Florida Man Ordered To Surrender His Firearms, Fatally Shoots The Deputy Who Tries To Take Them

[SecularMotion]

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Myers was shot and killed in front of a lawyer’s office on Tuesday while trying to confiscate firearms from a man who was given a domestic violence injunction.

According to the Associated Press, a tearful Sheriff Larry Ashley described the tragic shooting to reporters, saying that 33-year-old Joel Dixon Smith visited his lawyer’s office to accept the injunction and turn over his guns to the authorities. Assuming all the firearms were in Smith’s car, Deputy Bill Myers went to confiscate the weapons but was shot several times in the back of his head and in the back by Smith, who kept one of his guns concealed on his person. Witnesses say Smith fired eight shots before fleeing the scene in his vehicle.

“We heard ‘pop, pop, pop,'” said Annie Allen, the witness who called 911. “The guy got in his truck and just tore out of the parking lot. When I realized it was an officer that he shot, that’s when it really hit me how dangerous it was.”

Smith fled to his Comfort Suites hotel room 10 miles away. Police then reported that he barricaded himself in the room until officers flushed him out with tear gas. Joel Dixon Smith came running out of the room, shooting off his gun, but deputies shot him dead before anyone else was hurt.

http://www.inquisitr.com/2440505/florida-man-ordered-to-surrender-his-firearms-fatally-shoots-the-deputy-who-tries-to-take-them

[bobalew]

1. Therefore PROVING without even a SHADOW of Doubt,

THAT HE DESERVED to have his firearms taken & confiscated. Let the stupid own Guns, & this is what happens. Safety courses? Didn't help him. They already KNEW he had them, No help. Mental Stability tests, perhaps it would have prevented this. If you want to keep your second amendment rights, please, be responsible & Turn in the NUT CASES, BEFORE they do harm. If you are a NUT CASE. STOP BEING ONE & GET REASONABLE, FAST! By Clinging to unreasonable tenets, we as a species will kill each other off, before the bright white light of realization comes to us, that we NEED to clean up our act collectively.

[friendly_iconoclast]

12. There's nothing more persuasive than an argument with lots of CAPS LOCK...

[guillaumeb]

2. For many years the right wing has been pushing the idea that

the government is the enemy. Often linked to that ridiculous idea is that only a gun can be used to defend against the supposed tyranny of the government.

According to the NRA, the only solution is more guns, correct?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. "According to the NRA, the only solution is more guns, correct?"

So disarm the ATF.

[guillaumeb]

8. Is the ATF also part of the enemy occupying army? eom.

[friendly_iconoclast]

9. How 'bout a link to this "according to the NRA" thing you mentioned, mmkay?

The way some of you go on about the NRA, one gets the impression that the ranks
of gun control advocates are filled with the equivalent of The Onion's "Area Man":

http://www.theonion.com/article/area-man-passionate-defender-of-what-he-imagines-c-2849

[guillaumeb]

10. Just for you:

https://www.nranews.com/


For people who distrust the government, hate the ATF, hate the idea that "big government" can tell freedom loving Americans what firearms they can possess, a "news" site that tells it like you want it to be.

[friendly_iconoclast]

11. Nothing like you mentioned in there, 'tho I merely glanced at it

It appears that "the NRA" is serving as the equivalent of Area Man's "Constitution"...

[friendly_iconoclast]

13. I also note that you, too, have nothing to say about the victim

Is his death merely a useful anecdote to you?

[guillaumeb]

16. Another innocent victim of US gun culture.

Another testament to the power of fear over the lives of US citizens.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. Who said anything about enemy occupying armies? You said more guns aren't the answer.

So prove it.

[lastlib]

19. I don't have a gun.

I have never killed or wounded anyone (accidentally or intentionally).

Therefore not having a gun prevents killing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

(it's as logical as anything Wayne LaPeeError has ever said....................)

[GGJohn]

20. ...

Therefore not having a gun prevents killing.

So I guess that without firearms, there are no killings? Or suicides? Or murders?

[lastlib]

21. None with firearms. Gotta start somewhere, and it might as well be with the worst offender.

[GGJohn]

22. So we start with drugs?

How well has that worked out?
After all, drugs, legal or illegal, have killed far more people each year than firearms.

[lastlib]

23. if you wanna keep on doing drugs, go right ahead.....

as much as I love ya, it's really no concern of mine.

[GGJohn]

24. I don't do drugs, legal or illegal,

but I don't begrudge those that choose to do so.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

25. Then disarm the police.

[TeddyR]

39. The worst offender

Isn't firearms, or knives, or clubs. The worst offender is a human being, who decides that he/she wants to kill another, and does so with a gun, or a knife, or a club, or his/her fists.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

40. the worst offender

More logic:
- Since fewer deaths and injuries is good goal, I want to find a commonality to exploit that will help in reaching the goal.

>>> Seems like a good idea. I'm not seeing anything wrong in the reasoning so far.

- Looking at the means of assault shows that a firearm is used more often than in murders than any other means.

>>> Seems like a good idea. I'm not seeing anything wrong in the reasoning so far.

- If I can rid the world of firearms, I can cut deaths and injuries a great deal.

>>> There are 2 huge problems with this: first, you can't. Second, since a firearm is also the first line of defense against the assailants, even assuming that every lawful honest person agreed with you, there would be a point at which the divestment of firearms from the lawful honest folks (all the non-criminals) was balanced by the theft and loss of firearms from the police and military. There would also be a concurrent rise in the use of other weapons for criminal ends. Even if the firearm was no longer the "worst offender" and tool would take its place.

The use of this kind of non-logic leads to things like assault weapons bans. The idea is banning weapons with the potential of killing the greatest numbers in the shortest time. The problem with that thinking is that those types of weapons are also the ones that kill the fewest people per year.

In truth the greatest commonality to exploit among violent crime is the criminal. The worst among us are imprisoned, disarmed and monitored 24 hours a day and yet prisons are often the scenes of violent assaults.

* UBCs are a good thing. They can cut the rate at which the lawful honest folks unwittingly pass firearms on to those with violent histories.
* Picking a type of gun as the "worst offender" leads to a total ban. Since, even with bans on the "worst offenders", a new "worst offender" will take its place. Consequently, the job will never be done, many folks that would never murder or maim will be criminalized by the banning process and the cost of banning guns will quickly exceed the cost of gun violence.

[lastlib]

43. none with guns; gotta start somewhere

[GGJohn]

44. People will just use other instruments to kill,

but good luck with your dream of a gun free America.

[lastlib]

46. So you're saying it's just pointless to outlaw murder, huh?

FerChristsakes, we don't have to make it so easy for them, do we??

You gunhumpers are sick puppies. I feel for you not being able to care for your fellow human beings.

[GGJohn]

47. Right to the insults.

So typical and predictable.
And you wonder why gun control is a smoking wreck in this country.

[lastlib]

48. Until I see some evidence to the contrary, I have to call it truth.........

If you think it's insulting, do something to change my mind.

[GGJohn]

49. Have I been insulting to you?

Have I called you names?

[nomorenomore08]

31. Own guns if you want to. But what do you care if ownership happens to go down? n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

33. I care how it goes down.

If it goes down because of nuisance laws and prohibitions then rights are being infringed upon with no benefit to people or society.

[AuntPatsy]

3. Incredibly sad, ......

[friendly_iconoclast]

4. ...and a tragedy for the victim's family. Note that there are no words of this sort from the OP

To some, victims are only the means to an end....

[AuntPatsy]

5. Absolutely, I could not agree more, so many that suffer get lost and or ignored in these

situations

[sarisataka]

7. A man with a history

Of violence commits an act of violence. Was there something deeper you wish to notice?

Sympathy for the deputy's family

[friendly_iconoclast]

14. Three antigun posters on this thread have had nothing to say about the victim or his family

Deputy Myers only worth to them was as a political tool due to the manner of his death, not as a
human being

[guillaumeb]

17. And the gun enthusiasts have nothing to say about his death,

save for pro forma expressions of sympathy while they talk about their Second Amendment rights.

Much talk about rights, little consideration for responsibilities.

[friendly_iconoclast]

35. Only gun haters have mentioned the Second Amendment in this thread, yourself included

And you only mentioned the victim when it was pointed out that you and the other
'travelers on the same path' hadn't...

[friendly_iconoclast]

37. You should talk to someone about the 'seeing things that aren't actually there' bit

Because I'm certain that a fine, upstanding DUer like yourself would never, ever
put words in someone else's mouth- so you must have imagined this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1172&pid=176508

while they talk about their Second Amendment rights.

[sarisataka]

18. It's about the guns

As I stated to one poster about Hemenway's quote of disdain for victims-

His words taken at face value indicate a prejudice against any gun use. Criminals using guns, victims defending themselves and even suicides are all perpetrators of gun violence and not differentiated in any way. Logically such a viewpoint would combine those distinct actions under a single total of gun violence. It would show the core of Gun Control is not about victims but about guns

While I believe this represents the leadership of gun control, Bloomberg, Watts, Sugarman, Hemenway... the attitude of victims simply being pawns is not limited to them.

The one I would notably exclude is Giffords. I believe she has empathy for victims.

[RandySF]

26. Nothing to see here

Just your Second Amendment in action.

[Renew Deal]

27. I blame the NRA and Charlton Heston for their "cold dead hands" BS

They have to understand that some of their crazier followers buy into this stuff.

[GGJohn]

30. So you don't blame the shooter for this officer's death?

You would rather blame a dead guy and an organization that had nothing to do with this guy shooting the cop?

[nomorenomore08]

32. It's not even really the guns themselves.

It's the anti-government paranoia stoked by Heston and his ilk over the years.

But yes, the shooter himself is still primarily responsible, by far.

[Big_Mike]

38. If you want, you could rob Charleton's estate

For his hands are indeed cold and dead!

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. Omg. Awful

[840high]

29. He died because of this man-

33-year-old Joel Dixon Smith

[ileus]

34. Not true...I read in another thread it was because of some dead actor.

[friendly_iconoclast]

36. Evil, mind controlling ghosts and inanimate objects that bend humans to their will?

No wonder gun control advocates are so excitable- they think they're living in a cheesy
horror movie...

[SecularMotion]

41. Kick

[friendly_iconoclast]

45. Makeweight