crossing guard guns confiscated after overheard statement

[Ed L]

A crossing guard from Massachusetts had his personal firearms confiscated and was suspended from his job after a waitress overheard him a conversation in which the crossing guard said that someone could "shoot up the school" at times because he felt that the school resource officer took too many breaks and thus left the school vulnerable.

The crossing guard in question is 84 years old, was previously a police officer, and has had a license to own firearms in Massachusetts since 1958. Just to be clear, these were his personal guns. He does not carry a gun as a crossing guard.

Really, this is insane. This should not have gone beyond a simple inquiry. There is was no red flag invoked, but in Massachusetts firearms licenses are required to own any firearm and seem to be revocable at will by the police chief. It is the equivalent to impounding someone's car and taking their driver's license because someone claimed that they saw them drinking and driving.

Here is a link to the article:

https://www.mvtimes.com/2019/10/11/c...y-guns-seized/

[Casual Friday]

If I were him and/or his family, I'd find out who reported him and I'd make it my life's work to ruin theirs. Tit for tat.

[Cypher]

If I were him and/or his family, I'd find out who reported him and I'd make it my life's work to ruin theirs. Tit for tat.

IOW make sure you never get your guns back.

[Casual Friday]

IOW make sure you never get your guns back.

He likely won't anyway. One way to combat these false red flags are to throw them back like a grenade on the people who abuse them.

[Cypher]

He likely won't anyway. One way to combat these false red flags are to throw them back like a grenade on the people who abuse them.

I don't think that's going to be an effective strategy. I think the only effective strategy is is going to be to elect people who will vote to repeal such laws.

[Casual Friday]

I don't think that's going to be an effective strategy. I think the only effective strategy is is going to be to elect people who will vote to repeal such laws.

Yeah that's worked so well so far.

[Ed L]

In this particular case, the person who accused him was a waitress who seemed to overhear part of a conversation. I am not really sure what the guy whose guns were confiscated could accuse her of. And if he did, it would be transparent and make him look like a kook.

I looked up the town where this took place, Tisbury, MA. It is a small town located on Martha's Vineyard. The person whose guns were confiscated is a former cop and has been working a crossing guard for years. The whole way this was handled is insane and grossly inappropriate. The person has hired lawyers. It would have been a simple matter, given the person's background and history, to investigate and conclude that it was part of an incomplete overheard conversation. And maybe caution him that given his position, it is best practices to bring security concerns like that up to the proper person and not mention it in public where it might be overheard and misconstrued, or overheard by someone who might have nefarious motives.

One of the reasons I googled the town is that I wondered if it was close to Danvers, MA, which was originally known as Salem Village--home of the Salem Which Trials. Because this really is witch trial material--but with a lower threshold for evidence.

[fixer]

That is supremely fucked up. And my biggest fear of red flag laws.

[Clusterfrack]

It’s frightening that a US citizen’s constitutional rights can be revoked because of something someone thought they overheard.

[Shoresy]

I don't think that's going to be an effective strategy. I think the only effective strategy is is going to be to elect people who will vote to repeal such laws.

It's Massachusetts.