[marktwain]

This is one of the most common type of abuses that I hear about. Police take guns, often for no reason other than they can, and refuse to return them.

[omega4179]

If we shoplift one gun its 5 years federal pen and 250k fine
Cop steals guns - its 1 year.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Sgt. Newburn was responding to a possible drug deal and found a loaded gun for which the driver had no pistol permit. In the second, the woman he questioned was parked on the side of the road in a known drug area..."

I guess if you throw the word "drug" in there enough you can try to excuse just about anything.

[NoLibZone]

Unions.

He needs to be shot.

[SkyDancer]

He was just following the policies and procedures of his department. It was on the same page where they can shoot family pets.

[txroadkill]

Police take guns, often for no reason other than they can,

Don't be silly, you never know when you are going to need a throw away. You have to be prepared for it otherwise you could be caught without one and that could be disastrous.

[SpaceBar]

2 counts of possession of a stolen firearm...

Pretty watered down charges given the whole story imho.

[olezip]

During the trial, prosecutors contended that Newburn, 40, improperly kept guns that he took from 2 different people and then lied to cover it up.

Defense attorney Rick Williams countered that his client took both guns lawfully and acted within the boundaries of his duties as a law enforcement officer.

Times have changed. Many years ago, the Chief of Police of my home town had a bushel basket full of confiscated guns. If they were lawfully taken, nobody cared what happened to them. They no longer belonged to their original owners or gun thieves. It was no issue. At that time Newburn could have done what he pleased with them.

But today, going to jail for possessing a lawfully confiscated firearm sounds crazy to me!

[Chode]

[Still Thinking]

"Possession of a stolen firearm"??!!

If he took them, unjustifiably, why isn't it theft (or grand theft, depending on the threshold there)?

[Ramius]

If he kept them himself, it’s a slam dunk. Any seized property has to be logged and placed in the custody of the department, usually in their evidence storage facility. Anything not turned over to their property custodian is pretty much by definition: stolen.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

“The defendant told him, ‘Your firearm has been destroyed, cut into 2 pieces.’

Always remember, there are two types of cops in this world --those who've been caught in their lies and those who have yet to be caught lying.

It just goes to prove that not only are cops liars, but they're also thieves.

Never, ever trust a cop --any cop!

[Tijeras_Slim]

I wouldn’t do 10 hours of community service for a 9mm Llama.

[FreedomPoster]

Ping. Somewhat close to you, I believe.

[Boogieman]

Oh yeah, if this guy is guilty, then most cops I’ve known are guilty as well. One of my childhood friends had a father on the force, and he had a collection with everything from switchblades and brass knuckles up to Tec-9’s and a live hand grenade.

[MileHi]

— took a Llama 9mm handgun...

He screwed himself for a... Llama POS pistol?