Lee Williams, The Gun Writer, as he’s called, has some words for a local cop, and he’s not happy.
In my humble opinion, it appears as though Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri may be ready for the rubber gun squad.
The good sheriff said Thursday that law abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights will be “thrown down on the ground with a gun pointed at them — or worse.”
He also said if a concealed carry unknowingly enters a bank during a robbery, the citizen is “going to take one in the chest because he’s a threat.”
What’s troubling the lawman, who’s also an attorney?
The Florida Police Chiefs Association voted Thursday to support open carry legislation — and that’s a bill the good sheriff staunchly opposes.
You’ll remember Sheriff Gualtieri. He’s not known for his support of guns, gun owners or pro-gun legislation.
In May of 2013, he vowed to start enforcing a little-used county ordinance that requires background checks at local gun shows for all private sales. The county ordinance gathered dust since it was enacted in 1998. Violators faced misdemeanor charges. After garnering a few headlines, the plan fizzled. Gun shows were held without any problems. No arrests were ever made.
The height of hypocrisy as finally been reached, folks. If a cop with a gun can fight crime, so can an everyday citizen.
Source: Herald Tribune
After a strom of backlash, the Gualtieri claims his statements were mispresented:
Gualtieri and the FSA oppose the legislation, but in a story written by Margie Menzel for the News Service of Florida Thursday, the sheriff was quoted as saying that if an officer arrives at the scene of a crime and sees someone with a weapon, “At a minimum, they’re going to be thrown down on the ground with a gun pointed at them — or worse.”
That was followed up by another quote where he said that if a citizen with a concealed weapon walks into a bank during an armed robbery, Gualtieri said, “He’s going to take one in the chest because he’s a threat.”
“To set the record straight, Sheriff Gualtieri never told the reporter that an officer would be at a ‘crime scene’ and react when seeing a firearm,” the FSA said in its prepared statement of support for Gualtieri. “His full statement is clear that he was talking about a hypothetical, in-progress situation and the challenges faced by law enforcement officers in determining the law-abiding citizen with a gun from a criminal who could be a potential threat to the officer at a disturbance or other situation.”
The original comments were posted by a blogger for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and later distributed by Florida National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer, resulting in the sheriff receiving numerous phone calls, emails and comments on social media that tore him apart for his seeming advocacy of wanting to “have our deputies trained to shoot concealed gun owners, which is just absolutely irresponsible rhetoric,” a disgusted Gualtieri said on Monday afternoon. “To say it’s the furthest from the truth is an understatement. It’s just complete nonsense.”
Source: FloridaPolitics
he made credible open ended public threats against any and all law abiding citizen regardless of circumstance. This is the face of Mental Illness complete with a full on lack of regard for ALL he swore to protect.Citizen,property,constitution.Fired without severance and redflagged in the background check system unable to possess or purchase until his condition is adjudicated as determined by Mental health experts and his ( the chaireeef)*spanish* expense.