Another umpire assaulted

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I remember on one occasion a certain partner who shall remain nameless and I were getting harrassed by a very angry fan after a varsity game. He followed us to our vehicles and when we got to my partner's SUV, my partner opened up the back and reached into his bag and pulled out a .357 magnum and said one word to the fan:

Disappear!

He did.

A little less talk and a lot more action, please.

Around here, you go to jail for that. Harassment is not a cause for deadly force.

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by BigTex

Around here, you go to jail for that. Harassment is not a cause for deadly force.

BS on that! Following me to my car is an overt and active threat, period. Does it justify displaying or pointing a weapon? - HTBT.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by BigTex

Around here, you go to jail for that. Harassment is not a cause for deadly force.

He didn't point it, he just pulled it out of his bag.

And since when do they jail people for handguns in Texas? I lived there 10 years and knew few people who weren't packing 24/7. Friggin' gun capital of the United States.

[socalblue1]

Steve,

Displaying a weapon in a public place can be construed as brandishing (Showing a weapon in an attempt to threaten), a crime in every state.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by socalblue1

Steve,

Displaying a weapon in a public place can be construed as brandishing (Showing a weapon in an attempt to threaten), a crime in every state.

Such a DPRKalifornia mindset is typical. In some states you are permitted to defend yourself, if you show that you were reasonably threatened.

Now, in this case, if the potential assailant was empty-handed, I would have de-escalated a dangerous situation and merely pulled out an axe handle.

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

He didn't point it, he just pulled it out of his bag.

And since when do they jail people for handguns in Texas? I lived there 10 years and knew few people who weren't packing 24/7. Friggin' gun capital of the United States.

It is also against the law to bring a weapon on school property, whether he digs it out of his bag or not. Gun permit or no gun permit.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

It is also against the law to bring a weapon on school property, whether he digs it out of his bag or not. Gun permit or no gun permit.

So are a lot of things. I never said what he did was legal, did I? I still liked the result.

I was brought up with many guns in the house, and to believe that gun control meant using two hands.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

He didn't point it, he just pulled it out of his bag.

And since when do they jail people for handguns in Texas? I lived there 10 years and knew few people who weren't packing 24/7. Friggin' gun capital of the United States.

Steve, this is real bad advice as this can be a certain jail sentence in some States. Here in CT, even if you have a State permit to carry a concealed weapon, you cannot use it to threaten someone.

Let's say that you are having a heated discussion with me (here in CT). I am wearing a jacket and in the course of the discussion, I slide my hands so that my jacket opens and rest my hands on my hips. My right hand naturally rests on the butt of my revolver as we continue to "discuss" the issue. I have just threatened you with my weapon, even though I never drew it and even though it was a perfectly natural action! A friend of mine spent 3 days in lockup and received a 90 day suspended sentence for doing just this. I was present for the arrest and was present for the hearing. The judge explained that my friend "threatened" the other party by simply resting his hand on the butt of the .38 and it was witnessed by others at the drinking establishment. The law here says that this constituted pulling the weapon and up here (as in many other places) if you pull your weapon, you had better use it!

Sounds stupid but in different States, the laws for weapons can very tremendously. That incident was a lesson for me in that it doesn't matter if you are legal (having a permit) or not, the law is not on your side at all. That is unless you are in Texas and witness your neighbor's house being robbed and you have 911 on the line while you blow the perpetrators away with a 12 gauge! Heh, heh, heh!

[greymule]

It is also against the law to bring a weapon onto school property

. . . which has had made schools prime targets for people intent on committing mayhem.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by greymule

It is also against the law to bring a weapon onto school property

. . . which has had made schools prime targets for people intent on committing mayhem.

Yes, we are familiar with school shootings here:

Santana HS - 10 miles away
Granite Hills HS - 5 miles away (good thing there was an armed police officer on campus!)
Cleveland Elementary - 10 miles away (Brenda "I don't like Mondays" Spencer)

Columbine who?

[Huskerblue]

Published Monday July 21, 2008
Breaking News: Gretna bans dad from ballfields
BY CHELSEA KEENEY
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The Gretna parent accused of assaulting a baseball umpire has been banned from Gretna baseball fields for two years, and two Gretna baseball coaches have been banned from coaching during the 2009 season.

Jeffrey G. Johnson, 39, is banned from games played on Gretna Youth Softball and Baseball Association fields, said Mark Peterson, the association's president.

"The GYSBA does not condone the actions of the parent," the association said in a statement. "GYSBA is a strong proponent of teaching youth proper sports etiquette and has a zero tolerance policy regarding unsportsmanlike conduct. The parent's action is inexcusable."

On July 12, Johnson was ticketed on suspicion of third-degree assault after he was accused of knocking 59-year-old umpire Charles Andersen to the ground. Johnson's son's Gretna team had just lost a state tournament game to a team from Ashland, Neb., by a score of 6-3. The incident took place at a field near 192nd Street and West Dodge Road.

If convicted, Johnson faces up to six months in jail. A call this morning to his home requesting comment was not returned.

Andersen said that when Gretna's last batter - Johnson's son - was at the plate, the batter jumped out of the batter's box and questioned the ball-strike count. Andersen said he yelled back at the boy and told him to get back in the batter's box because the youth did not call time out. The player swung at the next pitch and missed, then popped out on the last one.

A confrontation followed immediately after the last play, Andersen said.

A parent of a Ralston player waiting for the next game on the field said the two Gretna coaches "sandwiched" Andersen between them and screamed at him.

Johnson, the parent said, then came out of the stands onto the playing field and shoved Andersen, sending him through the air. Andersen landed hard on the ground.

On the Monday after the game, Andersen said he still had a headache, stiff neck and sore body.

Today, Andersen said he still was dealing with the aftereffects.

The head coach, Quinn Coldiron, could not be reached today for comment. The assistant, Jeff Staashelm, said he had no comment.

The statement on the Gretna baseball group's Web site placed some of the blame for the incident on Andersen.

"We believe the umpire unnecessarily escalated the tensions before, during and after the game and did not help the coaches diffuse the high level of emotion shown during the game," the statement said.

In response, Denny Jones, chief of Metro Umpires, said, "This blame game thing is absolute nonsense. You didn't find an umpire lift a finger or touch anybody violently. And that's the long and short of it."

When informed of the penalties against the parent and two coaches, Andersen said he "applauded" the banning of the coaches, but said other coaches should be reviewed for their own poor sportsmanship.

"It's very interesting that the Gretna program realizes the part the two coaches took in this," Andersen said. "Are they going to address the other situations with other Gretna coaches? Are they going to clean house and straighten up their program?"

Peterson said the organization would implement additional umpire and coach training to "avoid anything in the future like that."

Jones said the Gretna association had worked with Metro Umpires for 15 years without any trouble and did not want Gretna to get a bad rap for the incident.

"They are all good folks in Gretna," Jones said. "Kind, nice people."

Andersen said he has heard of similar parent and coach violence against umpires across the Omaha metropolitan area and said he thinks it should be more widely addressed.

"What's your responsibility (as a parent or coach) at a ball field?" Andersen said. "To be positive."

[Emperor Ump]

Originally Posted by Huskerblue

The statement on the Gretna baseball group's Web site placed some of the blame for the incident on Andersen.

"We believe the umpire unnecessarily escalated the tensions before, during and after the game and did not help the coaches diffuse the high level of emotion shown during the game," the statement said.

In response, Denny Jones, chief of Metro Umpires, said, "This blame game thing is absolute nonsense. You didn't find an umpire lift a finger or touch anybody violently. And that's the long and short of it."

...

Peterson said the organization would implement additional umpire and coach training to "avoid anything in the future like that."

Jones said the Gretna association had worked with Metro Umpires for 15 years without any trouble and did not want Gretna to get a bad rap for the incident.

"They are all good folks in Gretna," Jones said. "Kind, nice people."

I hope Metro Umpires ends their relationship with Gretna. If they don't I hope any umpire assigned to work there would turn back the game. This is insane that Gretna even trys to put any blame on the umpires.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Steve, this is real bad advice as this can be a certain jail sentence in some States.

I wasn't giving it as advice. I was merely recalling what happened once upon a time, many, many years ago. I was not condoning what he did, but it did take immediate care of the problem. Should everyone start carrying guns to the ballyard? NO!!!!

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

He didn't point it, he just pulled it out of his bag.

And since when do they jail people for handguns in Texas? I lived there 10 years and knew few people who weren't packing 24/7. Friggin' gun capital of the United States.

Wrong.

Tennessee is the patron state of shootin' stuff!

And, I'm damn proud to be a Tennesseean!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

Wrong.

Tennessee is the patron state of shootin' stuff!

And, I'm damn proud to be a Tennesseean!

I stand corrected. Texas is pretty high up there though.