There have been a number of items in the news lately relating to firearms, and I want to take a moment to detail a few thoughts.
First – did you see the item on target shooters starting wildfires? Great investigative technique there.
The fire investigator goes to where they think the fire started. They take a big magnet and run it over the ground. If a bullet with a steel core is pulled out of the ground in the vicinity, that’s assumed to be the cause.
Wow. I’m really impressed. I’ll bet that you can go over a large portion of western Utah – or even the western USA – and run a magnet over the ground and find steel core bullets. Just because there is a bullet there, I’d way the odds of it starting a fire are extremely low when compared with the cigarette butts, match fragments, and other items that are also in the same area.
Now, if we are talking large quantities of tracers fired rapidly into one area (such as Camp Williams), we know that could do it – it has in the past. But not too many shooters have tracers, and aside from the military they are illegal to shoot in Utah.
I think they found a convenient cause to blame, but they need to do some real investigation to find the real cause. The problem is that doing so takes a lot of work. A lot more than running a magnet over the ground.
There was also a recent incident known as the “dog hater incident”. This one is a real winner – and I deal with this scenario in my Concealed Firearm Permit Classes. This incident has been picked up by a lot of media sites. This example is from LifeWithDogs.tv.
“His most recent victim has asked to remain anonymous, but was willing to go on camera to talk about an incident that took place Saturday evening. Calling himself Nick, he explained to reporters that while out walking his two terriers, fireworks went off and spooked them.
A man approaching them was nipped on the ankle by one of the small, scared dogs, and reacted by immediately pulling out a pistol and pointing it at the pooch.
He had the gun out for at least 30 to 45 seconds before the very last thing he said to me after all the banter and complaining about his ankle was, Youre lucky Im in a good mood and he puts the gun away and walks away, said Nick.
Given the overreaction of the gun toting maniac, police have obvious concerns for the safety of area residents, and describe the suspect as just under six feet tall with grey hair. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Cottonwood Heights Police at 801-840-4000.”
But wait, all of a sudden the “maniac” goes to police with a different story, and the bite marks to prove it. This is from the Deseret News…
“COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS He was dubbed the “Dog Hater.”
But now Cottonwood Heights police say their investigation has taken a complete 180-degree turn and a man wanted for allegedly pulling a gun on a group of dog walkers may have actually been the victim and was defending himself.
Saturday evening, a man was walking his two dogs with friends near 3000 E. Danish Road. He later told police that his dogs were spooked by fireworks and nipped a man who was walking by.
That man allegedly responded by pulling out a gun and threatening the dog walkers.
But after the incident was reported by the local news, the man who pulled the gun turned himself over to police and gave a different story, which detectives Wednesday said seems to be backed up by the evidence.
The gunman actually had to be treated by a doctor after the dogs knocked him to the ground and bit his leg and face, said Cottonwood Heights police detective Ryan Shosted.
“The guy was attacked by the dogs and feared for his own safety,” he said.
The dogs that were being walked were both about 70 pounds, Shosted said. One was an Australian Shepherd and the other a Blue Heeler.
“He was walking past the dog owner and the dogs jumped on his back and knocked him down,” he said.
The man had a bruise on his knee consistent with being knocked over. Shosted said the bite on his leg was also “significant” and part of his finger tip was bitten off.
The man, in his late 60s to early 70s, was an Army veteran and had a concealed weapons permit. He pulled out a handgun and told the dog owner to get his dogs off him or he would shoot them, Shosted said. He later told police it was the first time he had ever pulled his concealed weapon out.
After detectives heard the man’s story, they went back to the dog owner and after interviewing him, cited him for the dog bite. He was allowed to keep his dogs, however, as they were both licensed and had had rabies shots.
The case with the gun will now be reviewed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. But Shosted said it has all the appearances of a case of self-defense.
“Ultimately, the guy was legally carrying a gun and he was in fear for his safety,” he said.”
Now, I always tell my students that 911 is a game – it’s called “Who Dialed First”. The guy that calls 911 first is presumed to be the good guy until proven otherwise.
The mistake that this CFP holder made was that he didn’t call 911. He just went on his way and had his wounds tended to. He grew up in a time where people took care of themselves, and people generally had the moral courage to admit when they were at fault.
“Nick”, now identified as Nick Drost, elected to lie to the police and the public rather than accepting fault for what he allowed his dogs to do.
The CFP holder should have called police, but he didn’t. The bad guy called the police first, and was then presumed to be the good guy until it was proven otherwise. Fortunately it turned out all right for the CFP holder, but remember – if you are in a situation where you are forced to draw your firearm, even if you don’t fire it, call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so. Otherwise, the bad guy may decide to make trouble for you on the back end.
Lesson learned.