine or court supervision or probation if convicted on the charge of owning a handgun without a valid firearms card. The village's handgun ordinance carries a separate fine of up to $750.

He is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 6 to face both charges.

On Tuesday night, many at the meeting of the Wilmette Village Board booed and jeered when trustees expressed support for the ban, the Chicago paper said. Several audience members loudly emphasized the words, "And justice for all," during the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Wilmette Police Chief George Carpenter defended the handgun ban.

"My experience is handguns create a hazard in the home," he told the crowd, according to the Tribune. "My experience is that handguns are far more likely to be stolen, to be used or threatened to be used in domestic situations, or to be used or threatened to be used in suicides."

Wilmette resident Jim Szczepanik, 51, was one of many gun-rights advocates who argued no homeowner should be punished for defending his family.

"My Plan A is to call 911 and keep the family upstairs," he said, according to the Chicago paper. "But my Plan B is to have a loaded firearm and put a bullet in the intruder."

Another resident, Ralf Seiffe, called it "a matter of freedom."

Trustee Bernard Michna was among the minority who defended the ban.

"There could have been an outcome much more bleak for that family if more shots had been fired," Michna said, according to the Tribune. "I think it's close to unanimous there will be no change in the handgun ordinance."

DeMar said he had just tucked his two children into bed at about 10:30 p.m. when his home security alarm sounded, the Tribune reported. He found Billings in the kitchen and shot him four times, striking his left shoulder and left calf.

Prosecutors say Billings crashed through the home's front window after he was shot then drove himself to the hospital in the family's SUV, which he had stolen the night before.

Billings, convicted last year of a similar home burglary in an affluent Minneapolis suburb, is now in the Cook County Jail with bail set at $3 million.

The Cook County state's attorney's office decided not to file criminal charges against DeMar after determining he acted in self-defense, the Tribune said.

Carpenter said he could not condemn DeMar's actions, because the homeowner was in a "situation where he did what he thought was appropriate." But the police chief advised residents facing a similar situation to keep the family together, call 911 and not confront the intruder.

"The parent is the last line of defense for the family until the police arrive," Carpenter said, according to the Tribune.

The paper noted the city of Chicago and a number of other municipalities in the area also ban possession of handguns.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, told the Chicago daily he believes handgun bans are outrageous.

"The right to self-defense is the right that all creatures on this Earth have, including Wilmette," he said. "What they do is they make the citizens in these villages and towns fair game."

[Go Gordon]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than be carried by 6.

[cavtrooper21]

It invovles firearms, and we all know that the ACLU doesn't do guns...

Nazis, yes... guns, no way.

[madrastex]

I love the way you think!What a lot of time it would save for taxpayers.

[DKM]

"Trustee Bernard Michna was among the minority who defended the ban.

"There could have been an outcome much more bleak for that family if more shots had been fired," Michna said, according to the Tribune."

Hey Bernie, care to speculate on how bleak it could have been for the family if NO shots had been fired..........

[Nita Nupress]

For the life of me, I just don't understand how anyone could live in a place where there are such tight restrictions on the ability to defend yourself. I just don't understand it.

Maybe it's because I've lived in Texas for so long.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Thanks!

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than be carried by 6.

Oh (expletive)

...carried by six, buried by six, harried by six, married to hicks, whatever...you know what I was trying to say.

;*)

(hmmm...if MrS_S29 sees this, he might think that I haven't been listening to him for the past 12 years.)

(Hehe)

[Shooter 2.5]

I think everyone missed an important part of the story.

Billings, convicted last year of a similar home burglary in an affluent Minneapolis suburb, is now in the Cook County Jail with bail set at $3 million.

Minnesota enacted a Concealed Weapons law last year and this clown thought he was going to greener pastures. Little did he know someone thought more of their family than obey an unconstitutional law.

[DMZFrank]

Illinois Freepers were ably represented at the Wilmette gun hearing by Chicago farmer and myself. We were joined by hundreds (over 200) other like minded people, both Wilmette residents and others.

What I saw there was a governmental body (the Wilmette trustees) who embody the new face of tyranny, the benevolant nanny. The first item on the agenda was a smoking ban at an AMERICAN LEGION hall, the upshot of which is to negate private property rights under the guise of health concerns. The owner of the hall passionately spoke to that concern and pointed out that he would have to move the Hall or lose buisness.

When the attention turned to the gun ordinance, the slaughter began. One trustee opened the meeting by piously intoning that he had an open mind about this issue and then in almost the next sentence admitted that there was no intention to change the law. In other words, don't bother me with facts, my mind is made up. The trustees looked like a bunch of deer in the headlights as they were barraged by an avalanche of fact, history lesson, law, and common sense that to this observer clearly shook their insular sense of security and self rightousness to it's very core.

To be sure there were several speakers in support of the ordinance, some even were Wilmette residents. They were clearly outnumbered by residents opposed to it and utterly swamped by non residents who unanimously opposed it. In attendance were the honorable Terry O'Brien and Eileen Byrne from WLS, both of whom made passionate, and pertinent remarks that bought forth applause from the listners, along with a gathering of other media. Eileen expressed interest in our nascent firearm training course, which is still under development.

I read the E-Mail to Chief Carpenter that I posted here, and Chicago farmer pointed out that cops were mostly "armed historians" who inevitably show up after a crime has been comitted. He detailed the reality of the laws that shield Wimette from civil liability for the failure to prevent crime.

There were a host of second amendment supporters who passionately and eloquently made their points. One speaker made a particularly cogent point when he highlighted a dismaying trend of constitutional inversion, that of legit constitutional rights, (Bearing arms, private property, freedom of speech, equal protection) being demoted to privleges, and bogus ones (health care, illegal alien driver's licenses, abortion, welfare, etc.) are becoming hallowed US constitutional rights envisioned by James Madison.

Comic relief was provided by a Wilmette resident who proudly proclaimed himself estatic over the fact that he was victimized without the legal right to a handgun for self defense. The guy looked like he was right out of Central Casting for the role of nebbish victim.

[cavtrooper21]

You know, if I was smart criminal, I'd have attended that meeting, noted the antis and pros, observed license plates and gone home.
The next night I would check the car at the residence I was about to invade vs my list.
Car on Pro gun list - go to next house.
Car on Anti- gun list - cut phone line and move on in.

[First_Salute]

There were a host of second amendment supporters who passionately and eloquently made their points. One speaker made a particularly cogent point when he highlighted a dismaying trend of constitutional inversion, that of legit constitutional rights, (Bearing arms, private property, freedom of speech, equal protection) being demoted to privleges, and bogus ones (health care, illegal alien driver's licenses, abortion, welfare, etc.) are becoming hallowed US constitutional rights envisioned by James Madison.

Thank you.

[Mini-14]

would think it's about time for the good citizens of Wilmette to break out the feathers and start heating up a few pails of tar.

Based on the general mood of the audience I could see that have actually happening, had such buckets of tar been present, and a uniformed police officer not been present.

[drlevy88]

Why is the charge of violating the city's ban on guns and the charge of keeping a gun while the FOID lapsed, both being brought in the same court? One is municipal, the other is state.

I hope the city prosecutor at least has the menschkeit to abandon the charge or figleaf it with something like disorderly conduct.

Anyhow that "in my experience" loon is talking through his hind end.

[drlevy88]

How often will the gungrab laws have to show their asinine hind end in Illinois before the citizens uprise and say enough is enough. I am fortunate to live in an area where they aren't banned in homes... yet

[smith288]

Below, is a list of the names, addresses, and phone numbers for the Village President and Board of Trustees. Although the Village Board members do not maintain offices at the Village Hall, written correspondence may be sent to the Village Hall at 1200 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091 or via fax at (847) 853-7700.

Click Name to Send E-mail

Canafax, Nancy	Village President	2214 Greenwood Ave	(847) 256-5805 - Home
Chung, Yip-Wah	Village Trustee	2128 Kenilworth Ave	(847) 256-6891 - Home
Griffith, James	Village Trustee	1210 Glendenning Rd	(847) 251-2827 - Home
Hughes, Patrick	Village Trustee	1721 Wilmette Ave.	(847) 853-1204 - Home
Lambrecht, Mary E. "Beth"	Village Trustee	1119 Central Ave, #2B	(847) 256-3258 - Home
Michna, Bernard	Village Trustee	2022 Wilmette Ave	(847) 853-0793 - Home
Pearce,George M.	Village Trustee	1114 Forest Ave	(847) 256-5968 - Home

This info is available to the public so don't crucify me for posting them.

[FreedomPoster]

Meanwhile, we have a case from 2 days ago in Tucker, GA (ATL suburb), where an intruder shot and killed a H.S. football coach and his H.S. senior son. But there's no reason to own a handgun.

They don't need an election, they need tar, feathers, and a rail.

[stevio]

I found this info at their public web site too. I called a number of them but just got answering machines. I'll try tonight.