January 13, 2004
Toledo Blade

Officials urge more security for carryouts

City offering a reward for clues in death of N. Toledo store clerk

Two days after a North Toledo carryout worker was killed during a robbery, city officials yesterday urged small businesses to improve their security measures, with Mayor Jack Ford saying he may use loans or grants to help pay for the upgrades.

City officials called Misada Shalan's murder inside Tamara's Carryout senseless, brutal, and vicious and offered a $5,000 reward - matched by a local carryout owner - for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers.

Mrs. Shalan and her husband, Fuad, were sitting behind the counter in the carryout when two masked men walked in and fired three to five shots, Detective Vince Mauro said.

"They came in, said nothing, and started shooting," he said.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Akron Beacon Journal
Jan. 14, 2004

Summit sheriff fund-raiser Thursday

FRANKLIN TWP. - An event being billed as an ``after the holidays party'' will be held Thursday to raise money for Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander's re-election campaign.

The fund-raiser will be from 5 to 9 p.m. at Anthe's restaurant, 4315 Manchester Road in the Portage Lakes area. The donation is $40.

For tickets or more information, call John Cunningham at 330-245-0377.

Commentary:
Perhaps Mr. Alexander should ask his communist friends in Cuba for a donation?

According to a recent Beacon-Journal article,
Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander says the new concealed carry law "terrifies our people.''

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

More and more of Ohio's highest-ranking law enforcement officials (Ohio's sheriffs) are weighing in on their views regarding the passage of Ohio's concealed carry law. As expected, the lions-share are signing its praises.

Ross County Sheriff Ron Nichols said "the purpose of this law is to give law-abiding citizens the right to arm themselves," he said. "This law is not a way felons can legally have weapons."

Nichols said he will not fear for his officers' safety anymore than he does now because of the new law.

"This is a serious issue," he said. "Every time a law enforcement officer makes a stop, he is putting his life on the line. The possibility that a gun can be used against an officer is around every day, but we have to remember law-abiding citizens don't pull guns on police officers. It's the criminals that we need to be worried about."

Ottawa County Sheriff Craig Emahiser said he expects the law to have little impact on law-enforcement officers. Many criminals will carry a concealed weapon whether the law allows them to or not, he said.

"Every traffic stop I’ve ever made in my career, you make the traffic stop with the assumption that you’re in danger, and that there’s the possibility that somebody in the vehicle could take deadly action against you," Sheriff Emahiser said.

Marion County Sheriff John Butterworth said he does not think the concealed carry law will pose a problem with increased crime.

"I've seen the statistics from other states that have implemented this law, and there doesn't seem to be an increase in the number of crimes involving firearms," Butterworth said.

Preble County Sheriff Michael Simpson said he supports the legislation, and the new law has earned the support of Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger.

'I see no problem with the new upcoming carry-and-conceal law. It is a proven fact that crime rates have dropped in other states that have adopted a similar law,' Wenninger said.

Critics of the concealed weapon law say the new legislation, in allowing more people access to concealed weapons, will do more to increase rather than deter gun-related deaths.

Ripley Police Chief Harvey Bowman, however, said he did not anticipate this specific problem arising.

Wenninger concurred with Bowman's assessment.

'Let's face it, if a criminal wants a handgun, do you think they would go through all of the paperwork and then commit a crime? No, they could go to any street corner and pick up a stolen handgun as they often do now,' Wenninger said.

He continued, 'If the person in question had a permit, I would know that they have received the proper training on the handling of a firearm.'

Sgt. John Marhulik of the Niles police department said he believes in the public's Constitutional right to bear arms, and he said he thinks the new law may cut down on some crimes.

Tuscarawas County Sheriff Walt Wilson Wilson has no qualms about the new law. The sheriff said he has known for a long time that criminals carry guns illegally, and always will.

“And I think this law is a vehicle that legally permits citizens to carry concealed handguns for their own protection and the protection of their families,” he said.

Allen County Sheriff Dan Beck expects a flood of applicants, although he believes the number of people who get one will represent a small percentage of the population.

"The good citizens that we have will obey this law in every way," Sheriff Beck said. "The bad guys will always carry a gun, whether they have a permit of not."

Not quite all of Ohio's sheriffs are quite this informed. Click on the "Read More..." link below for examples.

At first glance, this op-ed looks like the beginnings of yet another tortured anti-gun editorial. But this piece is well worth the read, and serves as a good reminder: no one who is unsure of their willingness to use deadly force should choose to become a Concealed Handgun License-holder.

By RON SIMON
Mansfield News Journal

When I came home from the service back in the wicked 1960s, I brought a little friend home with me named Smith and Wesson.

With a matching shoulder holster.

The reason I did this was partly because of a mind-set forged in Vietnam and partly because of reading the newspapers.

From my perch in the Far East, the United States looked like a crazy shooting gallery. It seemed only prudent to go about armed.

First off, I was illegal. Secondly, I never needed the thing, barely ever carried it.

In the end, I sold the .38 illegally to another veteran for $25 -- plus $10 for the sweat-catcher it rode in. I felt like I had passed a problem on to somebody else. I had the price of 35 cold beers and had shucked a legal and a moral burden off my back.

Many people would not feel that way. By this summer, Joe and Jane Doe can carry concealed weapons in Ohio provided they pass a background criminal check and a 12-hour training course. They have to pay the fee for training and renew their license to carry with their local sheriff every four years. About the only place they can carry is on the street and in parking lots or in dark alleys late at night.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

January 13, 2004
Akron Beacon Journal

At long last, we citizens of Ohio now have the opportunity to protect ourselves from those intent upon doing us harm. The concealed-carry legislation recently passed by both houses of the Ohio legislature is far from perfect, but it is a start.

If the results of concealed-carry in Ohio are anything like the positive results that have been experienced in other states, we can be sure that the compromise provisions will eventually be removed to give us the full protection promised by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what mischief our representatives of the Fourth Estate will do with their access to the lists of citizens who apply for concealed-carry.

If they decide to publish this list, I surely will not want to be absent from it -- one of those who will be fair game for armed thugs.

Donald F. Beal
Peninsula

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more recent letters to the editor.

January 14, 2004
Fort Worth Star Telegram

GRAND PRAIRIE - A Grand Prairie man is being held in the Grand Prairie Jail on suspicion of capital murder Tuesday after telling police that he shot and killed two men who forced him to withdraw money from an ATM, police said.

Foyil Edward Deal, 63, was expected to be arraigned this morning and may be transferred to the Dallas County Jail, police said.

Wylie Bailey Casey, 35, of Arlington and Wesley Lewis Duncan, 40, of Cleburne were pronounced dead shortly after the shooting Tuesday morning. Their bodies were found in a car in the driveway of Deal's west Grand Prairie house.

Police said they are trying to determine whether Deal, who has a concealed handgun license, shot the men in self-defense. Sgt. John Brimmer, a police spokesman, said investigators will refer the case to a Dallas County grand jury.

"If the robbery happened the way the robbery victim explained it to us, then he did the right thing," Brimmer said.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.