D.C. grabs guns from soldier

[allingeneral]

The District grabbed the guns belonging to 1st Lt. Augustine Kim and won’t give them back. Two years ago, the South Carolina Army national guardsman had been injured on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Now he’s fighting to restore his constitutional rights.

Before deploying overseas, the soldier drove his collection - which included an AR-15, a Beretta 9mm and several .45 caliber pistols - to his parents’ house in New Jersey for safe storage. Upon his return to the states and recovery, Lt. Kim wanted to bring his weapons back to his home in Charleston. On the way, he stopped at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington for a doctor’s appointment. That’s when his troubles started.

Lt. Kim became lost in the city and was pulled over. The cops asked Lt. Kim if they could search his vehicle. The lieutenant agreed because his guns were cased and stored in full compliance with federal firearm-transport laws.”I told them I had been under the impression that as long as the guns were locked in the back, with the ammunition separate, that I was allowed to transport them,” Lt. Kim told The Washington Times. “They said, ‘That may be true, however, since you stopped at Walter Reed, that makes you in violation of the registration laws.’ “

Read More: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... m-soldier/

[ShotgunBlast]

"Thank you for serving our country. Do you have anything else of value we can confiscate from you?"

[mamabearCali]

Darn them and the horse that brung them! Give those guns back or compensate him for his property that was illegally confiscated and illegally held. Criminals all.

[OakRidgeStars]

...On the way, he stopped at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington for a doctor’s appointment. That’s when his troubles started.

Really?. While I agree that it's wrong for the D.C. Police to keep his firearms, this is the District of Columbia we are talking about. Why would anyone (other than a criminal) take guns into the nation's capital?.

It's unfortunate, but some lessons in life are learned the hard way. This young soldier has certainly learned a lot about the country he serves.

[Riana]

...On the way, he stopped at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington for a doctor’s appointment. That’s when his troubles started.

Really?. While I agree that it's wrong for the D.C. Police to keep his firearms, this is the District of Columbia we are talking about. Why would anyone (other than a criminal) take guns into the nation's capital?

It's unfortunate, but some lessons in life are learned the hard way. This young soldier has certainly learned a lot about the country he serves.

True. And I can understand DC holding the firearms while charges were still in place. But now, everything's over. Why won't they give the soldier his property back? Hell, give them to him outside of DC (i.e., ship to his state of residence and have him do a 4473 to reacquire them, if they want), but they should be returned.

Thieves. The lot of them.

[nosreme]

Why won't they give the soldier his property back? Hell, give them to him outside of DC (i.e., ship to his state of residence and have him do a 4473 to reacquire them, if they want), but they should be returned.

I suspect DC has categorized them as contraband, which by definition gets confiscated rather than returned. That said, surely DC authorities must have some discretionary authority in the matter, but are reluctant to consider using it give the certainty that it would haunt them as "precedent" for return of all sorts of other contraband.

[RugerJoe]

God reading stuff like this pisses me off.

[kelu]

Speaking of police, this prefigures something bad: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/majority- ... e-neo-nazi

[Jericho01]

So the police said that since Lt. Kim stopped at Walter Reed, he committed a crime. Wasn't Walter Reed Army Hospital a federal facility located inside federal property? What jurisdiction did DC (at that time) have over said property? Also wondering what prompted the police to conduct a search of Lt. Kim's vehicle? Did they have probable cause?

[Diomed]

He's probably lucky he got popped in DC and not Jersey. I'd be surprised if his AR is ban-compliant, with fifteen round or less mags, and all his ammo either ball or softpoint. DC pled him down, knowing full well they'd probably get shredded if it went to court now, and just stole his stuff, Jersey would have put him in prison with no remorse.

Also wondering what prompted the police to conduct a search of Lt. Kim's vehicle? Did they have probable cause?

What prompted them was they were on a fishing expedition. They asked for permission to search and he said yes. That was his mistake. If they had probable cause they wouldn't have asked, they would have just done it.

[vaeevictiss]

Now i have to play fair here. First off he broke the law. I served in iraq, thankfully i wasnt injured, but I'm also not expecting to be exempt from some laws. What i will also say though...is bullshit laws like this should not even exist.

No one in this situation, veteran or not should have this happen to them.

Having it happen to a disabled vet does piss me off more...but he is still not exempt from abiding by the law.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Reverenddel]

First off. We've discussed this before...

If a LEO writes you a ticket, you sign it, and he/she asks "May I search the vehicle?" The word you're looking for is NO!

Repeat that word "NO", forget the fancy explanations, forget making excuses why not, just say "NO".

Remember Nancy Reagan? "JUST SAY NO!"

If pressed, a simple "This transaction is complete, you have written me a summons, I have signed it, I'm now late. Good day/night." And they SHOULD , if they know their constituational rights, walk back to the patrol car, and be on their way.

[vaeevictiss]

Yea that too lol

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[KaosDad]

He'll never get them back. I'd put one of Rick's paychecks up that as soon as the case was dismissed, the guns were destroyed.

[allingeneral]

He'll never get them back. I'd put one of Rick's paychecks up that as soon as the case was dismissed, the guns were destroyed.

Betting with someone else's money... how Democrat of you! lol

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Kreutz]

He'll never get them back. I'd put one of Rick's paychecks up that as soon as the case was dismissed, the guns were destroyed.

Why destroy good guns? They're either in the chief of polices gun cabinet or Mexico.

[lonestarag]

So the police said that since Lt. Kim stopped at Walter Reed, he committed a crime. Wasn't Walter Reed Army Hospital a federal facility located inside federal property? What jurisdiction did DC (at that time) have over said property? Also wondering what prompted the police to conduct a search of Lt. Kim's vehicle? Did they have probable cause?

Transporting through DC is OK. If you stop within DC, then you technically aren't traveling through. That's how they get you.

I travel through DC from time to time with shotguns in my trunk on the way to the trap range in PG County Maryland. Definitely don't stop for appointments though....

[tursiops]

He's getting his guns back.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... -his-guns/

[RugerJoe]

Excellent news.

[scott9050]

Anyone with a shred of common sense would never have charged him in the first place. Luckily we are in an election year because normally the government is allowed to rake people over the coals as it sees fit with little anyone can do about it. Thankfully some Republican Senators took the time to take up the cause.