North Strabane Township Police Oppression

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

I've been reading Mr. Deangelo's "Police Oppression" rant for some time now & thought I would chime in. First a little perspective on his private shooting range. It's a small piece of property located directly between and slightly behind two businesses in Canonsburg. Deblasio Beverage's is on the left & Aquatech on the right. It's my understanding that Mr. Deangelo wanted to build a crematorium but that was rejected because the property is landlocked behind these businesses. His only access is a "paper alley" right of way that runs from Weavertown Road through the Speer Spring Cemetery. Apparently this was not acceptable to him so he attempted to force the above mentioned businesses into granting & paying for a right of way to his property but failed. He then tried to sell them the property but that also failed. So now his latest brilliant idea is a "Private Shooting Range". His range consists of two pieces of plywood attached to a couple of post for a backstop & his shooting station is another piece of plywood lying on the ground. When using his range he is shooting approximately 20' from these businesses. I believe this is a situation where Mr. Deangelo is legally within his rights but ethically wrong & morally irresponsible. As someone posted earlier just because it's legal doesn't mean you should do it. Shooting literally feet from where people are working is just idiotic on his part.

I'm not sure were you get your information, but your knee jerk reaction shows me that although you know a little about the background of the situation, you are actually either misinformed or bias in your post.

When I purchased my property from an estate, I asked Aquatech to grant an easement so that I could use the property for two purposes, one of which you mention above, a crematory, and the other to put an electronic billboard for advertisers in the area of the property near the interstate. Aquatech denied this request essentially making the the property useless for productive purposes of economic value.
Subsequently I petitioned the Washington County Court for an easement at sufferance under the Private Roadway Act of 1863. Around the time that I expected the court to grant the easement in which I would have to pay Aquatech for the roadway, there was a case that came before the State Supreme Court challenging the validity of the "Private Roadway Act". This effectively estopped my petition until the case was decided in the State Supreme Court. The court opined that the Private Roadway Act was unconstitutional resulting in unjustified taking of property. My petition then had to merit.
I never attempted to "sell" my property to Aquatech, however their Attorney asked me if I would consider a sale to them. I replied with an asking price of about $26,000.00. They declined, and no further discussion was ever had regarding any offer to buy or sell. So your suggestion that I made a failed attempt to sell it to them is simply not true.
And now for a little more background information ...
Aquatech has been trespassing on my property since I have owned it over the past five years. According to Dennis Gray of Aquatech, they installed a fence along the back of their property to keep people out of the back of their yard.
After his statement, I became immediately suspicious and had a survey of my property and found that the fence they installed enclosed a portion of my property with their yard (about 15'X80'). They where storing a bunch of debris along that fence instead of throwing it out. When I discovered them using my property, I promptly removed their fence, and being the gentleman that I am, set it over onto their side of the property line so that they could reinstall it in the proper location if they saw fit to do so. Aquatech then reinstalled the fence on their property and in the process created deep ruts into the surface of my property with their yard crane while doing so. I have documented all of this with pictures. I have pictures of metal tubing, lids from antifreeze buckets, metal spout faucets, duct tape, wire, a water filter, and various other debris that they left behind. When confronted with these pictures, they say that they aren't going to waste their time cleaning it up.
Just last week I went over to my property to shoot some targets and found that they had pushed gravel onto my property that they had left over from the parking lot repaving that they recently did.
I can only state that this doesn't sit well with me. After years of this type of activity, I just yesterday filed a private criminal complaint against the company with the DA in Washington County for Criminal Trespass and defiant Trespass. They in fact used my property and damaged it and used it when it is clearly posted.
Finally, I don't care what your opinion is about me target shooting on my own property. I am using the property for a lawful purpose and will continue to do so.
My property consists of a cliffside which provides for a safe backstop and a nice flat area at the bottom of the cliff for a nice place to shoot from. Regarding your trivialization of me nailing a few boards together, you obviously don't know what you are talking about. My target stand consists of two twelve foot long 2X10 treated boards with a double layer of plywood on the front and rear surface of the boards. The target area measures 8 feet X 8 feet and is mounted in front of a steep earth hillside. This area is sufficient for putting
up targets. In regard to the plywood that I stand on to shoot from, I needed something to stand on because it is muddy down there. lol

D out

[TheGhost27]

Gentlemen please fight nice, it’s just a discussion.
Ghost, you actually paraphrased my point quite well. The 9mm rule at the gun club is just that, a club rule, not a law and although you could legally fire a larger weapon as a responsible firearm owner you follow & respect a rule you strongly disagree with.
I never said Mr. Deangelo’s shooting range it was illegal, to the contrary I believe it is perfectly legal. I said it’s my opinion that it is irresponsible to shoot in such close proximity to these businesses.
You said someone built a range 400 or 500 yards from your house & is doesn’t bother you, would you feel the same it the range was 20 feet from your living room?

It doesn't have anything to do with me being a responsible firearm owner; it's me respecting the club rules.

I know you didn't say it was illegal for him to do so, I was just implying that since it's legal and it's his property, it's not really up to anyone else what he does there. (These days everyone thinks they have a say in what someone else may or may not do).

And if someone built a range closer to my house, hell even next door, the only problem I would have if I wasn't invited, and if I was my ammo stockpile would be depleted Maybe I'm biased because I LOVE guns, shooting, and all things that go bang?

In my neighborhood I always hears dogs barking, lawnmowers, tractors, kids playing, cars with ghetto boom boxes(bass), birds, and all kinds of crap. Although I don't like most of it, I accept that I don't live in a bubble and there are always going to be things I don't like to hear or see. But just because I don't like something or it bothers me, doesn't mean I'm going to ruin it or push my likes/dislikes on someone else for enjoying whatever it is that they are enjoying.

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

If something is legal, it means that the government is without power to punish it. Any attempt to use your badge to coerce a citizen in such a case is wrong, and sometimes actionable.

That is exactly why I sued.

[duqjeep2010]

Just so long as he isn't being obnoxious with when he is shooting the man can do on his property what he wishes.

My sportsman's club has a neighbor who bought property and built their house within 50 yards of our rifle firing line and we have never had any complaints.

And what is the difference between his firing range and say the residents of Hanover TWP with Starlake or Mt. Washington residents with the former Amphitheater or Stage AE. They have concerts such as BASSNECTAR which brag about being above a constant 110db even inside the restrooms and they have peaked 172db at Red Rocks Amphitheater last year.

I want to know if there would have been as much of an issue with it if the OP had opened a concert venue with 110+db concerts 3 days a week till 11-12 at night.

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

Obviously you have some first-hand knowledge of what his range is all about and even how it is constructed, so to say. Would you care to share how you have come to aquire this information? (SARCASM) Please share how someone using their own property is idiotic when they are doing nothing wrong.

Thank you very much!!! Finally some sensibility!!!

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

What the businesses and rest of the community need to do is petition the municipality to implement some some sort of law against noise, or firearm discharge and make this guys range actually illegal.

If you want to shoot guns around people's residences or businesses, in my opinion you can get f**cked.

But, until that happens, cops should just leave this douche bag alone.

I just thought I'd point out once again that the property is zoned industrial and is therefore not subject to noise ordinances in North Strabane Township.

[dazeeman]

I just thought I'd point out once again that the property is zoned industrial and is therefore not subject to noise ordinances in North Strabane Township.

I stand corrected. My sincerest apologies for referring to you as a douche bag.

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

I stand corrected. My sincerest apologies for referring to you as a douche bag.

No problem, you don't know me and I don't know you. Sometimes it is easy to get carried away.

Just as a side note, I thought that I would mention that I will be down there just after 10 a.m. tomorrow 4/18/2014 to do a little shooting with a PAFOA friend that I've just met through email. Someone that lives in Houston. As we all know, there are very few places to actually get your gun off around here.
So if your driving by there tomorrow, please roll up your window. I wouldn't want you to get all worked up, you know hearing all those gun shots and all.
For some reason, since I just started shooting there last week, some feel that there is some underlying motivation. Quite frankly, I've been a gun owner and shooter for about thirty years. I haven't hunted for the last 18 years, but still have a common love and interest for firearms.
I actually recently completed my first AR build last year. Haven't decided if I will shoot it on my property yet or not.
I thought I would ask, if you don't like the sound of gun shots, why do you post on PAFOA?

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

So are lawnmowers, chain saws, crotch rockets, big fat harley's, big rigs with engine retarders.

And my wife when she is pissed off at me.

[deangelo1290@comcast.net]

He is not building a range solely on his own property. He is interfering with the ability of the businesses around him to enjoy the use of theirs. Whens the last time you heard firearms being discharged? They tend to be disturbingly loud....

If they don't like the noise of gunshots, they can just close the door.