Posted on 04/05/2013 5:48:14 AM PDT by Gorilla44
CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C.
He looks like a typical 7-year-old boy, but on Tuesday night, Sam Grant is facing charges that many adults never will.
He is charged with two felonies for something that happened when his mother turned her back for just a second. His parents told Eyewitness News that they're outraged.
"We are both just shocked. We have been in a state of shock over this," said Ray Robbins.
Sam's parents said this scenario began in February when Sam was playing outside with his BB gun. They said he began shooting at an abandoned house right across the street, but instead, Sam shot two cars as they were passing by.
Sam's mother, Cherry Robbins, immediately called the Catawba County Sheriff's Department.
"The officer told me he did not want to charge my son, the lady told me she did not want him charged. The next thing I know, I am getting a letter from the DPS saying he has been charged with two felonies," said Cherry.
Sam is charged with two felony counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. If convicted he faces one year probation and hundreds of hours of community service.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsoctv.com ...
I can relate to that. We had many such a battle with Roman candles. But I was 16 then.
Years ago I was standing on my back patio when I got shot in the head with a BB gun from the kid across the alley. It hurt like hell and I was bleeding like a stuck pig. I saw the the little brat in his backyard with the gun so I ran over and opened their gate to the backyard. He had already fled into the house so I started banging on the back door.
He was the only one home, got scared and called his parents. They in turn called the cops. When they got there I had blood all over my face and clothes and must have looked pretty bad. To make a long story short, the cops were gonna charge ME for trespassing! They said I should not have entered their backyard without permission! Even IF I was shot. I threatened to sue and that shut it down real quick.
Anyways, the kid got punished by the parents and I went on my way. Six months later that BB, unbeknownst to me, was still in my head and had surfaced to the top. I had it removed and all was well.
So yes, BB guns can be dangerous. But charging a 7 year old with a felony because he shot at a car? REALLY??
The AR was more than likely either an air-soft, shooting plastic pellets, or a paintball gun. I’ve had my eye on both for my kids for a while now. I have an HK MP5k airsoft that I picked up in Japan.
Tons of fun but less dangerous than your average baseball.
None of which justifies charging a 7 year old with two felonies for shooting a bb gun. Period.
Yes, definitely a resume enhancer for a career in politics.
Some f*ckwit sociopath was dropping rocks off an overpass onto oncoming traffic on interstate 75 here in Atlanta about 20 years ago. He killed a woman sitting in the passenger seat of a car while her husband was driving and her kid was in the back seat. You still think this is just a joke and maybe he deserved a "talking to?"
Who’s going to save the local folk from Black Bart now?
“The guy who works at the WallyWorld sporting department showed us an air rifle that looks sort of like an AR15.
He said a cop told him if that he saw somebody with it, hed shoot them.”
“Carrying a note in his pocket saying he was terminally ill but couldn’t “do the deed” himself, a man walked into the Vernon Hills police station early Wednesday and brandished a realistic-looking fake handgun before an officer shot and wounded him, authorities said.”
Ping to above, charges dropped:
// I just called the dad to find out how I could help and he told me they went to court this morning and all charges have been dismissed. News crews are at his house right now waiting for his statement. //
I retract my first comment about the poor target placement.
It sounds like the kid just really screwed up, as kids are wont to do. My bet is that it won't happen again. A little sweat equity to work off the damages is an excellent reinforcement.
Assuming that the "journalist" got the facts right.... I still think that the local prosecutor is being overzealous, though. If he can't handle a rowdy seven year old without dumping felony charges on their head....then he needs to find a new job.
Try it again NOW with other adventurous peers ... INFINITELY more fun.
My classmates used to come to school talking about their BB gun “wars”. They used to use Daisy airguns to play cowboys and Indians. I do remember at least one, a few years older than I was, who had to have a doctor remove a BB from his eyelid, no actual damage to his eye but he was very lucky. I lived so far back in the sticks I didn’t have any one to fight with except my older brother and we never shot each other with the BB gun, it would have taken away the advantage he had of being three years older. I was as good a shot with a Daisy as he was but younger and smaller.
it is not dumb to give a bebe gun to a sevn yr old, willis. My kids had knives to whittle with, bebe guns—it’s an American upbringing........mu daughter shot her first bebe gun when she was about 4. She is not a gun enthusiast,
My brother shot a bb gun toward the road when we were kids.
Dad smashed bb gun to bits with a hammer.
Saner times.
Here in NC a slingshot hidden in your gym bag is considered a concealed weapon.
I think a number of folks missed the key part of the story up front.
The little brat was shooting at the vacant house across the street. Momma was cool with that.
um... the kids mom called the police... and then is shocked when they respond???
um... lady NEVER involve the police (or any government official) in ANYTHING!
Common sense won out in your case, but then again, that was 'years ago'. Today, common sense has been replaced by reliance on regulations and zero tolerance.
A 7 year-old’s stupidity is NOT criminal.
A 20+ Bill Ayers and his goons are convicted murderers - yet they are absolved of their ‘adult’ decisions, celebrated as heroes in movies (Robert Redford) and installed in Universities (Columbia).
What legal lunacy and what a crazy country.
NC is ruled by the Libtards in Asheville.
First the kid was too young to be shooting a BB gun unattended but whatever happened to taking the BB gun away and grounding the kid with no TV for a month?
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