[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!

[allmendream]

Stealing is a crime.

When the Police engage in theft it is a betrayal of trust.

A Police Officer willing to take a gun from a citizen for his own use and then lie about its whereabouts is no doubt capable of many other offenses.

That may be the sort of ol’ timey good ole boy law enforcement you are expecting - but most Americans expect their Police officers not to be petty crooks.

[cayuga]

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

Let me make sure I understand your statement.

Are you saying that whatever a police officer "lawfully conficates" becomes his property?

You must be a cop. Nobody else could defend that.

[Cyber Liberty]

FTA:

But the vehicle and the gun belonged to that man’s father, Johnny McBride, and Citronelle Municipal Judge John Williams ordered the weapon returned to him. O’Brien pointed to testimony that McBride never got it back.

In one of the cases the LEO in question was defying a direct order from a judge to return the weapon. Less than five years in jail sounds crazy to me. This guy got off easy. He should have gotten extra for contempt of court.

[garybob]

If they were lawfully taken, nobody cared what happened to them.

I seriously doubt that. Private property was and still is private property. Once the cases had been adjudicated, you believe no one wanted their property back? For non-firearms cases you think that if a cop takes a gun, the owners just needs to shut up about it?

[driftdiver]

Sounds like he was a thief.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

If they were lawfully taken, nobody cared what happened to them.

And you know this to be true... How?

[JimC214]

Gee when I was a LEO if we stopped some one and found a illegal firearm on him or her, we were required to book it in as evidence, not keep it for a rainy day. Hell if were to find a firearm just, say laying down in the street, we were required to book it in and see if the local PD had any bulletins or reports describing said weapon. But getting to keep it? Not likely.

[NewinTexsas]

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

Did you even bother to read the article? One of the guns belonged to the father of the dude that it was taken from. A judge ORDERED the police to return the weapon to the lawful owner.

[Rannug]

Lots of things in this world are crazy, including: “going to jail for possessing a lawfully confiscated firearm sounds crazy to me!”

[starlifter]

Please tell me you actually read the story before posting what you did.