NRA-Backed Law Spells Out When Indianans May Open Fire on Police

[n2doc]

Two years ago this happened:

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed a state law this year that allows residents to use deadly force in response to the “unlawful intrusion” by a “public servant” to protect themselves and others, or their property.

Every time police Sergeant Joseph Hubbard stops a speeder or serves a search warrant, he says he worries suspects assume they can open fire -- without breaking the law.

Hubbard, a 17-year veteran of the police department in Jeffersonville, Indiana, says his apprehension stems from a state law approved this year that allows residents to use deadly force in response to the “unlawful intrusion” by a “public servant” to protect themselves and others, or their property.

“If I pull over a car and I walk up to it and the guy shoots me, he’s going to say, ‘Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,’” said Hubbard, 40, who is president of Jeffersonville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 100. “Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law.”

Indiana is the first U.S. state to specifically allow force against officers, according to the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in Washington, which represents and supports prosecutors. The National Rifle Association pushed for the law, saying an unfavorable court decision made the need clear and that it would allow homeowners to defend themselves during a violent, unjustified attack. Police lobbied against it.

more

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-05/nra-backed-law-spells-out-when-indianans-may-open-fire-on-police.html

So when will we see Police turning their backs on Mitch, and NRA members? When does the work stoppage in Indiana begin?

[belzabubba333]

1. OH THIS IS FKING PRICELESS

Every time police Sergeant Joseph Hubbard stops a speeder or serves a search warrant, he says he worries suspects assume they can open fire -- without breaking the law.

hey police can u say Eric Garner Michael Brown Amadou Diallo And all the syg victims

“If I pull over a car and I walk up to it and the guy shoots me, he’s going to say, ‘Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,’” said Hubbard, 40, who is president of Jeffersonville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 100. “Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law.”

what do you think about the nra now?

[AwakeAtLast]

2. I live in Indiana

I have thought for awhile now, "Gee, we don't seem to have as many issues with police as in other states." Now I know why. I'm not saying things are perfect here. If a police officer knows a person has a legal right to defend, they will act accordingly. I usually never agree with something sponsored by the NRA, but this does not seem to be a bad thing in my mind. Am I missing something?

So maybe police officers won't think body cameras are so bad.

[joeybee12]

11. Yeah, it'll work as well as Stand Your Ground in Florida...

[Comrade Grumpy]

13. Might make cops think twice before going on a no-knock drug raid.

That would be a good thing. Those raids are a recipe for disaster, especially in a country as heavily armed as this one.

[WinkyDink]

14. I think this must be the reason for the new law. There should not BE a "No-Knock" law!!

[rock]

3. Well then

I guess it's really important the policeman stays within the lines of the law, huh?

[krispos42]

4. So...

...let me get this straight.

His fear of being shot by an armed criminal, quite possibly a released felon, during a traffic stop is inferior to his fear of being shot by a person with a concealed-carry permit? Really?

The bar to get a concealed-carry permit is generally pretty high. Anything stronger than a traffic violation could prevent you from getting one.

But that's really his worry?


And it's been a couple of years, and apparently it hasn't happened yet.

So, like most dire warnings of law enforcement, it's baseless worry. But if Sergeant Hubbard is worried, then maybe he should be more polite in his dealings with the general public, and maybe his department should stop using SWAT teams to kick in the doors every time some paid informant trades in a rumor for cash.

[NuclearDem]

5. Two things:

First, Daniels hasn't been governor for almost two years now; Pence is now.

Second, people from Indiana are called Hoosiers.

[pnwest]

7. LOL, right?! WTH is an Indianan?

[Oilwellian]

8. You think that's bad...

I read it as Indian. LOL

[S_B_Jackson]

6. I suspect, this is to address the possibility of

a person awakened in the dead of night by what he/she perceives as a home-invasion burglary by armed individuals uses a legally-owned, firearm in a reasonable manner to defend themselves........What in actual fact has happened is police (who may or may not be at the correct address at all) exercising a no-knock warrant in the wee small hours of the morning.

Perhaps if police departments and the governmental entities which control them hadn't gone so far in militarizing police departments and in allowing the cancer of SWAT enforcement of minor offenses under the auspices of no-knock warrants to metastasize, such a bill wouldn't be necessary. A sad commentary on where we are as a society...

[NutmegYankee]

9. Maybe police SHOULD fear breaking into people's homes.

How about they just follow the 4th Amendment and get a warrant and then KNOCK on the door and wait for the occupant to answer and then serve the warrant. Absolutely no chance of a misunderstanding that gets someone killed then. That was how it worked before the war on Drugs started the trend of SWAT busting down doors to stop someone from flushing the drugs down a toilet.

[GGJohn]

10. Spot on!!!!!

How many innocent people have been injured, killed, falsely charged/convicted/imprisoned because of a wrong address, a lie by an informer to save his own bacon?
This military like transformation of our nation's police forces has got to stop and return to the cop on the beat wearing a traditional uniform, not a military style uniform.

[VScott]

12. Hell, how about getting the correct address

but they frequently even fuck that up and go swooping in on the wrong house.