Category: Crime

It’s good to see that people in Alexandria can get things done, even when the police take almost 15 minutes to show up:

Hart caught him in a bear hug three blocks away about the time that O’Brien, who had run back to her house for handcuffs and was still barefoot, drove up in Boyd’s truck. They handcuffed Dean just as Alexandria patrol cars pulled up. Dispatchers registered Thorp’s 911 call at 5:22 a.m. Police were on scene at 5:35 a.m., Alexandria police officials said.

Babin’s children slept through the ordeal.

In the ensuing months, Dean has tried to call Babin collect from jail four times. Hart said there is a palpable sense of relief in the neighborhood now that he is no longer hanging around. And O’Brien’s son has a much clearer sense of what she means when she says, “Mommy catches bad guys.”

O’Brien, Hart and Boyd were honored for their actions recently by the Alexandria police. But they played down their roles. O’Brien said she is trained to deal with crime. And helping each other out is simply what neighbors do, they said.

O’Brien is a fed, but it’s a good deal when the neighborhood has a guy in custody before the police even get there.  A good lesson in this is not to leave your cell phone uncharged or out of reach.

This is a really good read about cop killers. I think it makes sense, that ones that actually successfully kill cops are decent marksmen. Police typically wear body armor, so these guys need to make head shots, and have their tactics down.

Is the study just on cop killers or any criminals that take a shot at cops? Otherwise it doesn’t take into account the number of crooks who shoot it out with the police and end up in the morgue.

The really funny thing is, as I was reading the parts about the behaviors of criminals who are carrying weapons, I found myself thinking “Yeah, I do that too”. Of course, I use a holster, but I do find myself checking my shirt when I change positions, and probably do wear too much clothing in hot weather. I’ve never handed a weapon off to Bitter though, but she has handed one off to me :)

I guess I’ll have to add Texas Tattler to the blog roll next time I make additions, otherwise, apparently, “Catfish” will come poop on my lawn. Actually, given the current state of my lawn I could use the fertilizer.

Via SayUncle

The panel appointed by governor Tim Kaine is finally hearing from the families.  This has implications for us here:

Read and Andrew Goddard, the father of shooting survivor Colin Goddard, also urged the panel to consider recommending tougher gun control measures in the report it issues to the governor. Andrew Goddard graphically described the injuries his son suffered in the shootings, and attributed them to a combination of Cho’s mental state and “simple, efficient and readily available killing machines.”

Advocates on both sides of the gun control argument addressed the panel. Supporters of tougher gun control said the Tech shootings heighten the need to curtail access to semiautomatic weapons and eliminate legal loopholes that enable gun-buyers to skirt criminal background checks.

I’ve never been able to stomach the whole “we have to get to the bottom of this” attitude you have in politics after traumatic events.  Tragedy doesn’t just happen.  There must be scapegoats.  There must be reasons.  I suppose in simpler times people would blame such things on demons, the devil, or something similar.  For too many the gun has become our modern demon.  Once thought of as merely a tool, it now takes the spiritual role for people looking for something to blame.

I blame the deranged killer.   I don’t really look much farther than him.

This article suggests crime is on the rise in the big cities:

Year-end totals for murders rose in eight of the nation’s 10 largest cities: Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio and San Diego. That contributed to a 6.7 percent murder rate increase in cities with populations over 1 million people.

The murder rate dropped in two other big cities, Dallas and Los Angeles. And it plummeted by an overall 11.9 percent in smaller cities, towns and rural areas, the data show.

What does this say about guns being the source of the problem?  Small towns, cities, and rural areas tend to have a much higher percentage of households with firearms, and yet have plummeting crime rates.   Of the cities they list that have had an increasing murder rate, Chicago and New York have a ban or a defacto ban on guns.  Las Vegas has registration of all firearms.   San Diego operates under California’s strict laws, which includes registration, waiting periods, gun safety rules, and one-gun-a-month.  Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Houston are in states with liberal guns laws and preemption.

I’ll leave drawing conclusions as an exercise for the reader.

Because I don’t want this to ever happen to me.  Note that police arrived 5 minutes after being called, but that wasn’t quick enough.  Authorities are warning residents to keep their doors locked.  That is good advise, and I would add to that to keep a loaded shotgun handy.

I much prefer reading about sorry sods who made the mistake of bringing a knife to a gunfight, rather than reading about the brutal stabbing death of a family and kid.  I feel for the surviving daughter.

SayUncle has the roundup.