Would You Carry An Unloaded Gun?
A listener recently brought to my attention the story of Gerald Nagle, a Clackamas County man who was arrested after shooting and killing a neighbor's dog. The man was not arrested for killing the dog, but for firing his gun while children were present in the neighbor's yard. Nagle claims that he surveyed the scene and saw no one in his line of fire. The judge who handled the case would like you to believe that anyone who leaves the house with a gun and a full magazine, is doing so with the intent to use it.
Here is an excerpt from Oregon Live about the case:
"He did not want to kill that dog,' said Pat Birmingham, Nagle's attorney. "He was terrified of that dog." Nagle tried to deal with the problem but got no help from the dog's owner or authorities, Birmingham said. Circuit Judge Susie L. Norby had no sympathy for Nagle and sentenced him to 30 days in jail and two years supervised probation for the misdemeanors. Prosecutor Matt Semritc had asked for 20 days in jail and a year of bench probation.
'I'm shocked," Norby said. "No one goes out with a full clip (in a gun) to garden unless they intend to use it."
Apparently, Judge Norby has never known anyone who carries a gun.