Armed man fatally shot at Tennessee high school

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — An armed man was fatally shot by deputies Monday at an east Tennessee high school after he went inside and pointed a gun at the principal’s head, a sheriff said.

Well done, deputies!

But there’s another interesting tidbit:

[The gun man] Cowan entered the school with a .380-caliber semiautomatic and a .25-caliber handgun in his back pocket, Anderson said. The sheriff said that after Cowan grabbed the principal, Melanie Riden, and pointed the semiautomatic at her head, student resource officer Carolyn Gudger pulled her gun on Cowan and moved the principal to safety. [emphasis Murdoc's]

What sounds like a bit of a standoff followed, and deputies shot Cowan after he pointed his gun at Gudger.

Not only did an armed individual prevent a school attack, but the deputies didn’t seem to have trouble knowing who the good guys and the bad guys were. We keep being told that armed people in schools won’t help and will just make it tougher for the authorities to do their jobs.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said Wednesday he expects lawmakers to once again override his veto of bill to allow handgun carry permit holders to bring weapons into bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.

The Senate was expected to vote Thursday on whether to turn back the Democratic governor's veto, which takes only a majority in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Bredesen laughed when asked by a reporter whether he would be surprised to see lawmakers reject the veto.

“Not in the least,” he said. “Not in the least.”

via Tenn. gov expects veto override on guns in bars – CNBC.

Judge Strikes Down Tennessee Guns-in-Bars Law

Here’s a nice evenhanded headline for you:
Tennessee law lets thugs pack heat
A violent past doesn’t necessarily prevent a Tennessean from getting a gun permit

This is just the latest example of media excitement over non-felons not prevented from getting permits that felons can’t get. Understand? This man, who is NOT A FELON, got a permit that FELONS CANNOT GET.

And this, says the media, is reason for concern.

Fletcher is one of them, despite his repeated run-ins with the law. Several felony charges over the years that would have disqualified him for a gun permit were either reduced to misdemeanors or dismissed.

In other words, he was NOT CONVICTED of a felony.

This type of scare story, about how not being a felon was a loophole that allowed some folks not be classed as felons, was all the rage in Florida for a while.

If people don’t like people with rough pasts plea bargaining themselves out of a felony conviction and then getting guns, get the people with rough pasts convicted of a felony when they’re charged with one. Don’t pretend it’s some sort of loophole.

More at SayUncle, Walls of the City, and Snowflakes in Hell.

Cash-strapped states raid 911 funds

More than $200 million collected from cell phone users for upgrades to the 911 system has been diverted in the last two years to plug state budget holes, keep campaign promises and, in at least one case, buy police uniforms, an Associated Press analysis has found.

Never, ever rely only on the authorities to keep you safe or help you when you need it. Especially if anyone in power has campaign promises to keep.

Oregon, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Tennessee are among the states that have dipped into their 911 money recently. New York and Rhode Island have been diverting their funds for at least five years. States started collecting the funds in the 1990s.

In the fiscal year that ended in June 2008, Rhode Island collected $19.4 million in 911 fees and used $5.8 million for 911. The rest went to the state’s general fund.

If only politicians would make campaign promises to upgrade the 911 system, they could raid the 911 upgrade funds to keep their promise to upgrade the 911 system.

Feds Declare Tennessee Gun Law Invalid

Last month, the state of Tennessee’s General Assembly passed House Bill 1796, the “Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act,” which states that any firearms or ammunition manufactured within the state and legally owned and kept within the state by citizens are “not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration” due to provisions in the Second, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

The ATF, unsurprisingly, takes a slightly different view of things.

Oakland, Tennessee:

The homeowner heard what sounded like a knock on his window around 12:30am. When the noise grew, the homeowner found a neighbor, 32-year old Anthony Webb, breaking through his window with a rake.

The homeowner tells FOX13 that he told the man repeatedly to stop, but Webb’s reply was “What are you going to do?”

Don’t ask tough questions. You may not like the answer.

The intruder was shot three times, and was declared dead upon arrival by local police.

Tennessee House Votes to Override Governor’s Veto of HB 962

From the NRA_ILA:

Efforts in the House of Representatives to override Governor Phil Bredesen’s veto of House Bill 962 were successful today. In a show of strong bipartisan support, the House voted 69-27 to override the governor’s May 28 veto of HB 962. This NRA-supported bill will enable law-abiding right-to-carry permit holders to carry a firearm for self defense in restaurants. Today’s victory is a crucial step in the passage of this important legislation that will expand the right of self-defense. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.

More at SayUncle. Of course.

Uncle keeps tabs on the Tennessee ‘Carry in Restaurants and Bars’ bill which was recently passed and then vetoed by the governor:

Veto Override
Other Gubernatorial Candidates on Guns In Restaurants

Also see What’s a Tennessee Gunnie to Do? over at Sebastian’s.

Say Uncle: Thought crimes: more serious than real crimes

At Pelham Library, a teen did some research on the laws related to the concealed carry of a handgun. Someone at the library reported the suspicious activity. The teen was then called to the principal’s office and interviewed by police. Seems that reporting someone’s reading habits may also be a violation of the law. The library seems mostly unconcerned about this.