PA Courthouse Gun Room Fire

[clarion44]

PA Courthouse Gun Room Fire

Dec. 22, 2009

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Damage caused by a fire in a western Pennsylvania county courthouse office where seized guns and sheriff's weapons were stored could cost as much as $1 million to repair.

The cause of Saturday's fire involving the gun locker at the Westmoreland County Sheriff's Office in Greensburg remains under investigation.

Sheriff's officials say nearly 700 firearms seized in protection-from-abuse cases were stored in the locker, along with more than 250 other weapons ranging from knives to baseball bats. A dozen 9mm handguns owned by the sheriff's office were also destroyed.

Most of the firearms suffered rust damage when a sprinkler system suppressed the fire. The fire started near an electric heater, but may have also been fueled by road flares and ammunition.
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Well that sucks for the sheriffs office.

[D10]

Hahahaha..........serves them right for laying me off last February.

But ok....that aside..........if you could see the inside of that section in the courthouse you will say........damn.....no wonder why this place goes up in flames....what a mess in there.
I worked in all sections in that Courthouse and know it inside out. The best section is the 4th floor where the new courtrooms are. The old side of the Courthouse is one big fire hazard.

Wonder what the defendants will do when their PFA orders expire after a year......further more....I wonder if all them guns were insured.

[thefirstndsecond]

That is a good question. What if your firearm is being held by the police department until a court case is over. The firearm gets destroyed while in the custody of the police, can you get your money to replace the firearm?

[King 5.45]

That is a good question. What if your firearm is being held by the police department until a court case is over. The firearm gets destroyed while in the custody of the police, can you get your money to replace the firearm?

I can't quote it chapter and verse at the moment, but there's a provision in PA law for seizing authorities to return firearms in the same shape as when they were received.

[twoeggsup]

I've heard many horror stories about PFA's being abused over the years.

Too often nothing more than a punitive action to piss off the spouse. Some lawyers apparently just love them as a way to let the client think they are getting their money's worth. I understand the need but I sure do wish there were real investigations and accountabillity for their abuse.

I recall a neighbor who came home to find the wife and all the furniture gone from their house. She was getting boned by a coworker and they decided to make it permenant. In tears when he realized what had happened he put his fist through the wallboard (she was long gone). When she found out her only real fear was that unless he fixed it, the hole would effect the value of the house. Naturally, her lawyer thought the proper thing to do was PFA since anyone who could punch wallboard would certainly kill someone.

There were probably a few guns there that were confiscated for less than legitimate reasons. I would imagine there were certainly more than a few heirlooms being held that can never be replaced.

How does one ever put a value on say a rifle, that both you and your now deceased father got first deer with?

[theo]

How convenient...

[anonymouse]

I think this is the one:

18 Pa. C.S. §6105(f)(4):

(4) (i) The owner of any seized or confiscated firearms or of any firearms ordered relinquished under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108 shall be provided with a signed and dated written receipt by the appropriate law enforcement agency. This receipt shall include, but not limited to, a detailed identifying description indicating the serial number and condition of the firearm. In addition, the appropriate law enforcement agency shall be liable to the lawful owner of said confiscated, seized or relinquished firearm for any loss, damage or substantial decrease in value of said firearm that is a direct result of a lack of reasonable care by the appropriate law enforcement agency.
(ii) Firearms shall not be engraved or permanently marked in any manner, including, but not limited to, engraving of evidence or other identification numbers. Unless reasonable suspicion exists to believe that a particular firearm has been used in the commission of a crime, no firearm shall be test fired. Any reduction in the value of a firearm due to test firing, engraving or permanently marking in violation of this paragraph shall be considered damage, and the law enforcement agency shall be liable to the lawful owner of the firearm for the reduction in value caused by the test firing, engraving or permanently marking.
(iii) For purposes of this paragraph, the term "firearm" shall include any scope, sight, bipod, sling, light, magazine, clip, ammunition or other firearm accessory attached to or seized, confiscated or relinquished with a firearm.

[adymond]

How convenient...

I was thinking the same thing. Now they can switch to .40 and they have destroyed several firearms that I am sure the Sheriff isn't upset about.

[RandomTask]

In tears when he realized what had happened he put his fist through the wallboard ...

PFAs suck and circumvent due process.
However, I could never figure out morons who punch holes through drywall or lauan doors.

[twoeggsup]

PFAs suck and circumvent due process.
However, I could never figure out morons who punch holes through drywall or lauan doors.

Yeah, you just have to fix it.

Watched an off duty cop do it one day except it wasn't wall board, laughed my ass off. House was built in 1903, he went to the ER for xrays.