A new year, another round of 'What were they thinking?'

January, 2010 - Crime: Possession under the influence and aiming a firearm

Las Vegas, Nevada - Permit holder and body guard, Steve Sanson Jr., was running for public office but after the New Year's celebration, one wonders if he'll have a campaign, a job or a permit. It seems that after work on New Year's he decided to go out and party.

No harm in that.

Problem was, he forgot to take off his .45's, one carried on his ankle and the other on his hip, before he started drinking. Other revelers reported that he'd brandished the firearm while seemingly intoxicated and contacted authorities.

January, 2010 - Crime: Bringing firearm into a courthouse

Tampa, Florida - Permit holder, Donald Koranek, was in line to pass through the metal detectors in order to enter the courthouse when he was told that he couldn't come in with a pocket knife. He chose to leave the line. When he returned to the line a little later, he was carrying a loaded KelTec .32. Now, if he knew he couldn't get in with a pocket knife, what made him think it was appropriate to go through with a semi-automatic?

Occupations that should know better

November, 2009 - Crime: Trafficking in cocaine
Crestview, Florida - Reginald Jackson, a CCW permit holder and a Department of Juvenile Justice employee, was pulled over for swerving and having illegal window tinting. During a search of the car, it was discovered that Mr. Jackson had a bag of cocaine weighing 43 grams and valued at $1,700 and a .40 Smith and Wesson.

November, 2009 - Crime: Assault with a deadly weapon and injury to property
Las Vegas, Nevada - Michael Amador, a CCW permit holder and attorney, got into an argument in a bar with two men during a billiard game. After the two men left, Amador is reported to have followed them and shattered one man's rear window with his semi-automatic firearm. Amador was tackled and held until the police arrived.

Complicating Simple Situations

October, 2009 - Crime: Possession of a gun on school grounds
Marietta, Ohio - Robert Ball, a CCW permit holder, was waiting to pick up his kid brother after a band competition. Unfortunately, he and a friend decided to bring some "refreshments" and two loaded firearms, none of which is allowed on school property. Luckily, a police officer noticed Ball's passenger chugging the beer and investigated.

Let's see, being intoxicated and having a loaded gun around a crowded school grounds, being intoxicated and driving, being intoxicated and driving with a friend and your little brother in the car.

Call it luck, call it karma, call it a swarm of guardian angels - whatever you call it, the folks in Marietta dodged one last Friday.

October, 2009 - Crime: Resisting a police officer with a weapon
Las Vegas, Nevada - Libertarian Congressional candidate, former Nevada Libertarian Party chairman and CCW candidate, Raymond James Duensing, was pulled over by the police for driving through an intersection in a right turn only lane. As is standard procedure, the officer ran Duensing's information through his computer and when he did, he discovered that Duensing had a warrant for his arrest.

Apparently, not taking the idea of being arrested well, he attempted to flee while reaching for his .45. He was shot in the arm, tased and arrested.

There's no mention as to why Duensing thought running for the police and reaching for a firearm would have been more helpful to the situation than alerting the officer that you had a CCW permit and were carrying and going in, in a mature fashion, to clear up whatever legal difficulties there were. Whatever he was thinking, he's lucky it didn't get him killed.