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Seattle police first in state to seize gun under mental health law
KATU2 ^ | 3 March 2018 | Joel Moreno

Posted on 03/06/2018 3:44:18 PM PST by Politically Correct

Seattle police first in state to seize gun under mental health law
by Joel MorenoSaturday, March 3rd 2018

SEATTLE – The city’s police department became the first law enforcement agency in the state to force the surrender of a firearm under a new law known as an “extreme risk protection order.”

The incident involves a man who lives in Belltown, who neighbors said had been intimidating people for the past year - even staring-down customers through store-front windows with a gun holstered at his side. Mental illness is suspected, but that new law allowed police to legally disarm him.

“He was roaming the hallways with a .25 caliber automatic,” said Tony Montana, who knows the man from his apartment complex. “And it created a lot of fear obviously because I didn't know if he was coming after me or gonna just start shooting the place up."

The man, who we are not naming, is also well known to the bars and restaurants below his unit along Second Ave. The volume of complaints convinced Seattle police to seek an extreme risk protection order - or “erpo” – which allows law enforcement to legally remove guns from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. In this case, the man refused to comply. Because of the new law, police were then able to return with a warrant and force the man to surrender the firearm.

“I’m very supportive of this law,” Montana said. “This is a perfect case in point where it's had some efficacy. It was an immediate crisis and law enforcement was able to remove his firearms, so it very well could have saved lives."

A few dozen erpos have been served and executed around the state, but Seattle police said they are the only agency so far to seize a gun because the owner refused to hand it over.

Law enforcement professionals said these specialized protection orders could be a common sense strategy to try and prevent mass shootings - such as what happened in Parkland, Florida.

“There's certainly a big concern of the connection between mental health and people exhibiting violent behavior and whether or not they should have access to firearms. The ‘erpos’ give us that tool now as an option,” said Sgt. Eric Pisconski, who leads the crisis response unit for the Seattle Police Department.

The confiscations only last a year, although they can be renewed.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: banglist; bluezones; gunconfiscation; leo; seattle; unconstitutional
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To: Politically Correct
legally remove guns from people deemed a danger

This could be a sound, logical, perhaps even noble intention. However, as our founders noted men tend to abuse powers. Those tasked to decide the deeming will determine whether this is noble or nefarious in direct relationship with how corruptible they become.

21 posted on 03/06/2018 4:13:30 PM PST by MosesKnows (Love Many, Trust Few, and Always Paddle Your Own Canoe)
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To: Politically Correct

http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2018/03/02/seattle-pd-crisis-response-squad-serves-extreme-risk-protection-order-seizes-handgun/

Not even the cops are accusing him of threatening anyone.

He IS accused of “harassing” some staff at a restaurant while carrying a holstered pistol.

This stinks.

If open carry alone is grounds for weapons seizure, we’re in trouble.


22 posted on 03/06/2018 4:14:12 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: bgill
Well, he does live in loony Seattle.

Evacuate all the conservatives (one or two vans should do the trick).

Lift off and nuke it from orbit, just to be sure.[/s]

23 posted on 03/06/2018 4:14:50 PM PST by Politically Correct (A member of the rabble in good standing)
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To: Joe 6-pack
So by this precedent, if a cop with a gun looks at me funny or stares at somebody he should have his firearm taken away. Right?

HAHA! You funny guy.

24 posted on 03/06/2018 4:15:10 PM PST by gogeo (excellent!)
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To: Politically Correct

bkmk


25 posted on 03/06/2018 4:15:47 PM PST by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: Politically Correct
I call BS.....

I've NEVER referred to ANY of my semi-auto weapons as automatics.

NEVER...and EVER.

Any gun owner I know...friends and family have NEVER uttered that word about there...semi-auto weapons....Period.

26 posted on 03/06/2018 4:16:22 PM PST by Osage Orange (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot)
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On the other hand. Any whackjob who goes off talking trash on the internet, about killing....needs to be locked up.

All of the school shooters were freaks that should not have been out in public.


27 posted on 03/06/2018 4:20:44 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (The Obama is about to hit the fan.)
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To: Osage Orange
I call BS..... I've NEVER referred to ANY of my semi-auto weapons as automatics.

NEVER...and EVER.

Any gun owner I know...friends and family have NEVER uttered that word about there...semi-auto weapons....Period.

Dunno....maybe it's just the part of the country or the people I hang out with.

I hear it all the time at my private range.

Usually something like "Let me see that 9mm auto."

28 posted on 03/06/2018 4:22:34 PM PST by Politically Correct (A member of the rabble in good standing)
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To: Osage Orange
Thinking more about it.
"Auto" often gets appended to anything that's not a revolver
29 posted on 03/06/2018 4:25:59 PM PST by Politically Correct (A member of the rabble in good standing)
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To: Politically Correct

Confiscation re. ERPO is now proposed for MA from their lawmakers. Gov. Baker promises to sign it.


30 posted on 03/06/2018 4:28:01 PM PST by pabianice (LINE)
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To: pabianice
Confiscation re. ERPO is now proposed for MA from their lawmakers. Gov. Baker promises to sign it.

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
Samuel Adams

31 posted on 03/06/2018 4:31:35 PM PST by Politically Correct (A member of the rabble in good standing)
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To: Politically Correct; All

In this age of smartphones, where are the videos of this guy as evidence of allegations?


32 posted on 03/06/2018 5:00:45 PM PST by Amendment10
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To: Politically Correct
Well maybe....

Always referred to them like this..."Hand me your .380...or that 9"

33 posted on 03/06/2018 5:04:30 PM PST by Osage Orange (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot)
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To: Politically Correct
Thinking more about it. "Auto" often gets appended to anything that's not a revolver

Good point.....

Now that....I understand.

34 posted on 03/06/2018 5:05:48 PM PST by Osage Orange (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot)
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To: Politically Correct
"“He was roaming the hallways with a .25 caliber automatic,” said Tony Montana'" Scarface_M16 I think Tony is being coy. He knows a little about guns.
35 posted on 03/06/2018 5:11:19 PM PST by Ronald_Magnus
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To: Wolfie

Yup, it’s one big sh*t sandwich and Catch 22. The problem is that this will be totally abused because most mental health people, judges and law enforcement are one way or another gun grabbers. I have no doubt that this guy was a total freak but the left will deem anyone a freak who supports the 2A.


36 posted on 03/06/2018 5:13:56 PM PST by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: TallahasseeConservative

The thing I have to be concerned about with a “.25 caliber” is not the oddity of the round... and yeah, a lot of those pistols are called “Automatics”

What gets me is that he “Stared at people threateningly through store windows, a pistol on his hip”

What OWB carry is available for a .25 ? I can’t think of anyone who carries, say, a jetfire or seecamp on their hip. Couldn’t even fathom it. And if they did, could they be menacing about it?

This doesn’t pass the smell test. And for Seattle, of all places, to break new ground in public safety and protection at a moment when everyone is scrambling to be the first to arrest for “Mental Health”...

It’s just odd. Something doesn’t fit.


37 posted on 03/06/2018 5:14:18 PM PST by Celerity
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To: bgill

Well, I guess we could always hit them first - liberalism, Marxism, Communism is a mental disease. Put them in the FEMA camps along with all the dopey Pschy people diagnosing Trump without ever having met him.


38 posted on 03/06/2018 5:15:44 PM PST by greeneyes
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

Yep. If that Kid in Florida, had no gun and wasn’t able to get one, he could have simply stolen a car, and drove into the crowd when school dismissed-maybe even killed and injured more than he allegedly did.


39 posted on 03/06/2018 5:18:32 PM PST by greeneyes
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To: TallahasseeConservative

Yeah, he had a “Mini-gun”. LOL


40 posted on 03/06/2018 5:23:24 PM PST by DocRock (And now is the time to fight! Peter Muhlenberg)
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