State to keep 51 guns seized from man obsessed with Spierer case

[CathyInBlue]

By aviator, do you mean avatar?

 

[jedi]

Is he a free man? Yes? OK then give him back his guns.

 

[CathyInBlue]

As soon as he stays on his meds to control his schizotypal mental illness, absolutely give him his guns back.

 

[jedi]

As soon as he stays on his meds to control his schizotypal mental illness, absolutely give him his guns back.

Either lock him up or he is a free man and in being free he has all his rights.

 

[HoughMade]

The law needs work, certainly.

This man was not a great test case, but this type of thing is unlikely to happen to people without issues like his. Read the opinion.

If this guy were to do something violent, the catch 22 is: "you knew he was acting this weird, had made statements that seemed like he was preparing to do some sort of sniper shooiting, then did nothing?" It's not an easy thing for the police to deal with. I suppose they just have tried to have him declared incompetent and committed....would that really be better?

 

[RedSox]

I agree he is not a great test case, but the law is vague and does need to be redefined as to what is the appropriate diagnosis and proper authority to determine it. Without that an anti judge could take away your rights on a non expert's word. This just shows that knee jerk legislation is improper and needs to be fully vetted before being put into law.

 

[MCgrease08]

So if this man is unable to ultimately have his property returned to him, right or wrong, will the government reimburse him for the fair market value of his guns?
A collection of 51 firearms is worth at least $15, 000, assuming $300 per gun.

Not to mention the thousands of rounds of ammo that was confiscated. If they reimbursed him at the rate Cheaper than Dirt is charging these days, he might actually come out ahead.

 

[HoughMade]

They say "hard cases make bad law". This is a very hard case.

Here are just a few quotes from the approximately 7 pages of background facts:

Redington also stated that “he sees spirits and dark entities” and spoke about Jewish neighbors of his who “molested one of their daughters and [Redington] found out about it and they took him [] up north somewhere and [] let him off in a cornfield,”

Redington also told the officers that he checked the range of the front door of Kilroy’s with his range finder and asked the officers if they “felt with the firearms that [they] carry on duty . . . in a firefight that we would be able to hit someone from sixty-six yards during and in the mist [sic] of a firefight.” Id. at 32. Soon after, Redington mentioned that “he had ranged what would be approximately sixty-six yards from where he . . . was standing . . . [on] the third floor of the parking garage to . . . where you would come around the corner” the officers used to approach. Id. Redington also stated that he ranged to somewhere near the back of Kilroy’s as being approximately sixty-six yards. Officer Abram asked Redington at some point if he owned other guns, and Redington laughed and said that he had several and specifically noted that he owned a rifle that “he had sighted in at that distance of sixty-six yards” and that “he could shoot accurately at that distance.”

Redington told Detective Gehlhausen that he had been looking for Spierer and wanted to avenge her. He spoke about observing a petite woman on the college campus and how “t would take nothing to just grab her and toss her in” a vehicle, and how he went to a strip club and paid a stripper one dollar for every question he asked her, including how much she weighed, how tall she is, and how much she can drink in an evening. Id. at 24. Redington told Detective Gehlhausen that, based upon her responses, in which she said she was four feet, six inches tall and weighed ninety-two pounds, he thought: “Could she put up a fight? Could she do anything? Could she run? What could she do?” Id. at 25.

He told Detective Gehlhausen that he possessed “nsight” and has a “piritual gift of prophecy.” Exhibit A at 44. Detective Gehlhausen’s impression of Redington based upon the interview was that he appeared “very delusional,” noting also that Redington “would just jump from one conversation to the next” and that he would talk to himself when he was alone and would talk under his under his breath to himself when in the presence of others. Transcript at 69. Redington also told Detective Gehlhausen that he did not point a rifle at anybody “because there’s too many cameras and that he would have been seen.”

 

[CathyInBlue]

I suppose they just have tried to have him declared incompetent and committed....would that really be better?

For the absolutists, yeah.

 

[glockednlocked]

KKKKKKKKKRAZY! Dude. But in his defense I see lots of "dark Spirits" in the Bloomington parking garages to, I just call them methhead vagrants but to each his own.

 

[CathyInBlue]

If I wanted to see dark spirits in Bloomington, I'd just attend a City Council meeting.

 

[glockednlocked]

You got that right Cathy spooky spooky around here gets you a seat in .gov.

 

[Redhorse]

By aviator, do you mean avatar?

Oh...yes, yes I do haha thank you.

 

[45calibre]

Caching is your friend.

 

[CarmelHP]

They say "hard cases make bad law". This is a very hard case.

Here are just a few quotes from the approximately 7 pages of background facts:

Actually, this approximates somes threads on INGO.

 

[HoughMade]

Actually, this approximates somes threads on INGO.

YES!

Well played, sir.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

We need to bring back state mental institutions. Taking this guys guns is logical as far as it goes, but hardly a real solution. He's an idiot if he can't source more. He won't really need weapons when his dark entities finally talk him into abducting that 92 lb woman.

 

[Cameramonkey]

KKKKKKKKKRAZY! Dude. But in his defense I see lots of "dark Spirits" in the Bloomington parking garages to, I just call them [STRIKE]methhead vagrants[/STRIKE] Liberal hipsters but to each his own.

Fixed it for ya.

Im all for him losing his guns based on the overall circumstances. He obviously isnt right in the head.

If you must take drugs to keep yourself "sane" by all reasonable accounts and fit to posses a firearm, you may not be a good candidate for unrestricted firearms ownership. As someone who has mental illness in his family (by marriage) I understand that in many cases, the person gets on a proper dosage of their meds, then decides to stop taking it because "I dont need these meds. Im cured. I feel fine!"

Should they be banned from touching or using any guns under proper supervision? Not necessarily. people like this should be treated like kids; You wouldnt give your 8yo a gun to own and control 24/7, but you wouldnt hesitate to take them out shooting. Thats what Im talking about. Unlike a felon, he shouldnt be prohibited from handling a firearm, but he most definitely shouldnt have unrestricted ownership. Thats just asking for trouble.

The way the authorities found the weapons also indicated an issue. Its not like the guy had them properly stored and squared away. I'm not even talking locking them up in a cabinet/vault. The account I have heard was that he had them strewn about his residence. laid out on the bed, in various drawers, piled in corners, sitting on countertops, couches, etc. Its one thing to have 50 guns "properly stored" and entirely another to just have them strewn about. Even having them all piled up in the corner of a spare bedroom is ok.

 

[abigbadzebra]

Yeah....

I agree with ^

This guy needs treatment. Reevaluate the situation after some treatment.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Yeah....

I agree with ^

This guy needs treatment. Reevaluate the situation after some treatment.

No, unless the treatment involves a new fangled miracle CURE for his condition (not just meds to keep him stable as long as he takes them) no ownership. Period.