With news spreading of the “hands off” approach to policing in Ferguson, Missouri the past couple of days, more and more business owners are turning to guns to protect what’s left of their establishments.
Looters in Ferguson, Mo., were met with little police resistance Friday night and store owners say they were forced to protect their businesses with their own guns, Fox2Now.com reported.
“I think the first message is to remind all law enforcement that they are hired to serve and protect and if they’re going to sit back and watch looting, they’re not serving us; they’re not protecting us,” Pastor Robert White told the station.
Amen to that, Pastor! If the cops won’t do it, people will.
A reporter from the station tweeted that police cars were seen driving past some of the stores being looted and did not respond. It rained in Ferguson Friday night and protesters could be seen outside until 6 a.m.
Two store owners, standing outside their business holding guns, told Fox2Now.com that when they called 911, they were sent from one police agency to another, and got no response.
One of the owners, with a large black gun resting on his shoulder, told the station that police were lined up blocks from the looting, and did not engage looters making off with large boxes from these stores.
“There’s no police,” he said. “We trusted the police to keep it peaceful; they didn’t do their job.”
…Just before midnight, some in what had been a large and rowdy but mostly well-behaved crowd broke in a convenience store that police accused 18-year-old Michael Brown of robbing minutes before he was fatally shot by an officer, and began looting it, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson.
Some in the crowd of about 200 began throwing rocks and other objects at police, Johnson said. One officer was hurt but details on the injury were not immediately available.
Johnson said police backed off to try and ease the tension. No arrests were made.
A half-dozen businesses torched. SCORES more looted and you didn’t make a single arrest? This jackwagon needs to be relieved of his commission for dereliction of duty. We understand that discretion is the better part of valor at times, but this guy just completely surrendered to bad guys.
“We had to evaluate the security of the officers there and also the rioters,” Johnson said. “We just felt it was better to move back.”
Security of the rioters? How about shooting them?
Is it just me or is there something wrong with the picture. White shirt 2nd from the right gun looks out of proportion and not held in both hands like maybe it was added to picture.
Looks like the next him (grey T) is holding it.
Yup. Can’t figure it out myself.
ANd why the mask?
John
Necessity aside – is it legal to open carry a rifle in MO?
Maybe the masked guy is concerned about an anti-gunner DA coming after him for protecting his business.
It’s being held by the guy next to him in the grey shirt. Notice its a left hand holding the modern sporting rifle.
It could get interesting over the weekend.
It seems that the people of St. Louis are learning a cold hard fact in a cold hard way: there is no legal obligation for the police to protect any particular individual. There have been many Supreme Court cases affirming this, Castle Rock v. Gonzales in particular. Hence the reasoning stated: police backed off to protect their officers in a tense situation, and let the unlucky store owners fend for themselves.
This is not a new phenomena: it happened repeatedly during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, and it will happen again whenever similar events occur.
Whenever such situations occur, we are all on our own.
It is your God given right to protect you and yours including property, when you think you can surrender that to something or someone else, you are a slave, and are making yourself an easy victim. Your tax dollars were given to these police and you were convinced you were safe, only to find out your money was stolen, and nothing is safe unless you help keep it that way.
http://i.imgur.com/z1gChUC.png
This image might explain the presence of 2 weapons. The one guy brought both and helped display them both in the final picture.
It’s interesting to note the photoshopping of the picture above.
The guy with the bandana over his face. The shadow of the rifle does not match the rifle he’s holding. Also, note where the barrel is pointing. It’s pointed at the black gentleman’s junk.
The man with the orange hat does have the shadow in the right place/angle.
I hope GSL did not alter this image. GSL, regardless of who edited this picture, I would hope you would change it.
I don’t think GSL photoshops, unless it’s having fun with Moms Demand Action…
Cops won’t do their jobs?
Then a Ruger 10/22 would be my first line of defense in case of looters at a business.
Shoot for the upper legs. Crack a few of them and they and their accomplices will run away.
If you go shooting center mass with a shotgun or a high-powered rifle, they’ll expire on your floor or in your parking lot, leaving a mess to clean up and questions to answer.
Sam