Robbery Victim charged with firing gun

[Gmac]

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/227097

[Eugene V. Debs]

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/227097

I was prepared to be outraged when I clicked on the link-- but it turns out they guy was just an idiot...

A Penn Township antiques dealer did nothing wrong when he faked a heart attack to discourage a robber who held him at gunpoint in his store at Elm, police said.

"That seemed to work for him," a police investigator said.

But Gary Eugene Seachrist, 59, acted recklessly when he fired four shots into the air with his own gun after the robber ran from his store on July 23, Penn Township police Detective George C. Pappas said.

"The robber had fled and was not in sight. He fired the rounds into the air in a residential area. It was reckless. You don't know where those bullets are going to land," said Pappas.

(snip)

The detective also charged Seachrist with a firearms violation which had to do with the legality of the .32-caliber handgun he allegedly used.

"It was illegal how he acquired it. He purchased it off someone who was not a firearms dealer. He bought it off the street and had no paperwork on it," Pappas said.

What a maroon!

[Pennywise]

Unfortunately alot of people buy guns without knowing a thing about the law. No research, next to none or zero practice and training. It's people like this that give us all a bad reputation.

[Penguini66]

Stupid is as stupid does.

[knight0334]

I was prepared to be outraged when I clicked on the link-- but it turns out they guy was just an idiot...

A Penn Township antiques dealer did nothing wrong when he faked a heart attack to discourage a robber who held him at gunpoint in his store at Elm, police said.

"That seemed to work for him," a police investigator said.

But Gary Eugene Seachrist, 59, acted recklessly when he fired four shots into the air with his own gun after the robber ran from his store on July 23, Penn Township police Detective George C. Pappas said.

"The robber had fled and was not in sight. He fired the rounds into the air in a residential area. It was reckless. You don't know where those bullets are going to land," said Pappas.

(snip)

The detective also charged Seachrist with a firearms violation which had to do with the legality of the .32-caliber handgun he allegedly used.

"It was illegal how he acquired it. He purchased it off someone who was not a firearms dealer. He bought it off the street and had no paperwork on it," Pappas said.

What a maroon!

So much for it being the responsibility of the seller to do the lawful transfer.. Now buyers are being charged.

[Brown-Bear]

I had a feeling that this was gonna be bullshit.

The shooter in this story is a tool of the 1st order. He fires a weapon he has in his posession illegaly, fires into the air long after the robber has left. My personal favorite. He used the pistol as a noise maker and a show piece. Bang, bang, bang, bang, " Look at me I has a gun and I aint afraid to use it even though I have no idea what I'm doing".

[Eugene V. Debs]

So much for it being the responsibility of the seller to do the lawful transfer.. Now buyers are being charged.

Buyers have been being charged for quite a while. Point is the guy was an idiot for shooting an illegally purchased weapon into the air after the robber had long gone-- I personally don't care if someone has an illegal weapon if they intend to use it strictly for self-defense.

[knight0334]

Buyers have been being charged for quite a while. Point is the guy was an idiot for shooting an illegally purchased weapon into the air after the robber had long gone-- I personally don't care if someone has an illegal weapon if they intend to use it strictly for self-defense.

Aside from the guy's stupid use of the gun, where in the law does it provide for charges against the buyer? ..no where, only against the seller.

[Statkowski]

"It was illegal how he acquired it. He purchased it off someone who was not a firearms dealer. He bought it off the street and had no paperwork on it," Pappas said.

Charged, yes. Effectively prosecuted? That depends on his attorney. The statute clearly puts the onus on the seller, not the buyer.

[Fraggle09027]

I personally don't care if someone has an illegal weapon if they intend to use it strictly for self-defense.

Can you elaborate? I honestly do not understand why you would feel that way. Personally I spend a lot of money to purchase my firearms legally and I obey the laws of the land, personally I would not condone that and I would have a problem (honestly I would report it if I knew) with it.