Latest news with #ExtremeRiskProtectionOrder
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bend man who threatened mass shooting was armed with AR-15, police say
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Bend man is in custody after he threatened to carry out a mass shooting over the weekend, police say. Authorities say 36-year-old Nathaniel Benjamin Wright told a family member he was planning to execute a mass shooting following a family argument. The threat was reported to Bend police on Friday afternoon. Union Gospel Mission victim count jumps to 12, stabbing suspect ID'd When law enforcement responded to Wright's home near 3000 NE Waller Ave., officers said they saw him walk from his home to a white truck parked in the driveway, 'carrying an AR-15-style rifle and a duffel bag and wearing a ballistic vest.' Police stopped Wright at gunpoint, took him into custody, and took him to St. Charles Bend. Oregon Senate passes bump stock ban, allows expansion of gun-free zones 'Officers searched Wright's vehicle and home, and applied for and were granted an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which is a court order preventing a person at risk of hurting themselves or another person from having or getting access to deadly weapons like firearms,' according to Bend authorities. Investigators say Wright was known to own multiple firearms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hennepin County Attorney finds John Sawchak incompetent for trial
The Brief A Minneapolis man accused of shooting his neighbor while he was cutting a tree on his front lawn has been found incompetent to stand trial. John Sawchak was arrested in October 2024 in the shooting of his neighbor, Davis Moturi. It took Minneapolis police four days to get Sawchak into custody. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man accused of shooting his neighbor has been found incompetent to stand trial by a second doctor. The backstory John Sawchak was arrested in October of 2024, accused of shooting his neighbor, Davis Moturi, who was outside doing yard work at the time. He was shot in the neck while cutting down a tree in his front yard. The incident also sparked outrage against Minneapolis police as they took four days to get Sawchak into custody. Minneapolis City Council members wanted to know why. What we know The incident sparked the legislation of the Red Flag Law, which authorizes a judge to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order that allows police to remove firearms from a person if that person is at risk of harming themselves or others. What's next The Hennepin County Attorney's Office withdrew its request for a competency hearing, and agreed the court should enter a finding of incompetency. The Source Information on the case was provided by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office on Wednesday.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US may become 11th Canada province but its going to require a lot of apologizing
I'm not sure you grasp how offensive that headline "Canada can be a US state, but we're gonna need some syrup" (Detroit Free Press letter to the editor, March 2) is to all Canadian readers of this paper. I understand that it's a letter written tongue-in-cheek and some may find it humorous. But to keep it on the front page for days and days is rubbing salt into a wound. So I propose that you publish my letter with this Headline: "US may become 11th province but its going to require a lot of apologizing." (Editors note: Done.) Ernest Poortinga Ann Arbor It is with great dismay that I see that the new Michigan House of Representatives has targeted for repeal the Extreme Risk Protection Order laws, passed into law by the State of Michigan in 2023. Background: Here's how Michigan's red flag gun law works Statistics are already showing that the law has potentially saved lives, making sure that families have a legal way to petition for the removal of firearms from family members who, after a determination by a judge, were found to be a danger to themselves or others. We can't ever completely prevent gun violence, but we can take measures to make it more rare. We can have fewer children shot at splash pads. We can have fewer children shot at in their schools. This action is clearly political. I would think that the one thing all Michiganders could agree on is that we'd like fewer people to get shot. Jonathan Gold Novi Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: US can be 11th Canada province but it'll require a lot of apologizing
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Red flag law citizen initiative officially valid to appear on November ballot
A portrait of Margaret Chase Smith in the background as proponents of gun safety rally in the halls of the State House on Jan. 3, 2024. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) A citizen-led initiative to strengthen Maine's gun safety laws is headed to the ballot this November, after the Secretary of State's Office confirmed Friday that enough valid signatures had been collected. Maine could join 21 other states that have passed red flag laws, officially called an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which would make it easier to temporarily confiscate one's guns if they are deemed to be a threat by law enforcement or their family members. Both gun safety advocates and owners in Maine have emphasized the need for such a law, according to Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, which spearheaded the initiative. Red flag laws have been proven effective in reducing incidents of suicide – the leading cause of firearm death in Maine, especially among men. Maine is currently the only state to have a yellow flag law, a weaker provision that allows law enforcement officials to take away guns from someone considered a safety risk to themselves or others after an evaluation from a mental health professional. The red flag law, if passed, would authorize family members to directly petition courts to take someone's guns away if they pose a threat. After a failed legislative attempt to pass the red flag law last year, the coalition collected more than 80,000 signatures in about two months in support of passing the initiative. Of those, 74,888 were found to be valid, according to a release by the Secretary of State's Office, still exceeding the number required for a valid petition (which is 67,822, or 10% of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election). The initiative will now go to the Legislature for consideration, and lawmakers can choose to enact the bill as written or refer it to a statewide vote in November 2025. In her State of the Budget address in late January, Gov. Janet Mills defended Maine's yellow flag law, which she helped craft in 2020. Use of the yellow flag law has increased since the deadly Lewiston mass shooting in 2023, although some law enforcement agencies rely on it more than others. The independent commission tasked with investigating the events that led to the shooting determined, among other things, that the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office had sufficient cause to take the shooter into protective custody under Maine's Yellow Flag Law, but failed to do so. In a press statement, Palmer said that with the Secretary of State's validation, the coalition can start its campaign. 'This was the final hurdle in a process that began in the aftermath of Lewiston, as people across Maine and family members of those lost asked how we prevent this from ever happening again,' she said. 'This is a proven, commonsense tool for families that's been effective in many other states in saving countless lives and preventing tragedies like Lewiston.' Palmer said the gun lobby has already started 'spreading misinformation and scare tactics' about red flag laws, which have been upheld as constitutional and proven effective in states where they've passed. 'Maine is a strong gun rights state, where many of us hunt and shoot recreationally, but we're also a state that believes in gun responsibility,' said David McCrea, former state legislator and retired educator from Fort Fairfield and a volunteer for the Maine Gun Safety Coalition in a statement. 'As a gun owner myself, I'm proud to support this commonsense measure that will give family members tools to get help for their loved ones when they're in need, before a crisis becomes a preventable tragedy.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nearly 300 gun confiscation orders were granted in Michigan's first year of 'red flag' laws
In the first year of Michigan's 'red flag' laws, courts approved nearly 300 requests for confiscation of guns from individuals who were believed to be a threat to themselves or others, the State Court Administrative Office found in a report this week. On Feb. 13, 2024, one year after the deadly shooting on Michigan State University's campus where three students were killed, several gun safety measures went into effect including the Extreme Risk Protection Order, or ERPO, Act. Under this new law, Michigan joined twenty other states in permitting Michiganders to petition courts to issue extreme risk protection orders to order the removal of firearms from individuals. A total of 391 ERPO requests were made, according to the report and 287 requests were approved. Denials were issued for 84 of the requests as the law requires petitioners to present a factual case showing imminent danger if the person is in possession of firearms. Most of the requests for extreme risk protection orders were emergency requests that the temporary confiscations occur before holding a hearing where the respondent could make their case for keeping their weapons. In the 355 instances petitioners or law enforcement officers requested immediate action by the court, the report says several times the judge determined that there should be a hearing first before fulfilling an order for confiscation, allowing the respondent to make their case. In eight instances where judges ordered confiscation before a hearing, the order was rescinded after the initial hearing. At least 31 individuals who were restrained by an ERPO were charged with criminal offenses within 30 days of the entry of the order, totalling 74 criminal charges, with the most common offense being domestic violence. The goal behind ERPOs is to prevent escalations of violence into tragedies by allowing loved ones or members of law enforcement to request courts to temporarily restrict individuals' access to firearms in a crisis, a news release from several gun safety groups said. Everytown for Gun Safety Action, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action applauded the results from the state's report that also found that there were no instances of individuals filing false reports in order to be granted an ERPO, a criminal offense in Michigan. 'ERPOs are designed for severe crises and a small number of individuals who may not respond to other interventions. The goal isn't quantity – it's using this option effectively in the right circumstances,' the news release said. 'Though Extreme Risk laws have been proven effective in reducing rates of gun suicide and have prevented countless acts of gun violence across the country, these laws are most effective when they are thoughtfully drafted and implemented, and when there is widespread awareness of their existence.' Republicans opposed legislation to allow for extreme risk protection orders and while new House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) was recognizing the second anniversary of the MSU school shooting on Thursday he noted that data like the numbers in the report is important to learn how effective laws are, but he says more information is needed to ensure that ERPOs aren't violating people's right to due process in the judicial system. 'I have constitutional concerns about the lack of due process. That's why I voted against it. But also, I voted for the safe storage laws,' Hall said. 'There's some real heart wrenching stories that come across there of accidental shootings and things that happen as a result of guns not being stored properly… you hate to hear those cases, and you see that that law has been utilized as well.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
